Author(s): Anton Burman; Oyvind Lier; Olivier Macchion
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Abstract: On the shores of the Bothnian Sea lies Ornskoldsvik, a city of approximately 50 000 residents. The publicly owned energy company Ovik Energi supplies the local industries with cooling water from the adjacent estuary. In the estuary, a thermocline and halocline occur at depths below 15 meters. The existence of the thermocline ensures that the cooling water maintains a good temperature throughout the year. Amidst growing local demand for cooling water, Ovik Energi is keen on identifying extraction limits that do not compromise operations. To understand the dynamics of the estuary, ADCP and CTD measurements were performed during one year. These measurements were used as validation and input for a numerical model, which was built using the commercial code MIKE3. The model was able to accurately capture both the thermocline and the halocline in the estuary. The model also indicated that the clines remain unperturbed as long as the outtake doesn’t exceed 2000 l/s. Once the outtake reached 5000 l/s, the temperature by the intake valve was starting to increase. This rise was attributed to a mixing effect, where warm freshwater was drawn from the surface water towards the intake valve.
Year: 2024