BIT magazine underlines Crystal Lagoons’ sustainable technology

26 March, 2015 / News

Bit magazine, a technology and innovation specialized publication, devoted a large article to Crystal Lagoons’ industrial applications, highlighting the sustainability aspects of this innovation and placing special emphasis on the sustainable cooling systems for thermoelectric plants developed by the company.

The publication points out that based on the global experience in the management of massive bodies of water, Crystal Lagoons developed and patented a cooling technology for thermo electric centrals and other industrial processes such as cellulose factories, refineries, foundries, concentration photovoltaic plants and nuclear power plants, among others, through the use of close circuit crystal clear lagoons.

The demand for energy is constantly rising and is has been projected that about 80% of all the power plants in the world are thermo electric ones. These kinds of plants require an important cooling stage for their processes. Currently most of electric power plants and other industries conduct their cooling processes using great volumes of water from the ocean. “This cooling system works as an open circuit and thus generates a great environmental damage when it gather water from the ocean, absorbing marine life with it, as well as when it discharges hot water to the ocean, generating thermal pollution and damage to the ecosystem”, says Javiera de la Cerda, Crystal Lagoons’ Head of Research and Development. According to the expert, this negative impact is one of the main reasons why local communities reject thermoelectric power plants operations.

Crystal Lagoons’ innovation will allow disposing the residual heat generated by the industrial processes through crystal clear lagoons. In general terms, this system extracts high quality water from the lagoons and uses it in the area that needs to be cooled down. During this process, the refrigeration water is heated and it is then discharged in the lagoon again, closing the circuit. The water cools down again as it circulates throughout the lagoon and the heat is dissipated through evaporation, conduction, convection and radiation, which improves heat transference.

The cooling technology was patented by The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), through the Green Fast Track program for sustainable technologies. This system has already been applied by Endesa Chile in its San Isidro thermoelectric plant located near Quillota, in Valparaíso Region.

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