ISSN 0040-6015, Thermal Engineering, 2016, Vol. 63, No. 3, pp. 157–167. © Pleiades Publishing, Inc., 2016.

Original Russian Text © O.O. Milman, P.A. Anan’ev, 2016, published in Teploenergetika.

STEAM TURBINE, GAS TURBINE,

COMBINED-CYCLE PLANTS AND THEIR AUXILIARIES

Dry Сoolers and Air-Condensing Units (Review)

O. O. Milman and P. A. Anan’ev
ZAO Turbocon Scientific and Production Innovation Enterprise, ul. Komsomolskaya Roshcha 43, Kaluga, 248010, Russia
e-mail: turbocon@kaluga.ru

Abstract—The analysis of factors affecting the growth of shortage of freshwater is performed. The state and
dynamics of the global market of dry coolers used at electric power plants are investigated. Substantial
increase in number and maximum capacity of air-cooled condensers, which have been put into operation in
the world in recent years, are noted. The key reasons facilitating the choice of developers of the dry coolers,
in particular the independence of the location of thermal power plant from water sources, are enumerated.
The main steam turbine heat removal schemes using air cooling are considered, their comparison of thermal
efficiency is assessed, and the change of three important parameters, such as surface area of heat transfer,
condensate pump flow, and pressure losses in the steam exhaust system, are estimated. It is shown that the
most effective is the scheme of direct steam condensation in the heat-exchange tubes, but other schemes also
have certain advantages. The air-cooling efficiency may be enhanced much more by using an air-cooling
hybrid system: a combination of dry and wet cooling. The basic applied constructive solutions are shown: the
arrangement of heat-exchange modules and the types of fans. The optimal mounting design of a fully shop-
assembled cooling system for heat-exchange modules is represented. Different types of heat-exchange tubes
ribbing that take into account the operational features of cooling systems are shown. Heat transfer coefficients
of the plants from different manufacturers are compared, and the main reasons for its decline are named.
When using evaporative air cooling, it is possible to improve the efficiency of air-cooling units. The factors
affecting the faultless performance of dry coolers (DC) and air-condensing units (ACU) and the ways of their
elimination are described. A high velocity wind forcing reduces the efficiency of cooling systems and creates
preconditions for the development of wind-driven devices. It is noted that global trends have a significant
influence on the application of dry coolers in Russia, in view of the fact that some TPP have a surface con-
densers arrangement. The reasons that these systems are currently less efficient than the direct steam conden-
sation in an air-cooled condenser are explained. It is shown that, in some cases, it is more reasonable to use
mixing-type condensers in combination with a dry cooler. Measures for a full import substitution of steam
exhaust heat removal systems are mentioned.

Keywords: dry cooler, air condenser, steam turbine, heat transfer coefficient, fan, steam, water, thermal
power plant
DOI: 10.1134/S004060151603006X

In view of the development of the global economy,
there is a demand for the growth of power production,
resulting in the growing demand for freshwater for
power plants. At the same time, power companies
compete with public water consumption, daily living
use, trade, agriculture, and industry. In addition, there
is a need to stop or reduce the use of water reservoirs
and rivers to achieve environmental, ecological, and
recreational purposes, which will make the future of
the national freshwater distribution still more compli-
cated. Thus, more and more attention is paid to the
adequate use of freshwater for the power production
and the potential impact of the power plant on its
resources and quality.
In the 1960s–1990s, steam (wet) cooling systems
dominated in the market. Dry cooling was used mainly
for power plants located in areas with extremely lim-
ited water resources. After 1990, the factors facilitating
the use of dry cooling systems in power plants have
changed drastically. The demand for dry cooling sys-
tems in the global market has grown approximately
twentyfold over the past 15 years (Fig. 1) [1].
Currently, in addition to the shortage of water,
there are some other reasons for the selection of the
dry cooling systems, such as:
(1) Environmental requirements for water saving
and its temperature rise in rivers and seas;
(2) Local legislation limiting harmful spillways;
(3) Rise of prices for water consumption;
(4) Greater freedom to select the location of the
station and simplified examination and procedure for
construction permit.
Specialists from the company SPX Cooling Tech-
nologies, Inc (SPX CT, United States), one of the larg-
est producers of dry coolers, have noted a huge growth
in the market of dry cooling systems. Figure 2 shows the

157
158 MILMAN, ANAN’EV

N, MW the United States (25), Europe (16), China (53), and

others [3].
GEA Group of companies GEA (Hungary, United
15000 States, China) delivered 1049 dry cooling systems,
including 188 air condensers (AC) in the period from
1962 until 2011, most of which were manufactured
10000 over the past 10 years for the turbines of up to 600 MW
(used at the coal power plants in China).
A large number of units (over 100) was supplied by
5000 Bronswerk (Netherlands).
Currently, the supply of ACU or dry coolers (DC)
is a standard procedure for a combined cycle plant
0
steam turbine of 600 MW, where a steam-turbine plant

2004
1994

2000

2002
2003

2005
1992
1993

1995
1996
1997
1998
1999

2001 (STP) has a capacity of 200 MW. The capacity of com-

Years
Fig. 1. Evolution of large power plants with air-cooled
condensers on the world market.
newest power plants in Europe and North America
using air-cooled condensers supplied by SPX CT.
The scale of application of these devices are grow-
ing rapidly around the world. If before 1990 the ACU
for high power steam turbines were a rarity, since the
end of the twentieth century the power limitation of
their operation is practically absent. According to [2],
the two thermal power plants with ACU are inside the
top hundred of the largest power plants in the world:
Matimba (South Africa), 3990 MW (79th place) and
Shangdu (China), 3720 MW (97th place).
The largest supplier companies are: SPX CT—more
than 1000 dry cooling units, as of 2013, including 106
ACU for the turbines with a capacity of over 100 MW in
bined cycle plants (CCP) put in operation in Russia, is
40–460 MW, and the capacity of STP is, respectively,
12–150 MW [1]. Some of them are equipped with dry
coolers. A structural feature of the combined cycle
plant steam turbine is an increased steam passage in
the condenser, in comparison with a common con-
densing turbine. This is explained by the lack of valid
recovery and the presence of intermediate steam input
toward the low-pressure STP section from the low-
pressure loop of the waste heat boiler.
HEAT REMOVAL SCHEMES ON THE BASIS
OF AIR-COOLING UNITS
There are three types of the ACU schemes applied
in power practice. The first type of the ACU scheme
(Fig. 3a) is condensing of the exhausted steam inside
the tubes with outer ribbing, cooled by ambient air.
Turbine exhaust is ducted to the header of the air-con-
densing unit. The header is connected to the ACU
modules with a tubular or oval heat-exchange surface

(a) (b)

Fig. 2. Largest power plants with dry coolers in (a) Europe and (b) North America.

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 DRY СOOLERS AND AIR-CONDENSING UNITS (REVIEW) 159

with external ribbing. Cooling air blows on the ribbed (a)

surface, removing the heat of the condensing steam 2
into the environment. The steam condensate enters
the subheader and drained into the hotwell. A conden- 1 3
7
sate pump feeds the condensate into the STP circuit.
Permanent gases are removed by a venting device.
The second type of the ACU scheme (Fig. 3b) Cooling air I
involves the use of mixing condensers and cooling of 4
II
water by ambient air in the ribbed heat transfer surface.
5 III
In this case, the exhausted STP steam condenses not
on the inner surface of tubes but on the water jets in the 6 IV
mixing condenser. A condensate pump delivers a part V
of the condensate in the STP circuit, and the rest in (b) 2
the air-cooling unit, where its temperature is reduced
as a result of the heat transfer by air. The cooled con- 1 7 8 3
densate is fed into the mixing condenser through the
water turbine (the Heller System) or throttle, which
purpose is to provide overpressure along the heat-
exchange system (except for the mixing condenser). 5
4
The water turbine makes it possible to reduce energy 6
costs for the condensate pumping; permanent gases
are removed by a venting device.
The third type of the ACU scheme (Fig. 3c)
assumes the use of common surface condensers, (c)
which are supplied with cooling water from the air- 7 2
cooled heat exchanger. Exhausted steam enters the
surface condenser, where it is condensed on a water- 1 3
cooled surface, whose heat is removed by an air-cool-
ing unit. The circulation of the cooling water is pro- 5
vided with a pump, and the surplus water is in the
expansion tank. The condenser is equipped with a 4
venting device and a condensate pump. 6
9
According to the type of supply of cooled air, 8
ACU are divided into units with forced circulation
(Figs. 4a, 4b) and with a natural draft (Fig. 4c).
The heat-exchange surface, shown in the chart in
Fig. 4a, is under a forced draft by blowing of a fan Fig. 3. Schemes of condensing units with a surface air
located at the bottom of the ACU. In the version in cooler. (a) with an air cooled condenser ((1) steam turbine;
(2) inlet manifold; (3) heat-exchange surface; (4) outlet
Fig. 4b, a similar fan is located in the upper part of the collector; (5) condensate collector; (6) condensate pump;
ACU, and the heat-exchange surface is at a slight (7) venting device); (b) with a mixing condenser (1–4, 6, 7:
underpressure. The air temperature in front of the fan see Fig. 3a; 5, mixing condenser; (8) water turbine, throt-
is 20–30°C higher because of its heat on the heat tle); (c) with a surface water-cooled condenser (1–4, 6, 7:
see Fig. 3a; 5, surface condenser, (8) circulating pump;
transfer surface. (9) expansion tank); (I) steam, (II) condensate, (III) air-
Scheme a provides a higher air-mass flow by the steam mixture, (IV) circulating water, (V) cooling air.
fan than the scheme b, because the inlet air tempera-
ture in this version is lower and, consequently, its den-
sity is higher. to be equal. The heat-exchange surface square in the
Heller System FH and in the scheme with direct con-
The version c assumes the presence of a high tower,
playing the same role as a driving force of cooling air densation Fc are determined by the same formula
in wet cooling towers.
Q
Further, there is a comparison of thermal effi- F = .
ciency of the schemes shown in Fig. 3. The first com- Δ t dif k
parison is made for the Heller System [4–6]. At the same condensing pressure in the compared
We should estimate the two parameters: the supply versions, only temperature difference Δtdif is different,
change of a condensate pump and the heat-exchange since Q is equal by definition, and the values of a heat
surface area of a dry cooler. The amount of transferred transfer coefficient k differ insignificantly. In fact, the
heat Q and the condensation pressure pc are assumed intensity of heat transfer from the internal heat carrier

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016

160 MILMAN, ANAN’EV
(a) (b)
1
Fig. 4. Schemes of cooling air supply. (a) Positive pressure forced circulation; (b) underpressure forced circulation; (c) natural
circulation; (–··–) cooling air; (1) heat-exchange surface; (2) fan; (3) tower.
(condensing steam or water) is much greater than the
heat transfer from the air, which determines the value
of k. Then, we can say that
FH Δ t c
= ,
Fc Δ t H
where ΔtH and Δtc are temperature difference for the
Heller System and for the direct condensation.
The air-flow rate in the comparable schemes is
assumed to be equal, so its inlet temperature tvz1 is 5°C
and the heating Δtvz = 20°C.
The condensing pressure pc is taken as 10 and
20 kPa, and the saturation temperature is, respec-
tively, 45.5 and 60°C. The calculation was performed
for two values of the circulation ratio m = Gw/Gst, the
ratio of the cooling water flow Gw (in the dry cooler
circuit and in the mixing condenser) to the steam flow
in the condenser Gst. The calculation results are shown
in Table 1. Obviously, the Heller System requires 20–
47% more heat-exchange surface of ACU than the
scheme with the direct steam condensation inside the
tubes. This negative indicator reduction can only be
achieved by increasing the flow of the cooling air or
the cooling water circulation ratio m. What does it
mean in a particular numerical value? For example,
the K-6-1.6U turbine with a capacity of 6 MW has a
steam-flow consumption in the condenser of approx-
imately 33 t/h. When the circulation ratio m = 28, the
pump condensate output reaches 920 t/h, which is
close to the total supply of the condensate pumps of
the power unit of 500 MW (although it requires a
much smaller water head: 20–30 instead of 150–
160 mH2O).
If the circulation ratio is increased to 50–60, it is
not possible to select an appropriate condensate pump
to provide the circulation of cooling water of 1650–
1980 t/h.
A comparison of the schemes may also be per-
formed by other parameters, for example, what pres-
(c)
3
1
sure loss of the exhausted steam in the path “turbine–
air condenser” nullifies the advantage of the direct
steam condensation scheme in comparison with the
Heller System at the equal ACU heat-exchange sur-
face area in both schemes. Since the heat flows are the
same, the temperature difference here should also be
equal. The direct condensation under the pressure of
6.2 kPa (ts = 36.6°C) corresponds to the Heller System
with a circulation ratio m = 28, the pressure in the
mixing condenser pc = 10 kPa. The temperature differ-
ence in this case for the both schemes are the same.
Thus, the direct condensation scheme has advan-
tages till the pressure loss of the exhausted steam in the
path does not exceed 10 – 6.2 = 3.8 kPa (a relative
pressure loss 3.8/10 = 0.38). Measurements made by
the authors on the operating ACU made it possible to
estimate the value of these losses up to 1 kPa. There-
fore, we can conclude that the Heller System has fun-
damental drawbacks in comparison with the scheme
shown in Fig. 4a: a much larger ACU heat-exchange
surface area is needed, a mixing condenser and a high
duty condensate pump are required. However, there
are certain advantages against the scheme in Fig. 4a,
such as the absence of an extended steam line of large
diameter from the turbine to the condenser, the
absence of a ramified vacuum system, and reduction
of risk of water freezing in the ACU tubes.
A similar comparison of the schemes a and b is
shown in Table 1.
According to expectation, thermal properties of the
surface condenser scheme proved to be worst among all
the three schemes: the required ACU heat-exchange
surface area increases 1.5–2.8 times and there is a sur-
face condenser—an expensive and heavy device having
a large size. The advantage of this option is an ability to
use standard heat equipment that attracts designers and
operating personnel of power plants.
Hybrid cooling system have found application in
some areas with a high average annual air tempera-
THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016
 DRY СOOLERS AND AIR-CONDENSING UNITS (REVIEW) 161

Table 1.
Method Scheme with a surface
Indicator Heller System
of determining condenser
Condensing pressure pc, kPa Adopted value 10 10 20 10 10 20
Circulation ratio m Adopted value 28 56 28 28 56 28
Water heating in a mixing condenser Δtw, °C rx/(сpm) 20 10 20 20 10 20
Water underheating to the saturation tem- Adopted value – – – 10 5 10
perature t,°C
Water temperature,°C:
at the inlet to the dry cooler (at the out- ts – 0.5°C 45 45 59.5 35.5 40.5 50
let of the mixing condenser) tw1
at the outlet from the dry cooler tw2 tw1-Δ tw 25 35 39.5 15.5 30.5 30.0
Logarithmic mean temperature difference * Δ t hot − Δ t cold 20 24.6 34.5 10.5 19.6 25
ΔtH, °C ln(Δ t hot t cold )
Temperature difference in the direct con- Adopted value 29.4 29.4 44.25 29.4 29.4 44.25
densation scheme ** Δtc, °C
Relation of the ACU heat-exchange surface Δtc/ΔtH 1.47 1.20 1.28 2.8 1.5 1.87
area in the Heller System and in the direct
condensation scheme to the ACU surface
area
rx is heat of phase transition; cp is water heat capacity.
* A cross flow correction may be ignored, which will slightly improve the values of the Heller System.
** A pressure loss in a steam line from the turbine to the ACU may be ignored.

ture—a combination of wet coolers and air-condens- in particular, has supplied dry coolers to the TPP in
ing units. The effect is achieved by injection of water in the cities of Sochi, Adler, Novyi Urengoy, Serov, and
the air flow in front of the heat transfer surface in order Moscow (Strogino).
to operate at high ambient temperatures. This, on the There are specific differences in the constructive
one hand, reduces the temperature of the air but, on design of dry coolers and ACU from different manu-
the other hand, increases the rate of heat removal due facturers. Figure 6 shows a dry cooler for the Sochi
to the evaporation of water droplets that fall on the sur- thermal power station steam turbine as a part of the
face of the ribbed tubes. Calculations and operation combined cycle plant with a capacity of 220 MW [10].
experience have shown that the water injection in an
amount of 0.2–0.4% of the mass air flow, provides air
cooling to 5–6°C. Water supply
The ACU with the injection system is shown in
Fig. 5. There are water supply headers with built-in
nozzles in front of the heat transfer surface. The
water is supplied with a pump from a tank. Such a
system is activated at a high temperature of the air; it
requires replenishment of spent softened water.
The advantages of ACU and wet coolers are suc-
cessfully applied in hybrid schemes. 2
4

DRY COOLER AND AIR-CONDENSING 1

UNIT DESIGNS
There is an established pool of suppliers in the
world market of dry coolers and air condensers [2, 7–
9]. The largest of them are SPX (United States), GEA
Group of companies (Hungary, United States, China,
etc.), SPIG S.p.A (Italy), Bronswerk (Netherlands),
GEI Industrial Systems Ltd (India). The GEA Group,
5
3
Fig. 5. Air-condensing unit with surface water spraying.
(1) heat-exchange surface; (2) water manifold with spray
nozzles; (3) fan; (4) storage tank; (5) spraying pump.

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016

162 MILMAN, ANAN’EV

Peculiar properties of supply and discharge of cooling

Fig. 6. Dry cooler for the Sochi thermal power station
steam turbine as a part of the combined cycle plant with a
capacity of 220 MW (Russia).
Fig. 7. Air-condensing unit of the Matimba power station
(South Africa) with total capacity of 3990 MW.
water (a bottom location of the headers) make it pos-
sible to realize a vertical location of the heat-exchange
surface tubes with the side inlet of cooling air and a
location of 10-meter fans on top of the construction.
This kind of arrangement provides a reduction in the
dry cooler vertical size. Figure 7 shows the appearance
of the air-condensing unit of the power plant Matimba
(South Africa) [2] with a total capacity of 3990 MW.
The ACU arrangement is determined by the require-
ment of the steam input into the upper part of the
heat-exchange modules. This, in turn, dictates a
hipped location of the modules, while the fans may be
located both on top, drawing the heated air in, and at
the bottom, pumping it through the module. In the
first case, it is possible to provide a more uniform flow
over the heat transfer surface, while a large cooling air
rate due to its greater density at the fan inlet in the sec-
ond case [11].
The production of air condensers in Russia was
carried out by the Kaluga Turbine Works in the 1990s
(Fig. 8).
In all cases of application of dry coolers and ACU,
the heat-exchange surfaces are so large that their ratio-
nal supply is possible only in the form of ready-to-
operate heat-exchange modules. Figure 9 shows the
design of the ACU module manufactured by
ZAO Turbocon Scientific and Production Innovation
Enterprise made of 6-meter ribbed tubes. A 1-meter
diameter steam header provides an assembly of three
connected in a series sections with one 5-meter or four
2.5-meter fans. GEA company applies 24-meter mod-
ules for dry coolers, which are assembled from four
6-meter blocks.
An important characteristic of the modules is a
possibility of their transportation by road, rail, and

3230
1645
1365

Inner
frame
6011

6465

Fig. 8. Typical ACU section produced by Kaluga Turbine Works.

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016

 DRY СOOLERS AND AIR-CONDENSING UNITS (REVIEW) 163

water transport, which affects the complexity and 3246

quality of the installation works at the TPP site. d = 1000 mm
Specialists from GEA company [7, 12] cite several
types of ribbed tubes, whose types, operational char-
acteristics, and market pricing are shown in Fig. 10a.
Furthermore, oval tubes with ribbed shell plates
(Fig. 10b) and f lat tubes with soldered ribbing
(Fig. 10c) have gained ground in recent years. Thick-
ness of the aluminum ribs ranges from 0.3 to 0.6 mm
(at the base of the ribs), rib spacing is 2.5–3.5 mm,
and their height above circular tubes is 15–20 mm.
As a result, a ribbing factor (ratio of the total surface
to the support tube) is usually not less than 15, some-
times reaches 22–25, which significantly increases

heat removal from the heat transfer surface per unit
of volume.
Heat transfer enhancing ribs and hollows are
applied in shell plate ribbing and flat ribbed tubes (see
Fig. 10b).
Axial fans with a wheel from 2.5 to 11 m in diameter
are used as air-flow drivers in dry coolers and air-
cooled condensers. The rate of rotation varies from
100 1/min for the large wheels to 365 1/min for the
2.5 meter wheels. The number of blades varies from
4 to 8 depending on the diameter of the wheel, the vol-
ume flow, and the fan pressure. Figure 11 shows the
10-meter fan at the TPP in Colorado Springs [15].
It is very important to select proper characteristics
of the fan for the specified heat-exchange surface of
the modules and the size and shape of air ducts. Mea-
surements of operating ACU and dry coolers indicate
that the pressure loss in the channels is up to 30% of
the fan pressure. The neglect of this factor is the main
reason for the loss of efficiency of air condensers and
dry coolers. The air noise is an important characteris-
tic of fans: the cost of a fan depends significantly on
this parameter and may grow up to 25–30% in case of
stringent noise requirements.
SPECIFICATIONS OF DRY COOLERS
AND ACU
An important parameter in the design of dry cool-
ers and ACU is the difference in temperature Δ
between the condensing steam ts (cooling water) at the
inlet into these units and the cooling air tvz.
Thus, for the ACU at Grozny TPP with a CCP-220,
the decrease of Δ from approximately 33 to 18°C leads
to a rapid growth of the estimated number of heat-
exchange sections n with a fan of 5 meters in diameter:
n increases from 32 to approximately 60 at a flow rate of
dry saturated steam at the outlet of the turbine 247 t/h
(68.6 kg/s).
Figure 12 shows the dependence of the ratio of the
fans' power consumption to the ACU thermal power
from Δ.
Another important characteristic is a heat transfer
factor, which determines the size of the heat transfer
6000
348
3086
Fig. 9. ACU module produced by ZAO Turbocon Scien-
tific and Production Innovation Enterprise.
surface, ceteris paribus. Figure 13 shows the results of
the test of domestic air condensers and design charac-
teristics of dry coolers and ACU of some manufactur-
ers, including the characteristics of a full-scale experi-
mental section developed by ZAO Turbocon Scientific
and Production Innovation Enterprise and installed at
OAO VTI.
The test results show low values of heat transfer fac-
tors of the air condensers produced in the period of
from 1998 until 2004 by OAO Kaluga Turbine Works.
The main reasons for this is an insufficient cooling air
flow and presence of heat-exchange surface areas with
low intensity of heat removal.
The phenomenon of deterioration of heat removal
was studied in detail in [16–18], which is illustrated in
Fig. 14a, and the mechanism of its occurrence is illus-
trated in Fig. 14b. At the same pressure differential on
the parallel tubes during the condensation of steam
inside them at the bottom of the first tube banks along
the air flow, there is a developing area filled with non-
condensable steam. Freezing of the condensate and
destruction of the tubes is possible in this area at a low
temperature of the ambient air.
An important matter is the operation of dry coolers
and ACU at high air temperatures: they are more sus-
ceptible to the influence of this parameter than wet

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016

164 MILMAN, ANAN’EV
I II
(b)
Fig. 10. Types of applied heat-exchange tubes and their ribbings [7, 12–14]. (a) Round tubes with different ribbing; (b) oval tubes
with ribbed shell plates; (c) flat tubes with soldered ribbing. Various types of ribbing parameters are presented in Table 2.
coolers and, moreover, water reservoirs. One of the
options of increasing the efficiency of dry coolers and
ACU is evaporative air cooling at the inlet of the heat-
exchange surface by injection of previously softened
water through the nozzles (see Figs. 5, 15). This allows
the reduction of the air temperature by 5–6°C
(depending on the initial moisture) but leads to a sig-
nificant flow of the softened water: up to 1.5 m3/h for
the fan with a 5-meter wheel in diameter. In addition,
Fig. 11. Fan of the air-condensing unit with a wheel 10 m
in diameter.
(a)
III IV V
(c)
water drips onto the heat-exchange surface, which
leads to sedimentation of salts requiring special purifi-
cation techniques.
OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF DRY
COOLERS AND ACU
Problems of freezing and destruction of a heat-
exchange surface during the operation have been
observed both in Russia and in other countries. To
prevent these effects, along with the maintenance by
operating personnel of the trouble-free operation of
these units, it is necessary to conduct the following
and design-engineering procedures:
(1) Arrangement of multipass stream circulation
with decreasing of cross sections of steam channels in
proportion to the steam condensation;
(2) Determination of critical points (with a mini-
mum surface temperature) in the ACU and dry coolers
schemes and installation of temperature sensors with a
signal readout by the PCS of the plant;
(3) Introduction of frequency fan drive to reduce
the flow of cold air;
(4) Arrangement of a reverse rotation of a part of
the fans at low ambient temperatures;
THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016
 DRY СOOLERS AND AIR-CONDENSING UNITS (REVIEW) 165

(5) Steam and cooling water (louver shutter) shut- Nfan/Q

off on a part of the heat-exchange surface with the help
of shutoff valves; 1
0.030
(6) A thorough drainage of all places where stagna- 2
tion of the condensate is possible; and 0.025
(7) Electrical heating of the elements that are sub-
0.020
ject to freezing.
One of the problems of dry coolers and ACU is 0.015
contamination of the heat transfer surface with prod-
ucts of industrial and natural origin: sedimentation on 0.010
the ribs and pollen and fuzz from blooming pants, etc.
0.005
In all cases, air-duct cleaning with high-pressure water 10 15 20 25 30 35 Δ, °C
or compressed air is required. In some cases, the prob-
lem occurs because of the formation of ice and snow Fig. 12. Dependence of the ratio of the fans' power con-
drifts under the air condenser due to the snow melting sumption to the ACU thermal power from Δ. (1) Data of [1];
on the heat transfer surface and the condensate drip- (2) data of the authors.
ping on the ground or the unit foundation. A solution
to the problem is a fan reverse rotation to remove the
snow. The problem is also solved by laying of heated k, W/(m2 K)
steam pipes in the ground under the ACU.
There are periodical claims to the performance of 1
2
louver shutters, evaporative cooling and cleanup sys- 40 3
tems, as their occasional use reduces the readiness
state of these units. 30
Certain problems are caused when wind speeds 4
exceed 5 m/s: a warm air recycling occurs at the inlet of 20
the heat-exchange surface and its uneven distribution
over the surface. This reduces the effectiveness of dry
coolers and ACU. A device that prevents the negative 10
effect of wind and uses its energy is being developed.
In spite of the operation complexity of the conden- 0 20 40 60 80 100
sate system, including ACU and dry coolers, operating Q/Q0, %
personnel positively evaluates in general the following
characteristics:
(1) the degree of automation of dry coolers and Fig. 13. Dependence of the heat transfer factor of an air con-
denser and a dry cooler from the heat load. (1) Air condenser
ACU and engineering mock-up; (2) experimental full-scale section of
(2) the reliability of these systems. the air condenser; (3) air condenser of OAO Kaluga Turbine
Works; (4) Dry coolers of GEA, GEI, Bronswerk.

PROSPECTS OF DRY COOLING

TECHNOLOGY
Obviously, the global trends of active use of dry
coolers have a significant impact on the energy sector
in Russia. Several new power plants with combined
cycle power islands are being put or have been put into
operation on the basis of dry cooling. Mainly there are
dry coolers with with surface condensers, such as:
Moscow City (Strogino), Adler TPP, Serov GRES
power plant, Mosenergo TPP-12, etc. [19]. A certain
experience of these units' operation has been accumu-

Table 2.
Ribbing type (see Fig. 10)
Indicator
(I) bimetallic (II) G (press-fitted) (III) L (coated) (IV) L (chilled) (V) LL (double)
Maximum operating tem- 300 300 120 250 120
perature, °С
Weather corrosion resistance Excellent Bad Acceptable Medium Medium
Mechanical resistance Excellent Acceptable Bad Acceptable Bad
Price index 125 105 100 102 105

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016

166 MILMAN, ANAN’EV

(a) (b)

20.4°C
20

18

16

14

12 Steam
10
p1
8
Cooling
6
air
4 1
2
p2
0

Condensate

Fig. 14. Phenomenon of deterioration of heat removal. (a) Thermogram of the idle sections of a heat-exchange surface from the
cooling air inlet; (b) flow chart of the multirow heat exchanger; (1) tube area of non-condensable gases.

lated, their advantages and disadvantages have been
assessed. With a limited credit opportunities, a combi-
nation of a dry cooler with a surface condenser (the
most expensive option in terms of capital investment)
is less promising than a direct steam condensation in
ACU. Therefore, the interest in the supply of air con-
densers for new thermal power plants (Grozny, Sakha-
lin Island, Vladivostok, Kuban) has evidently
increased. Suppliers of this advanced technology
(GEA, SPX, etc.) using Chinese manufacturers,
Fig. 15. Water injection at the cooling air inlet.
actively offer reasonable prices for the foreign ACU
and dry coolers.
In some cases, it is promising to use mixing con-
densers together with dry coolers (see Fig. 3b). With a
proper selection of materials, the work of a manifold
and a large number of heat-exchange tubes will not be
a source of problems in the arrangement of a water
consumption schedule of the power unit, and the sim-
plicity and compactness of the mixing condenser and
its effectiveness will be adequately appreciated by cus-
tomers, designers, and operating TPP personnel.
For the valid import substitution, it is necessary to
support the domestic manufacturer of high-perfor-
mance heat transfer surfaces taking into account
methods of heat transfer augmentation on the basis of
swirling flows. It is also necessary to start the produc-
tion of flat ribbed tubes, where these technologies may
be particularly efficient.
In all cases when there is available water supply,
preference is given to a classic type surface condensing
units. But the availability of water resources is rapidly
declining, and the air cooling has come to the fore-
front of the energy sector of the developed countries,
including Russia.

THERMAL ENGINEERING Vol. 63 No. 3 2016

 DRY СOOLERS AND AIR-CONDENSING UNITS (REVIEW)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This paper is published with financial support from
the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian
Federation (the Agreement on the implementation of
applied researches no. 14.579.21.0031 of June 5, 2014,
the unique identifier: RFMEFI57914X0031).
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Translated by A. Kolemesin