Cooling Ponds
- In case the required amount of water is not available at steam power plant site, either the cooling ponds or cooling towers are constructed.
- The method of cooling the hot water by cooling ponds compared to cooling towers is simple and inexpensive but it is less efficient.
- The schematic diagram of a cooling pond is shown in Figure.
- The surface area required for cooling pond is very large, it is about 30 to 50 times the size of a cooling tower.
- The incoming condensate from condenser is sprayed in the cooling pond through nozzles. These nozzles are kept at a distance to each other so that there is no interference between two Sprays.
- The spray nozzles are kept at a height of 1 to 2 m above the ground level for effective cooling.
- The cooling effect is mainly achieved in the cooling ponds due to evaporation from water surface.
- The amount of water lost by evaporation and by the wind blowing across the cooling pond.