Thermal power stations must reject heat to the environment. For the Huntly power station the condensors are cooled by water which was designed to be drawn and returned to the Waikato River. The heating of the river can kill fish and other river life, and so limits are placed on electricity generation to reduce harm to the river. This study will use CFD and analytic methods to determine the thermal pollution of the river, and determine methods to reduce stratification and improve water quality.
Undergraduate
CFD model of thermal stratification of the Waikato below Huntly, and determination of mixing methods. Reevaluation of the power station's environmental effects.
Prerequisite: MechEng.311. Corequisite: MechEng.718
Research Computation Lab (405.956A, Lab)