Economic and Performance Evaluation of Heat Sink Options in Combined Cycle Applications

This paper is a guideline to selecting the most appropriate technology for the power plant heat sink based on water availability, site location, and wastewater disposal requirements. The paper discusses wet as well as dry cooling systems and evaluates the impact of the heat sink technology on the performance and cost of combined cycle power plants. Cogeneration applications and cycling plant operations are also considered. For each proposed option, the performance, relative costs, and noise issues will be presented.