Numerical Modeling Study of Cooling Water Recirculation

A three-dimensional, finite difference coastal circulation numerical model, ASL-COCIRM, was adapted to examine the possible recirculation of cooling water in the Burrard Generating Station, Canada. The model resolved the near-field zone of the cooling water buoyant jet and intake using a very fine grid size (2.5 m by 2.5m in the horizontal), which allowed the cooling water outlet pipe and intake to be represented in a realistic manner. The near-field model was then nested within the large model domain of the far-field zone of cooling discharge receiving water. Model calibration and verification results demonstrate that the model has the capability of adequately capturing the overall behavior of the buoyant jet and quantitatively investigating the waste heat recirculation into the intake and the consequent effect on the efficiency of power plants.