The Pilbara region is a beautiful part of North West Australia, where red earth and deep rocky canyons contrast the dazzling white beaches and untouched coral gardens. The Pilbara is commonly referred to as the ‘engine room’ of Australia, home to a massive mining and processing industry of crude oil, natural gas, iron ore and salt. The climate can be harsh and the heat scorching, with an annual average high temperature of 32 °C. Due to the high ambient temperature year round, it is crucial that the cooling tower equipment operates at peak efficiency to sustain the throughput and revenue of processing plants.
Heat Exchangers WA just completed the delivery and installation of an Evapco induced draft ESWA Closed Circuit Cooler at the largest liquid nitrogen, oxygen and argon production facility in the Pilbara. The nine less efficient existing adiabatic coolers with a spatial footprint of 141.75 m2 were replaced with a single water cooled Evapco ESWA cooler with a spatial footprint of 30.75 m2. Effectively, the water cooled Evapco ESWA cooler requires just over a fifth of the space to achieve the same required 3700 kW total heat rejection.
The Evapco ESWA design combines low sound and low energy consuming axial fans with high performance counter flow heat exchange. The total power consumption of the single Evapco unit is 45 kW, compared with the 207 kW of the nine existing adiabatic coolers, saving the client nearly $100 000 in annual power consumption costs, based on the processing plants operational data.
Furthermore, the water cooled Evapco ESWA cooler reduces the outlet water temperature from the original 35 °C to a new decreased 32 °C. Colder temperatures help the gas compressors to run for longer periods without overheating, effectively augmenting the plant’s production by roughly 2-3 tonnes per year. An additional benefit of the colder cooling water is the extension in lifetime of processing equipment.
Does your current cooling tower equipment have outdated power consumption? Are your plants operational and maintenance costs excessive? Upgrading your cooling tower equipment can save you substantial annual electricity consumption costs, improve process efficiency and increase production output. Here at Heat Exchangers WA we pride ourselves on exceptional service and commitment to the client, our cooling tower division designs each product to meet your required specifications the most effective and efficient way possible.
