Enhanced surface cooling of thermal discharges
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts
InventorDaniel G. MacDonald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A water discharge system enhances heat transfer to the atmosphere by limiting the mixing of heated discharge water with the ambient water of a receiving water body. The heated water is maintained near the top surface of the receiving water body which increases the transfer of heat to the atmosphere as compared to a system where the discharge water is mixed quickly with the ambient water.
Claims27
A system for transferring heat from cooling system discharge water to the atmosphere, the system comprising:
- a discharge conduit configured to receive cooling system discharge water from a cooling system, and further configured to deliver the cooling system discharge water at an initial temperature To to a large receiving water body containing ambient water;
- wherein the system is constructed and arranged to limit mixing of the discharge water with the ambient water to such an extent that a surface cooling scaling factor, E, defined as:
- E
- =
- Q
- o
- Q
-
- (
- 1
- -
- H
- H
- o
- )
- is greater than or equal to 0.01 when a ratio T/To is less than 0.9 and greater than 0.1, wherein Qo represents an initial volume flux of discharge water being discharged into the receiving water body, Q represents a volume flux of water including both the initial discharge water volume Qo and the water into which the initial discharge water volume is mixed, Ho is the initial excess heat flux of volume Qo of the discharge water, H is the excess heat flux from the discharge water associated with the volume flux Q, and T is the mean temperature associated with volume flux Q.
A system for transferring heat from cooling system discharge water to the atmosphere, the system comprising:
- a discharge conduit configured to receive cooling system discharge water from a cooling system, and further configured to deliver the discharge water of a selected flow rate and density to a large receiving water body at a mouth of the conduit, the discharge conduit having a bottom, a length, a width profile and a depth profile, and the large receiving water body containing water of a selected density;
- wherein the discharge conduit is constructed and arranged such that the discharge water having the selected flow rate and density lifts off from the bottom of the discharge conduit upstream from the mouth of the conduit or substantially at the mouth of the conduit, the lift off allowing intrusion of the ambient water under the discharge water.
A system for transferring heat from cooling system discharge water to the atmosphere, the system comprising:
- a discharge conduit configured to deliver cooling system discharge water of a selected flow rate and density to a large receiving water body at a mouth of the conduit, the receiving water body containing ambient water and having a top water surface and a bed;
- and
- a weir positioned at or downstream of the mouth of the conduit, the weir extending from the bed of the receiving water body to a height below the top water surface, the weir being configured such that the discharge water flows over the weir and the ambient water does not flow over the weir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.