Cooling system
A cooling system is used to reject heat from a process or plant. There are many types of cooling systems available that are used in the oil and gas industry. To best optimize the efficiency of a cooling system, a “systems approach” should be used to identify potential savings and performance enhancement. This approach looks at the entire cooling system, including the pumps, motors, fans, nozzles, fill, drift losses, evaporative losses, blow down, makeup rate, chemicals, flow rates, temperatures, pressure drop, as well as operating and maintenance practices. By focusing on the whole system as opposed to just individual components, the system can be configured to avoid inefficiencies and energy losses. Cooling systems do not operate under one condition all the time and system loads vary according to cyclical demands, environmental conditions, and changes in process requirements.
In order to determine whether efficiency gains in a cooling system may be achieved, one should understand the types of systems and their strengths and shortfalls. Cooling systems are available in many types of design and construction, each with its advantages and limitations. In general, all cooling systems will utilize a combination of several of these design features. The main cooling system principles are open or closed system, designates whether the coolant is allowed to contact the environment or not.
