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On the water footprint in power production: Sustainable design of wet cooling towers

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  • Guerras, Lidia S.
  • Martín, Mariano

Abstract

Renewable based power plants must be installed where the main resource is available. The weather affects the design and the water footprint of these plants. Two types of power cycles, a regenerative Rankine cycle, representing biomass and solar thermal plants, and the combined cycle, corresponding to biogas or gasification based processes, are studied. The facilities are modeled unit by unit in detail to compute the cycle yield, the condenser duty, the water consumption and the natural draft wet cooling tower geometry for its sustainable design. Hot regions, appropriate for solar facilities, and humid regions require larger and more expensive towers. Areas with high solar availability also show larger consumption of water presenting a tradeoff for a future renewable based power system. In addition, design guidelines and surrogate models to estimate water consumption, cooling tower size and its cost as a function of the climate have also been developed. The surrogates are useful for the analysis on the water footprint of a renewable based power system that substitutes the fossil based one.

Suggested Citation

  • Guerras, Lidia S. & Martín, Mariano, 2020. "On the water footprint in power production: Sustainable design of wet cooling towers," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:263:y:2020:i:c:s030626192030132x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.114620
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yu, Jianhang & Qu, Zhiguo & Zhang, Jianfei & Hu, Sanji & Song, Jialiang & Chen, Yongdong, 2022. "A comprehensive energy efficiency assessment indicator and grading criteria for natural draft wet cooling towers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PB).
    2. González-Núñez, Sofía & Guerras, Lidia S. & Martín, Mariano, 2023. "A multiscale analysis approach for the valorization of sludge and MSW via co-incineration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).
    3. Tarun Kumar Aseri & Chandan Sharma & Tara C. Kandpal, 2022. "Condenser cooling technologies for concentrating solar power plants: a review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 4511-4565, April.
    4. Elena Helerea & Marius D. Calin & Cristian Musuroi, 2023. "Water Energy Nexus and Energy Transition—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-31, February.
    5. Yu, J.H. & Qu, Z.G. & Zhang, J.F. & Hu, S.J. & Guan, J., 2022. "Comprehensive coupling model of counter-flow wet cooling tower and its thermal performance analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(PB).
    6. García-Anteportalatina, Víctor Manuel & Martín, Mariano, 2022. "Process synthesis for the valorisation of low-grade heat: Geothermal brines and industrial waste streams," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 733-748.

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