Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) is developing optimal design solutions for air condensers for high-power turbines. The project, aimed at developing new technologies in the energy sector, is being implemented as part of student project activities.
One of the main advantages of air condensers is that they do not require water for cooling. The use of such devices is relevant for arid regions: scarce resources are saved and the environmental burden on reservoirs is reduced. To date, there are a variety of types and configurations of air condensers, but their comparative analysis and determination of the most effective solutions under various operating conditions remain insufficiently studied, says Olesya Borush, Professor of the Department of Thermal Power Plants at NSTU-NETI, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor. It is also important to determine which specific design parameters have the most significant impact on heat transfer performance and how optimizing them can lead to lower costs while maintaining or improving system efficiency.
"The main task of the project is to figure out how to assemble an air condenser in such a way as to reduce metal consumption and reduce the cost of construction, how to improve the heat transfer coefficient for more efficient heat removal. Optimization will reduce energy consumption, which is directly related to reducing the carbon footprint and operating costs," said Olesya Borush.
The students proposed several design options with different number of layouts, different pipe diameters and fin geometry. In the future, the consumption characteristics will be selected: heat output, fan power consumption, and air consumption.
The final stage of the project is the optimal design of an air condenser for steam turbines designed for high power generation capacities. In the future, the capacitor calculation method can be adapted to other working media, for example, carbon dioxide cycles.