Heat exchanger

Combined cycle

Nuclear engineering

Physics

Engineering

Gas compressor

Coefficient of performance

Intercooler

Rankine cycle

Power (physics)

Process engineering

Heat pump

Turbine

Cooling tower

Environmental science

Water cooling

Mechanical engineering

Thermodynamics

Energy

The thermal performance of a supercritical CO2 (sCO2) recompression cycle is expressively influenced by main compressor inlet temperature. Design of the cooling system is imperative since the compressor inlet temperature substantially influence the system performance. Due to nonlinear variation of both thermal and transport properties of the CO2 under critical condition, the cooling tower design and selection for the sCO2 cycle power plant is quite different from the power plants with steam cycle. The present work comprehensively investigates the effect of cooling system design on the optimal cycle performance under different operating condition. An iterative section method is applied while designing and optimizing the air-cooled heat exchanger bundles inside the tower. Prior to the design of natural draft dry cooling tower (NDDCT), an optimal operating condition is rectified at which the cycle efficiency is maximal. The tower performance is investigated by demonstrating unit height heat rejection and average heat rejection by each heat exchanger bundle. A detailed economic analysis of NDDCT is performed which takes account of capital cost, maintenance cost, annual cost, and specific investment cost. The thermo-economic assessment of the NDDCT is conducted by the influence of sCO2 inlet temperature inside the tower and variation of ambient air.

Effect of cooling system design on the performance of the recompression CO2 cycle for concentrated solar power application