Experimental Study of Warm Water Flow into Impoundments Part I: Flow and Heat Exchange Near a Surface Outlet in Two-Dimensional Flow

Abstract

The largest single industrial use of water in the United States is for cooling purposes. Large quantities of the resulting warm water are discharged into natural bodies of water. The flow pattern of the warmer water in the colder recipient can be controlled to a certain extent by the outlet design. The following study was undertaken to show some aspects of the flow of warm water into a colder body of water. There is a substantial difference between the flow of cooling water into a flowing stream and into a stagnant impoundment. Only the latter case was considered. The outlet was an open channel discharging the warm water at the water surface of the impoundment.