Same cooling system. Changing seasonal conditions. Optimized operation.
Thermal power plants rely on cooling systems to maintain stable and efficient operation throughout the year. However, cooling demand does not remain constant. Seasonal temperature changes, condenser load, cooling water conditions, plant load, and equipment performance can all affect when additional pumps should be activated.
If the number of operating pumps is increased too early, the plant consumes unnecessary auxiliary energy. If it is increased too late, condenser performance may decrease, thermal efficiency may drop, and operating conditions may become less stable. As a result, power plants may face higher energy consumption, reduced generation efficiency, equipment stress, or avoidable operational losses.
Simularge’s physics-based digital twin predicts cooling system behavior and plant performance under changing operating and environmental conditions. By estimating when additional pumps are truly needed, the digital twin helps operators balance cooling performance with auxiliary energy consumption.
The digital twin estimates key internal and system-level conditions such as condenser temperature, cooling water flow, heat rejection capacity, pump efficiency, seasonal cooling demand, and the impact of pump operation on overall plant efficiency.
The digital twin can support:
Cooling system operation optimization
Optimal timing for increasing or decreasing the number of operating pumps
Condenser performance prediction
Auxiliary energy consumption reduction
Seasonal operation strategy optimization
Early detection of inefficient cooling conditions
Improved thermal efficiency and operational stability
More reliable year-round power plant performance
Comparable studies show the following potential operational impact through modelling, prediction, and process optimization:
14% lower annual pump operating cost
Optimized pump selection can help plants run only the pumps they need, reducing unnecessary electricity use. [1]
Up to 2,080.5 kW higher net power output
Better cooling-water operation can help the plant keep more of its generated power available for sale. [2]
0.1-0.5 percentage-point net efficiency improvement
Adjusting cooling flow at lower loads can reduce wasted pump energy while keeping condenser performance stable. [3]
1.03 MW higher net power in hot-weather conditions
Seasonal cooling optimization can help plants respond better when high water temperatures reduce performance. [4]
Simularge can evaluate where predictive pump timing, condenser performance modelling, and auxiliary-energy optimization could improve year-round operation.
Contact us to assess how a physics-based digital twin can optimize cooling-water pump operation in your thermal power plant under seasonal and load changes.
References:
[1] Xia, L., Liu, D., Zhou, L., Wang, P., & Chen, Y. (2015). “Optimization of a seawater once-through cooling system with variable speed pumps in fossil fuel power plants.” International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 91, 105-112.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2015.01.005
[2] Wang, H., Qiu, B., Zhao, F., Yan, T., & Li, C. (2024). “Research on enhancing power plant net power by integrating modeling heat transfer and operation optimization of once-through cooling water system.” Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 61, 104966.
DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2024.104966
[3] Dobkiewicz-Wieczorek, E. (2022). “Cooling water flow influence on power plant unit performance for various condenser configurations setup.” Archives of Thermodynamics, 43(1), 141-167.
DOI: 10.24425/ather.2022.140929
[4] Wang, X., Zhao, G., Qu, X., Yang, X., Wang, J., & Wang, P. (2023). “Influence of Cooling Water Parameters on the Thermal Performance of the Secondary Circuit System of a Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Nuclear Power Plant.” Energies, 16(18), 6560.
DOI: 10.3390/en16186560
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