2060
MW nameplate capacity of IPEC
Mapping of the thermal plume from once through cooling of the nuclear reactors at Indian Point Energy Center
The Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC), owned and operated by Entergy Nuclear, uses a once-through cooling water configuration to cool its two operating nuclear reactors; this process draws water from the Hudson river via a series of intakes and returns heated water through a common discharge canal back to the river. In support of its license renewal application, IPEC applied for a Water Quality Certification (WQC) under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the approval of which is based upon a finding that there are reasonable assurances that its operation is in compliance with applicable New York water quality standards (WQS).
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Timeline
2009
In April 2009, the project was started.
2009
In October 2009, the field program was completed.
2010
In September 2010, another field program was completed.
2011
In January 2011, the report was completed.
2012
In November 2012, the draft WQS ruling was complete.
2017
In January 2017, a final decision was received.
Key Details
Project Name
Mapping of the Thermal Plume from Once Through Cooling of the Nuclear Reactors at Indian Point Energy Center
Client
Entergy Nuclear through Goodwin Proctor LLP
Sectors
- Wastewater
- Nuclear facilities
Location
- Hudson River Estuary, USA
Services Provided
- Field program design and data analysis
- Hydrodynamic modelling
- Hydrothermal modeling
- Client support and presentation at regulatory meetings
Challenge
In accordance with the requirements for the New York Water Quality Standards (WQS), the Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) facility needed to demonstrate the effects of their thermal plume in terms of the size of specific temperature differentials above ambient temperatures. The IPEC facility is located along the Hudson River estuary, and the characteristics of the receiving waters are constantly changing in response to the ebb and flood of the tides, freshwater inputs, and variable thermal structure of the water column. This complex, dynamic setting poses a challenge to defining ambient temperature, since not only is the receiving water influenced by the thermal plume, a point measurement only holds true at is location.
Solution
A sophisticated hydrothermal model application was developed using the RPS WQMAP water quality model system component BFHYDRO, which incorporated variable river geometry and bathymetry, tidal, riverine, and meteorological boundary conditions, intake withdrawals, and discharges from the IPEC facility. The model application was first validated against field observations of water level, water velocities, water temperatures, and water salinity at multiple locations. The model was run without plant loading to define the spatially and temporally varying ambient and the differential between the two runs provided the isolated effects of temperature differential from the IPEC facility effluent.
Project Statistics
1,800,000
gpm of cooling water discharge rate
2
field programs capturing 2 seasons
68
moored thermal strings
300 Over
thermistors used for model validation
130
miles of river modelled
52,000
model grid cells
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