Collector Well Study For The Cooling Water Intake System Of The James H. Campbell Electric Power Generating Plant, Unit No. 3

Abstract

A 1:24 scale model of the collector well, the central structure of the projected cooling water intake for the James H. Campbell Power Generating Plant, Unit No. 3, on the eastshore of Lake Michigan was built and operated to determine the hydraulic characteristics of the structure. Piezometric pressure distributions and total energy headlosses were measured. Flow patterns and air evacuation characteristics were observed. The total headloss in the 22 ft diameter collector well was determined to be on the order of 4.5 in. for the design flow of 824 cfs. The height of the collector well cover above tbe header axis had to exceed 6 ft in order to avoid formation of a strong vortex in the well. At a height of 11 ft the well performed satisfactorily. Flow rates in the four headers feeding into the collector well deviated by less than 2 per cent from the average. Air entrapped in the dome was evacuated by the £low. Flow from only two headers through the collector was also investigated.