Cooling is essential to industrial and commercial processes that require heat dissipation. Utilizing an open wet system, wet cooling towers rely on the latent heat of water evaporation to exchange heat between the process and the air passing through the cooling tower.
As the water evaporates, a stream of saturated exhaust air — the plume — leaves the tower. The plume is visible when the water vapor it contains condenses in contact with cooler ambient air.
Depending on a tower’s location and the surrounding atmospheric conditions, this water-saturated air can create a visible and usually unattractive plume. The plume’s appearance can sometimes contribute to negative perceptions.
A new technology developed by SPX Cooling Technologies offers an efficient, affordable way for power plants to reduce visible plumes and lessen the overall impact of their cooling towers.
Introducing ClearSky™
The ClearSky™ Plume Abatement System is a fully integrated system that operates more reliably and cost effectively than coil-based systems typically used in wet cooling applications. Coil based systems require continuous maintenance to operate efficiently. This includes cleaning coils and maintaining or repairing dampers, valves, piping and actuators. Coil systems are also heavier which may require additional foundation requirements and, if water quality is not optimum, coil materials can become very expensive.
How ClearSky Works
Available as a new installation or as a retrofit to an existing cooling tower application, the ClearSky Plume Abatement System employs a patented technology to reduce the water vapor plumes produced by wet cooling towers.
By using a series of heat exchanger modules in the tower plenum, ambient air condenses much of the moisture before it exits the tower, thereby reducing the plume.
In addition, the system offers the potential to save up to 10 to 30% of the water used annually by a traditional large cooling tower by both condensing evaporated water and decreasing make up water requirements.
Proven Performance
A ClearSky prototype system, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, is installed at Public Service of New Mexico’s San Juan Generating Plant. With thousands of hours of real-world operation, the system has yielded positive results ranging from operating costs to substantial water conservation.
According to the customer, that includes an 18% water savings over traditional cooling tower systems, a remarkable performance for a system installed in a semi-arid location.
Multiple Needs, Singular Solution
The ClearSky system offers several unique benefits to the diverse audiences involved in cooling tower installation and operation, including engineering, procurement and construction contractors (EPCs), end users/operators, and regulators.
The Economical Choice for EPCs
For EPCs, the ClearSky system offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional plume abatement cooling towers.
With many designs, less piping outside of the cooling tower is required, so the initial investment is low.
ClearSky can also be installed in back-to-back tower configurations, offering design flexibility for new towers and retrofits where space is limited. Because it can be installed into existing cooling towers, the system can also lower costs by negating the need for complete system replacement.
EPCs can differentiate their system packages as well, by communicating the end user benefits to their customers. ClearSky offers reduced net auxiliary power levels, driven by a pump head reduction as well as lower maintenance and water treatment costs to the end user.
Reduced Maintenance and More for End Users/Operators
The end user and operator benefits provided by the ClearSky technology have a direct impact on cost of ownership.
A lower pump head, which can be used because there are no coils, reduces the net auxiliary power usage of the cooling tower system that in turn lowers costs.
There is no coil replacement or fin cleaning required, which reduces maintenance needs and costs — and the need for related operator monitoring and training.
The cleaner water condensed from ClearSky modules can also lower water treatment costs.
The combined cost savings provides a significant benefit annually and over the life of the tower.
ClearSky can also help save time and costs for end users before a tower is built.
By removing the visible plume and reducing water usage, the technology can help the permitting process go smoothly — reducing the likelihood of costly interruptions due to concerns from local citizens.
Smoother Permitting and Regulatory Compliance
The ClearSky system meets the requirements of regulators who are charged with ensuring that cooling towers adhere to safety and environmental guidelines at several levels.
The system uses less energy and has a lower carbon footprint than dry systems, which helps meet environmental agency regulations.
The effectiveness of the system in reducing visible plume helps meet local municipal codes by improving safety for surrounding transportation and alleviating many potential neighbor complaints and objections.
Learn More
The ClearSky system builds on the highly successful and effective coil plume solution originally developed by Marley in the 1970s. SPX Cooling Technologies’ Marley and Balcke brands have been synonymous with leading cooling tower technology since 1892, and have more than 80 plume-abatement installations worldwide.
To learn more about the benefits of the new ClearSky Plume Abatement System, visit www.spxclearsky.com and download the ClearSky brochure.