The core value and industry pain points of cooling tower maintenance and replacement in power plants

The cooling tower in power plants serves as the "heating exchange heart" of the power system. Its operational efficiency directly affects the energy consumption level and power supply reliability of the power generation units. According to the "Technical Standard for Cooling Towers in the Power Industry" DL/T 1291-2022, improper maintenance and replacement of cooling towers in power plants will lead to an increase of 3-5 grams of coal consumption per kilowatt-hour per year, equivalent to an additional consumption of tens of thousands of tons of standard coal each year. Currently, the industry has three core pain points: the lack of comprehensive diagnosis leading to blind renovations, improper material selection causing secondary faults, and non-standard construction techniques resulting in shortened service life. The average operating efficiency of cooling towers in power plants across the country is only 85%, far below the international advanced level, and the annual loss exceeds several billion yuan. 

1.1 The Enhancement Effect of Scientific Transformation on System Performance

A large thermal power plant experienced a 2℃ increase in water outlet temperature due to the aging of cooling tower fillers, resulting in an annual coal consumption increase of over 12,000 tons. By implementing fillers replacement and intelligent control system transformation, the system's energy efficiency was improved by 15%, and annual energy cost savings reached 8 million yuan, with an investment recovery period of only 2.2 years. This case demonstrates that precise transformation can significantly enhance system efficiency and reduce the total life cycle cost. In ultra-supercritical units, for every 1% increase in cooling tower efficiency, the power plant's power supply coal consumption can be reduced by 0.3 grams per kilowatt-hour, and annual carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by over 100,000 tons. 

1.2 Upgrade of Industry Norms and Standard System

The current industry standard DL/T 1291-2022 has strengthened core indicators such as thermal performance, noise control, and water leakage rate. A certain power plant failed to comply with the new standard, resulting in the failure to meet the cooling tower thermal efficiency requirements. It was punished by the energy regulatory department and had to bear the cost for rectification. The new standard requires that the thermal efficiency of the power plant's cooling tower should be ≥ 92%, the water leakage rate should be ≤ 0.005%, and noise control should meet the standards of a second-class area to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the system.