World’s First Cooling Tower Intelligent Control System Put into Operation in China Energy Zhejiang

The world’s first cooling tower dynamic and energy-saving intelligent control system was officially put into operation in the No.5 generation unit of Ninghai Power Plant under the Zhejiang branch of China Energy on November 28. This system materializes the theory of optimal variable-frequency operation of circulating water pumps in coal-fired power plants, filling in the void in the field around the world.

Cooling towers in Ninghai Power Plant

Cool-end loss of steam turbines is the major thermal loss in heating cycle of power plants. To increase production safety and economic returns, Ninghai Power Plant developed the cool-end intelligent control system to achieve “slight increase in thermal loss of steam turbines and minimum power loss of circulating water pumps,” based on integrated meteorological and load changes. The system can automatically calculate the optimal vacuum degree and circulating water quantity for steam condensers and recommend appropriate circulating pump frequency converting timing, so as to ensure the circulating water system maintains optimal operation, evaluate the circulating pump’s energy-saving efficiency and achieve maximum returns of the cool end of steam turbines. Moreover, through setting up a meteorological station, ultrasonic flow meters, water quality monitoring meters, and temperature sensors, it realizes comprehensive monitoring of key parameters concerning the cool-end system and provides hardware support for guiding economical operation of the circulating water system in the power plant.

With the help of the cooling tower intelligent control system, the power plant can effectively solve the problem of low back pressure of steam turbines in winter, save 2,500 tons of standard coal and 8.78 million kWh of electricity, and reduce circulating pump operational cost by 2.34 million yuan per year, thus creating remarkable economic returns and being worth spreading.