Influence of Buildings on the Deduction of Flue Gases via Cooling Towers (Preliminary Study)

Project Number 242

In many cases the deduction of flue gases via cooling towers has proved itself both under ecological and economic criteria and is carried out at a number of power plant locations.

The dispersion model (to evaluate the immission additional loading caused by a power plant) of the new Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft) does not include a consideration of the influence of buildings regarding the deduction of flue gases via cooling towers. As according to the Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control this influence is to be considered, however, the operators, in whose plants flue gases are deducted via cooling towers, would be dependent on the engagement of experts in many cases. Depending on the experts this would entail different approaches and possibly different results. The consequence would be an increase in objections and therefore resulting delays of the licensing procedures.

Due to legal security the existence of a uniform, generally accepted model is necessary. Therefore, the Technical Committee Air Pollution and Noise Control suggested the realisation of the elaborated research project.

The overall project consists of a preliminary study and a main study. In the preliminary study boundary conditions are specified for a systematic investigation of the influence of buildings in wind tunnel experiments (main study). Hereby, a basic classifying of the building constellations existing at German power plant locations is to be executed in order to limit the scope of the main study, i. e. the required wind tunnel investigations. If the results of the preliminary study show that the wind tunnel investigations are too extensive the project will be cancelled after the preliminary study. This would mean that for most of the locations individual investigations would be necessary.

The preliminary study will be carried out from April to June 2003 by ArguMet - Bahmann & Schmonsees GbR, Mechernich, directed by Wolfram Bahmann. The Technical Committee "Air Pollution and Noise Control" accompanies the project.