Steam Condensation Cooled by Piezoelectric Driven Oscillating Air Flow

The piezoelectric (PE) fan is first put forward to use in the air-cooled condenser, and to enhance the exhaust steam condensation of large thermal power plants. The cooling performance of such a method is evaluated through numerical simulations. The study shows that the surface heat transfer coefficient with PE fan at the air side is higher than that of a conventional axial flow (AF) fan. While at the steam side of the tube, the surface heat transfer coefficient is also enhanced owing to the obvious fluctuation of liquid film caused by the vibration of the piezoelectric fan. Key words: Piezoelectric fan; Air-cooling condenser; Numerical simulation; Surface heat transfer coefficient