Marley Round Hybrid Plume Abatement

SPX Cooling Technologies has extensive experience designing and constructing circular hybrid cooling towers. Efficient wet cooling cold water temperatures are achieved with reduced visible plume similar to dry cooling systems. The special advantages of a round cooling tower is the elimination of recirculation effects, the reduction of operating costs plus the combination of hybrid cooling with higher water flow rates.

Principle of Round Hybrid Cooling Towers
A hybrid cooling tower functions in principle like a wet cooling tower. An additional dry section installed in the upper part of the cooling tower reduces visible plume by heating wet air coming from the rain zone.

The fans for the wet section are arranged around the circumference of the cooling tower shell at ground level. At the dry section the fans are located above the wet level in front of the heat exchangers. The hyperbolic shell achieves a natural draft effect which supports the fans of both sections. Therefore the power consumption is reduced.

Elimination of the Recirculation Effects
For cell-type cooling towers the recirculation effect needs to be considered with regard to the thermal performance as well as to the plume-free operation. As the plume of the round cooling tower is conducted by the higher shell, the recirculation effect is eliminated.

Reduction of Operating Costs
As the natural draft effect supports the fans the power consumption is reduced. Considerably lower operating costs are achieved especially by the application of two-speed motors.

Salt Water Application
The higher rise of the plume results in a wider dispersion. That means for seawater application the salt particles are also better distributed in the air and the resulting salt concentration on the ground is considerably reduced. SPX has special experience with the component design and the selection of materials suitable for saltwater application.

Space Requirements
The recirculation effect need not to be taken into account for circular cooling towers therefore the space requirements are reduced. Also the circular shape is more favorable in comparison to cooling tower cells located in defined distances.