Air Cooled Heat Exchanger For Hydro Turbine
Dry Air Cooler (Remote Air Cooler / Fin Fan ACHE)
Standalone outdoor air-cooled unit, replaces cooling tower for cooling turbine lube oil, governor hydraulic oil, generator closed cooling water loop (zero water consumption design for water-lacking mountain hydropower stations).
Tube side: Hot oil / closed glycol cooling water
Air side: Ambient air forced by axial fans
No water spray, fully dry heat rejection
Working Principle
Hot lubricating oil / generator closed cooling water flows into finned tube bundles;
Top-mounted induced draft axial fans pull ambient air through fin surface;
Heat transfers from fluid inside tubes to atmospheric air by sensible convection only (no evaporation);
Cooled oil/water circulates back to hydro turbine bearing, governor or generator cooling circuit to complete closed loop.
Tube: Carbon steel / 304 stainless steel / 2205 duplex stainless steel (reservoir coastal hydropower with high chloride)
Fin: Aluminum fin; epoxy coated aluminum fin for humid mountain / coastal corrosive atmosphere
Fan: IP55 axial fan, VFD variable frequency control for energy saving
Support frame: Hot-dip galvanized carbon steel
Structure form: Horizontal, V-type, vertical induced draft
Key Advantages for Hydropower Station
Zero water consumption: Perfect for mountain hydropower lacking industrial water, no cooling tower, no water treatment system
Low operation cost: VFD fans adjust airflow according to oil/water temperature, save auxiliary power
Anti-freezing: Whole system filled with ethylene glycol antifreeze for high-altitude cold regions
Flexible installation: Can be arranged on roof, platform or open ground, separate from turbine hall to reduce indoor noise
No scaling, no algae blockage, long service cycle
Application Scenarios
Small & medium vertical / horizontal hydro generator sets (1–100 MW)
Pumped storage power stations (strict water-saving requirements)
Remote mountain hydropower stations with limited water supply
Coastal tidal power plants (high chloride corrosion, 2205 duplex steel optional)
Turbine governor & bearing oil cooling system
Indoor underground hydropower plant (avoid hot air recirculation inside workshop)
