Optimization of Air Cooler Structures to Improve the Energy Efficiency

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Energy Technologies Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal operating conditions in the aspect of economic and operational performance of air coolers. Air-cooled heat exchangers are often used in industrial applications where a reliable source of water is not available as a cooling medium. Today, various methods such as bypassing the air flow, using damper, and controlling fan motor speed are used to optimize the air cooler efficiency. In this study, Aspen-HTFS (Acol+) is used to achieve the optimum geometry. Essentially, the correct optimal structure is provided by an economic trade-off between the operating and the capital cost. The trade-off between operating and capital cost was done to improve the efficiency of air cooler at Tehran Oil Refining Company and resulted in a 29% power saving.

Keywords


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