TY - JOUR TI - Utilization of the lateral accelerated cross-wind to improve the cooling performance of a natural draft dry cooling tower AU - Wang Weiliang AU - Lyu Junfu AU - Zhang Hai AU - Liu Qing AU - Yue Guangxi AU - Ni Weidou JN - Thermal Science PY - 2019 VL - 23 IS - 14 SP - 1013 EP - 1024 PT - Article AB - Cross-wind degrades the performance of a natural draft dry cooling tower (NDDCT). Based on the basic affecting mechanism, this paper introduces a wind collecting approach. By using a wind collecting duct, the lateral flow acceleration of cross-wind is broken up, and the lateral flow kinetic energy is utilized to increase the lateral and rearward static pressure outside the radiator inlet. By adoption of a CFD model, the effect of the wind collecting approach is investigated comprehensively. It is found that the wind collecting ducts could improve the pressure distribution around the radiator bundle, reinforce the lateral air intake, and reduce the intensity of mainstream vortices, so as to enhance the ventilation rate of a NDDCT. For an outstanding performance, the two-duct wind collecting scheme is suggested, which may assure a NDDCT working in an approximately wind free manner in all investigated cross-wind range, and increase the ventilation rate by ~63% under the high cross-wind condition, which may reduce the overall coal consumption by 23500~33500 tons annually for a 660 MW coal-fired unit. The numerical results are confirmed by a hot state modelling experiment conducted in a wind tunnel.