A 3D Numerical Model to Evaluate the Effect of Shutting Down a Once-through Cooling System on the Ice Transport to Existing Intakes

摘要

American Electrical Power's Conesville Power Plant is shutting down the last unit using once-through cooling system. Currently, a portion of the hot water from the existing system is routed to the intake area to control ice buildup. After the last once-through unit is shutdown there will be no possibility of control ice buildup in the trash racks. Fully 3D numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the potential of intake blockage by ice after shutting down the unit. The model predicts the hydrodynamics in the Muskingum River near the power plant. A particle tracking model is used to compute the movement of frazil and pulverized ice particles through the river. The effect of fluid turbulence upon particle dispersion is taken into consideration through a stochastic approach. The model accounts for the drag force in addition to the gravitational effect. An ice size distribution is injected into the domain to evaluate the accumulation of different floe sizes in the intakes. Possible mitigation measures are presented and analyzed.