Cooling Tower Fan Control for Energy Efficiency
| dc.contributor.advisor | Dr. James W. Leach, Committee Chair | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Stout, Malcolm Russell Jr. | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-04-02T18:16:35Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2010-04-02T18:16:35Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2003-05-08 | en_US |
| dc.degree.discipline | Mechanical Engineering | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | thesis | en_US |
| dc.degree.name | MS | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | This thesis evaluates the economics of alternative cooling tower capacity control methods. Annual fan electrical energy requirements are calculated for towers with single-speed, two-speed, and variable-speed fans. Fan energy requirements are determined for counter-flow and cross-flow towers designed for low initial cost and for energy efficiency. Effectiveness-NTU equations are solved to predict cooling tower performance at various fan speeds. Natural convection, which determines the cooling capacity when the fan is off, is accounted for using a mean enthalpy difference. Ambient conditions are simulated using typical meteorological year data for five locations. The results show that potential savings are not strongly dependent on the approach temperature, but do increase with increasing range in colder climates. The potential for saving is greatest for cooling towers designed for low initial cost, and is generally higher in locations where the wet-bulb temperature remains relatively constant throughout the year. Two-speed fans that can operate at half speed are generally more suitable for low-cost cooling towers. Two-speed fans that can operate at two-third speed are better for towers designed for energy efficiency and are generally better when the range exceeds 10 F. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.other | etd-05082003-122724 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/2694 | |
| dc.rights | I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. | en_US |
| dc.subject | HVAC equipment performance model | en_US |
| dc.title | Cooling Tower Fan Control for Energy Efficiency | en_US |
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