Wedge-Shaped Cooling Tube Bundle for Crosswind Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ambient natural crosswind negatively affects the heat transfer performance of dry cooling towers by creating low-speed eddy areas and reducing ventilation, leading to increased water temperature and decreased cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A columnar cooling tube bundle with a wedge-shaped gap is introduced, where two finned tube bundles intersect at an included angle and open on the other side, forming a wedge-shaped gap that optimizes air inlet and reduces low-speed air flow areas, enhancing ventilation and heat transfer performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling tube bundle is used, then structure is simple, but heat transfer performance deteriorates under crosswind conditions due to low-speed eddy areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wedge-shaped gap with asymmetric geometry between the finned tube bundles, where the gap width varies linearly from one side to the other. This asymmetric configuration disrupts the formation of low-speed eddy areas under crosswind conditions by creating a progressive flow expansion that prevents flow separation and vortex formation, thereby maintaining reliable heat transfer performance across varying wind conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a third-dimensional wedge-shaped gap configuration between the finned tube bundles, transitioning from a conventional two-dimensional parallel arrangement to a three-dimensional tapered structure. This dimensional change creates a progressive flow expansion path that guides air flow smoothly through the bundle, eliminating recirculation zones and low-speed eddies that would otherwise form in conventional arrangements.
2Reliability
If finned tubes are arranged in multiple rows, then heat transfer area increases, but air flow distribution becomes uneven under crosswind influence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different gap widths at different locations within the finned tube bundle arrangement. The wedge-shaped gap creates locally varied flow conditions where the gap width progressively increases from the windward side to the leeward side, providing localized flow acceleration and distribution optimization across multiple tube rows. This local quality variation ensures uniform air flow distribution even under crosswind conditions while maintaining high heat transfer area utilization.
3Power
If cooling tube bundle is positioned at tower lateral, then cooling capacity increases, but vulnerability to crosswind effects intensifies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful crosswind effect into a beneficial flow distribution mechanism by utilizing the wedge-shaped gap configuration. The gradual expansion of the gap in the wind direction transforms the crosswind flow into a controlled progressive flow pattern that enhances air circulation through the finned tube bundles. This design allows the cooling tube bundle to maintain high cooling capacity at tower lateral positions while the wedge-shaped gap structure mitigates crosswind impacts by preventing flow separation and eddy formation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wedge-shaped gap design improves cooling performance by reducing low-speed eddy areas, increasing internal ventilation, and amplifying the heat transfer temperature difference between air and water, thereby enhancing the overall cooling efficiency of the dry cooling tower.
Implementation Method 1
the ambient natural crosswind has a direct influence on the aerodynamic field around tower bottom air inlet and the aerodynamic field around tower top air outlet
Implementation Method 2
The circulating water flows in the finned tube bundles of the dry cooling tower, so as to transmit the heat to the ambient air flowing by the fins in a convective heat transfer manner
Data Source
AI summary
A columnar cooling tube bundle with a wedge-shaped gap, including two finned tube bundles, which intersect at one side with a set angle and open at the other and form a wedge-shaped gap; with the intersection as an origin, a distance l extends to the opening side, the bundles share fins within 0-l, wherein l is no more than half the distance between the two sides. When air inflows vertically to the louver of the cooling unit, fresh air is directly introduced into the cooling tube bundle to improve the average heat transfer temperature difference of the cooling tube bundle and intensify the heat transfer; when air inflows obliquely, it impacts the inner space of the cooling unit, therefore the low-speed eddy area is reduced, both the cooling performance of the tube bundle and cooling unit overall is improved, and the cooling performance of the dry cooling tower is improved.