Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Cooling tower drift study at Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6423556

New drift studies on the mechanical draft cooling towers at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant are being planned to provide data necessary for the building and evaluation of a practical analytical model that will describe drift transport and deposition for existing and new towers. A previous study in 1973 provided the groundwork, but needs to be extended to characterize the effect on drift mechanisms of variations in meteorological and operating conditions, as well as the influence imposed by tower condition, tower type, and terrain. Some inconsistencies in source measurements in the 1973 study also need to be resolved, since errors in this input measurement to existing models are magnified by a factor of seven in the deposition results. It is contended that large droplets (>900 ..mu..m) constitute a significant fraction of the total drift and must be accounted for in future measurements. Based on the results of the previous study, a new test plan and measuring method have been formulated and are outlined. It is believed that the extensive measurements of the new study will provide reliable data in quantity for a better statistical analysis that will enhance the formulation of a credible drift model.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
6423556
Report Number(s):
K/GD-1917; CONF-780533-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English