Hello -
I'd like to model the energy savings from oversizing a fluid cooler / closed circuit cooling tower ... My general understanding of this application is that the tower can be oversized to create energy savings in two possible ways: 1) allowing the tower to run at part load, thus saving fan energy assuming a variable speed fan and/or 2) sizing the tower such that the average approach during operation is smaller, and therefore condenser water temperatures are lower.

Has anyone had experience with modeling energy savings in eQUEST from an oversized tower? I've done this successfully in Trane TRACE, but have not had success using the obvious paths in eQUEST - in this case 1) increasing the capacity ratio of the tower (from 1 to 1.2 - 1.5) and 2) decreasing the design approach (from 7 to 5). Any thoughts would be helpful, thank you.

Scott Hackel, P.E., LEED AP