Studies on mathematical models for characterizing plume and drift behavior from cooling towers. Volume 1. Review of European research

Abstract

This report reviews recent research on cooling-tower plume dispersion carried out in Germany, Switzerland and France. A large quantity of good-quality laboratory and field data are available which can aid in the validation and improvement of cooling-tower plume models. Laboratory data from Electricite de France (EDF) provide basic parametric information on plume dispersion from one, two, and four towers of natural-draft type. Visible plume field data from Gardanne, Luenen and Neurath (supplemented by ambient profiles and tower-exit measurements) provide, in total, 24 new data cases for use in model validation and improvement studies. Other data available include measurements at tower exit of liquid water emission rates, droplet-size spectra and temperature/velocity profiles. Profiles of velocity and temperature across the tower top at Neurath have revealed several distinct flow configurations depending on the wind speed at tower top. Existing European models for cooling-tower plume dispersion are reviewed. Two of the most popular models (KUMULUS and FOG) are tested with field data and found to perform on par with the better US models. A two-year climatological study at Niederaussem presented interesting information on the long-term physical and biological effects of the cooling towers. A study of bacterial emissions of cooling towers using wastemore » water revealed no significant adverse effects at and in the vicinity of the cooling towers.« less