Optimización del Consumo Energético y de Agua en Torres de Enfriamiento de Circuito Cerrado Mediante Simulación de Procesos de Refrigeración

摘要

The article presents research focused on the optimization of energy and water consumption in towers closed circuit cooling, specifically in the redesign of a tower used by the company Vinto Metallurgical. The operating principles of these towers and the importance of reducing resource consumption. For this, a mathematical model is proposed that is based on energy balances and of mass, including equations that describe the variation in temperature and humidity of air and water in the system, as well as the boundary conditions necessary for its analysis. Furthermore, an approach is addressed to solve dimensionless differential equations related to the operation of towers cooling. Numerical methods are used, such as the shot method and the Runge-Kutta method of fourth order, implemented in the EES software, to determine unknown variables such as temperature of cooling water and specific humidity. The operating conditions of the tower are analyzed, considering factors such as dry and humid temperature, and constant load scenarios and variable. The results indicate that operating conditions are influenced by environmental factors. and that an adequate control system can optimize the energy performance of the tower. It is concluded that Variability in load and environmental conditions have a significant impact on fuel consumption. energy and the flow of evaporated water, which highlights the need for optimization strategies in processes industrial refrigeration.