Analysis Of The Effect Of Cooling Tower Filler Replacement On Cooling Water Temperature, Condenser Pressure, and Turbine Power Output at Kamojang Unit IV Geothermal Power Plant

Abstract

Cooling tower performance plays a critical role in maintaining condenser vacuum and turbine efficiency in geothermal power plants. This study analyzes the effect of cooling tower filler replacement on cooling water temperature, condenser pressure, and turbine power output at Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant (PLTP) Unit IV, which employs a counter-flow mechanical draft cooling tower. A descriptive, comparative, quantitative method was used to compare daily operational data before (October 2024) and after (December 2024) filler replacement, with turbine load equalized between periods to ensure a valid comparison. The results show that the outlet water temperature decreased by 16%, the range increased by 9%, and the approach decreased by 54%, thereby raising the cooling tower effectiveness from 63.07% to 80.02%. These improvements were followed by a 19% reduction in condenser pressure and a 2% increase in turbine power output, even though the cooling water flow rate declined by 4%, indicating that heat transfer effectiveness has a more dominant influence on system performance than flow rate alone. These findings confirm that filler replacement is an effective preventive maintenance strategy for restoring and enhancing cooling tower performance, thereby improving the overall performance of the geothermal power generation system