TP24-15 Wind Effects on Air Cooled Condensers – Mitigating High Seasonal Winds

The power industry has reported that under various wind conditions, the performance and mechanical reliability of an Air- Cooled Condenser (ACC) is affected. Typical indicators of wind effects are increases in steam back pressure, loss of MW output and fan trips due to overload. Mechanical vibration leading up to fan blade failure has also been reported. We have worked with power plants around the world to investigate wind effects on ACC’s and to develop solutions to mitigate the impact. This paper shares the history of a windscreen project from the initial contact, CFD study and windscreen installation. With the windscreens in place for over a year, the plant provided performance data so a before and after comparison could be made.