Unique features of HYAC hybrid air coolers
Read on and watch the animations below to learn more about the unique design features that set Alfa Laval HYAC hybrid air coolers apart.
HybridCool
Combined wet and dry bulb cooling for minimized water consumption
Alfa Laval HybridCool technology makes it possible to combine a traditional air cooler with a WSAC, allowing operators to choose operating mode depending on ambient temperatures in order to save water. During the cooler months of the year, the system can operate in dry mode to save water, and during the hot months wet operation can be engaged to ensure a low outlet temperature.
By combining the two technologies the overall efficiency of the system is high, system size is small and both power and water consumption are kept to a minimum.
Watch the below animations to learn more.
HYAC Single Zone hybrid air cooler
HYAC Dual Zone hybrid air cooler
WetSurface
Maximum cooling efficiency and lowest possible outlet temperature
WetSurface technology offers several distinct benefits:
- A WSAC cooling system is compact and has low power consumption thanks to its high cooling efficiency.
- The process medium output temperature is as low as possible thanks to the single approach to the wet bulb temperature.
Wet surface air coolers vs traditional air-cooled heat exchangers
Unlike traditional air-cooled heat exchangers, the tube bundles in a WSAC are sprayed with water and use evaporative cooling to reject the heat from the process medium. This results in superior cooling and a WSAC is both significantly smaller, has a lower power consumption and lower output temperature than an air cooler.
Since the tube bundles are sprayed directly with cooling water, a WSAC system has a single approach to the wet bulb temperature, meaning the process medium output temperature is as low as possible. A WSAC system is capable of cooling the process medium to a temperature just 2.7°C (5°F) above the surrounding wet bulb temperature.
Wet surface air coolers vs cooling towers
A cooling tower/heat exchanger system, on the other hand, has two approaches to the wet bulb temperature due to the intermediate cooling water loop. This means the process medium output temperature will always be higher and an extra chiller stage is required to achieve the same results as with a WSAC.
The cooling water spray and air travel in the same direction (co-current draft), which creates a uniform water film on the tubes that minimizes corrosion.
FlexWater
Un WSAC può funzionare con acqua riciclata di bassa qualità, come l'acqua di scarico
Grazie alla distanza tra i tubi, al design dell'ugello e all'assenza di rivestimento della torre di raffreddamento, un WSAC può funzionare con acqua di scarsa qualità, ad esempio acqua di scarico di una torre di raffreddamento, acque reflue depurate o acqua di mare.
Un WSAC può operare a cicli di concentrazione notevolmente più alti rispetto a una torre di raffreddamento. Un ciclo di concentrazione comune per un WSAC ha un valore pari a 6 circa, mentre una torre di raffreddamento può arrivare al massimo a 3 prima che l'intasamento nello scambiatore di calore inizi a diventare un problema.
La flessibilità delle fonti d'acqua e il ciclo di concentrazione elevato riducono in modo significativo il consumo di acqua e i costi associati, rendendo il WSAC la scelta ideale per le aree geografiche in cui l'acqua è costosa.
Watch the above animation to see how the FlexWater technology works.
Watch this video to learn more about how you can minimize life cycle cost while maximizing cooling performance with FlexWater.