CFD simulation on a thermal power plant with air-cooled heat exchanger system in north China

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the overall flow and temperature field of the air in the whole power plant, especially around the air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHE) to evaluate the feasibility of the thermal plant project. Design/methodology/approach - The commercial computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT with standard k-ε turbulent model was used. The buoyancy of the air was also considered. Findings - It is concluded that plume recirculation occurs in each case due to the wind effect and the suction of the fan. Installing a side board below or above the fan platform (side board I or side board II) is an effective method of avoiding the plume recirculation and, the higher the board, the better the effect. When the height of the side board I H1≥10 m or the height of the side board II H2≥12 m, the temperature distributions of the fan platform will be sufficient to meet the requirement. Research limitations/implications - A proper distance between the adjacent high buildings and the ACHE should be found with further investigation. Practical implications - The paper presents a very useful numerical method for the prediction of the flow and temperature field around ACHE or in a large space. Originality/value - The paper provides the numerical simulation of the flow and heat transfer inside the whole thermal power plant. Suggestions which can effectively avoid the unfavorable influence and ensure the whole system in safe conditions are offered. The study gives some useful information to the design of a thermal power plant with an ACHE system.