Evaluation of Hydro Projects Operational Changes on Colbert Fossil Plant Water Intake Temperature

摘要

During the summer, the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) Colbert Fossil Plant occasionally reduces generation to avoid violating the water temperature limit specified in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the discharge of the plant's condenser cooling water (CCW). The plant high discharge temperature is due to the high intake water temperature, caused partly by low flow in the Tennessee River, usually due to long period sof idle hydroturbine operation during off-peak hours of power demand at the upstream (Wilson) and downstream (Pickwick Landing) dams. Colbert Fossil Plant (COF) reduces generation whenever the intake water temperature reaches 85.2 deg F (29.6deg C), incurring costs for TVA to replace power system energy. In this study, field tests and model simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of low flows at COF and to examine alternatives for improving the intake water temperature at the plant.