Experimental study of the thermal characteristics of a subtropical cooling lake using continuous temperature monitoring techniques

Abstract

The stratification cycle of a man-made lake used for condenser cooling of a nuclear power plant is analyzed. This involves the measuring of water temperatures with thermistor probes placed at different locations and depths of the lake before and after the nuclear power station went on-line. It is found that this warm, monomictic, subtropical lake is horizontally well mixed, is thermally stratified for most of the year, and appears to have been affected by the hot water discharges from the nuclear power station.