Evaporative Cooling Enhancement at the Steamboat Complex and Condenser Performance Research and Development Efforts
- Key words
- Ormat Technologies; Ormat; Organic Rankine Cycle; Galena 3; geothermal power plant; Thermal Performance Analysis; evaporative cooling; fogging system; water-assisted air cooling
- Location
- Steamboat Springs, Nevada
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 2011
- Session
- Condensers
- Language
- English
Abstract
Preliminary results from testing that took place through the peak summer months at the Galena III Power Plant facility in Reno, Nev. to develop a new Evaporative Cooling Enhancement system aimed at reducing the air temperature entering the geothermal condenser and increasing power plant performance. With this concept, water is discharged into the atmosphere through spray nozzles that mist into the air entering condenser tubes. During the tests, the Evaporative Cooling Enhancement system’s affect on temperature reduction of inlet air and power output increase were measured using multiple variables. The results of the Galena 3 Evaporative Cooling Enhancement tests will be used in concept and system design of future geothermal power projects.
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