Preliminary Evaluation of the 24 Ft. Diameter Fan Performance In the MinWaterCSP Large Cooling Systems Test Facility

Abstract

The MinWaterCSP project was defined with the aim of reducing the cooling system water consumption and auxiliary power consumption of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. A full-scale, 24 ft (7.315 m) diameter model of the M-fan was subsequently installed in the Min WaterCSP cooling system test facility, located at Stellenbosch University. The test facility was equipped with an in-line torque arm and speed transducer to measure the power transferred to the fan rotor, as well as a set of rotating vane anemometers upstream of the fan rotor to measure the air volume flow rate passing through the fan. The measured results were compared to those obtained on the 1.542 m diameter ISO 5801 test facility using the fan scaling laws. The comparison showed that the fan power values correlated within +/− 7% to those of the small-scale fan, but at a 1° higher blade setting angle for the full-scale fan. To correlate the expected fan static pressure rise, a CFD analysis of the 24 ft (7.315 m) diameter fan installation was performed. The predicted fan static pressure rise values from the CFD analysis were compared to those measured on the 1.542 m ISO test facility, for the same fan. The simulation made use of an actuator disc model to represent the effect of the fan. The results showed that the predicted results for fan static pressure rise of the installed 24 ft (7.315 m) diameter fan correlated closely (smaller than 1% difference) to those of the 1.542 m diameter fan at its design flowrate but, once again, at approximately 1° higher blade setting angle.

Design of Sinusoidal Leading Edge for Low-Speed Axial Fans Operating under Inflow Distortion

“…The TTS pressure rise and power absorption shown in Figure 6 were computed for two measuring sections at 4.9 m and 6.46 m from the ground, respectively. Figure 6 also shows the experimental shaft power consumption for the fan, as measured on the MinwaterCSP facility [48]. The results highlight that (a) the two rotors provide almost the same TTS pressure rise at all flow rates, with the baseline geometry providing higher pressure at the lowest flow rate (135 m 3 /s); (b) the blade equipped with sinusoidal LE has reduced power absorption at all flow rates; hence, it operates with similar TTS efficiency with respect to the baseline geometry; (c) the numerical results show good agreement between CFD and the measurements for the baseline geometry.…”

Experimental noise reduction (aeroacoustical enhancement) of a large diameter axial flow cooling fan through a reduction in blade tip clearance

“…The 1.534 m M-fan is a scaled model of a 24 ft large scale forced draft axial flow fan intended for use in ACCs normally used in CSP plants in arid locations. 12 The M-fan was designed by Wilkinson et al 1 for the purpose of reducing water consumption of CSP plants in arid locations. As the M-fan is a conventional axial flow fan design without modifications, it is therefore decided to use the M-fan as the baseline impeller to investigate the effect of tip clearance and blade number variation on fan performance and noise emissions.…”