The cooling water from Ringhals

The Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant is situated on the Swedish west coast about 70 km south of Gothenburg. At present two units operate at a total maximum power level of 1580 MWE and their once-through cooling system requires 80 m3/sec sea water. The temperature of the cooling water increases approximately 10 deg C. This study assesses the spreading of the discharged cooling water in the ambient sea and is based on field data sampled since the end of 1974. About 50 thermal mappings were made in the area by boat or in some cases by aeroplane. Several continously recording current and temperature instruments were used. Water samples analysed for salinity, oxygen and turbidity were collected most of the time. Through the thermal mappings four main directions of the thermal plume were distinguished: northward along the coast (class 1A), northward further out (class 1B), westward and reversing plumes (class 2) and southward (class 3). The changing of the plume hour by hour between these main directions was measured by the recording temperature instruments. Data from almost one year gave the following statistics: 40 percent class 1A + 1B, 15 percent class 2, 25 percent class 3 and 20 percent undefined directions. Furthermore, available data showed that the direction of the ambient current mostly gave the plume direction. The wind, on the other hand, was more uncertain as an indicator of the plume direction. Owing to the varying ambient currents the plume changed its direction more than once a day. Measurable excess temperatures were found within a few kilometers wide zone from Stavder in the north to Norra Horta in the south. The largest measured area with excess temperatures of more than 1 deg C was 6 km2. Usually, however, the plume covered about 2.5 km2 at full production at the power plant. As for the downward spreading, the bottom of the plume normally registrated down to 3-7 m, but occasionally it reached the 10 - 12 m level. The tendency of deep penetration increased with decreasing ambient temperature. (author)