OBTAINING AND APPLYING OF CONDENSATE IN AIR COOLING AT THE INLET OF ENERGY UNIT AND THE PROBLEM OF DROP MOISTURE SEPARATION FROM AEROSOL MIXTURE IN COOLING TOWERS

The processes of heat-humidity treatment (cooling with dehumidification) of air in a two-stage air cooling system at the inlet of a gas turbine unit applying a combined type heat-energized refrigeration mechanism, which consists of an absorption lithium-bromide high-temperature refrigeration mechanism to approximately 15 °C and a refrigerant ejector low-temperature refrigeration mechanism to 10 °С and below, which transform the heat of exhaust gases from gas turbine unit to the cold with the production of condensate in air cooling system as a by-product of air cooling has been analyzed. The analysis was carried out for the climatic conditions of the south of Ukraine. The heat removal from the condensers and the absorber of the heat-energized refrigeration mechanism are carried out with open wet cooling towers. Based on the distribution of the heat load on the steps of the two-stage air cooling system and the heat coefficients of the heat-energized refrigeration mechanisms, the project load on the cooling towers was determined and their number was selected. Based on the results of modeling of the operation of the air cooling system at the inlet of the gas turbine unit, were obtained data from the current and total amount of condensate that falls in the air cooling system during the condensation of water vapor, which is always contained in moist air, as well as the amount of water needed to feed an open cooling tower. In this case, only water losses due to mechanical removal (without taking into account its evaporation in cooling towers) were considered, which poses the problem of separation of droplet moisture from the aerosol mixture. As a result of comparing the amount of water needed to feed the cooling towers, on the one hand, and the amount of condensate obtained in the process of air cooling at the inlet of the gas turbine unit, on the other hand, was demonstrated that it is possible to partially satisfy the necessary water needs for cooling towers. A scheme of two-stage air cooling system at the inlet of a gas turbine unit with absorption lithium-bromide and refrigerant ejector refrigeration mechanism and wet cooling towers is proposed, to discharge heat from heat-energized refrigeration mechanisms, to produce condensate as a by-product of air cooling, and apply it to feed cooling tower