Quantitative analysis of the factors influencing the dispersion of thermal pollution caused by coastal power plants

Abstract

In recent years, to meet the needs of economic development, an increasing number of coastal nuclear power plants and thermal power plants (CNATPPs) have used seawater as the source and sink of cooling water. Considering six CNATPPs along the coast of China, based on the model of conservation of mass and energy for an environmental fluid medium, this study quantitatively evaluates the thermal diffusion capacity (TDC) and contribution rate of factors influencing the thermal plume. The results showed that (1) the current velocity, shoreline topography and horizontal diffusion coefficient are linearly correlated with the TDC. The former two variables were the same and the largest and are highly sensitive parameters; (2) the average contribution rates of the current velocity and shoreline topography were the largest at 0.32, and that of the water depth ranged from 0 to 0.28; (3) the shoreline topography close to the outfall affects the TDC of the emitting source of CNATPPs, rather than the geographical location; and (4) this study can provide a comprehensive measurement tool for the planning, site selection and layout of CNATPPs to reduce the impact of their thermal pollution on aquatic organisms in the receiving water. Considering the TDC and thermal sensitivity of marine organisms, it might be assumed that the same heat and the same volume of thermal pollution may have smaller impacts on marine organisms in the East China Sea than in the South China Sea.

Keywords: Contribution rate; Sensitivity; Thermal diffusion capacity; Thermal discharge.