Fish Survival on Fine Mesh Traveling Screens
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AR-210 Environmental Science & Policy 3 (2000) S369-S376 www.elsevier.com/locate/envsci Fish survival on fne mesh traveling screens a, b James B. McLaren *, L. Ray Tuttle Jr aBeak Consultants Incorporated, 140 Rotech Drive, Lancaster, NY 14086, USA bPublic Service Electric and Gas Company, 28 W. State Street, Suite 1414, MC-104, Trenton, NJ 08608, USA Abstract The survival of fsh impinged on 1-mm mesh Ristroph-type traveling screens was evaluated at Somerset Station, a 625-MW coal-fred electric generating station located on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Somerset Station was designed and built with an ofshore intake, discharge and fsh return system. Survival testing was conducted over a 4-year period that included all four seasons. Test fsh were diverted from the fsh return and held for 96 h for observation. Following observation, a specially constructed screening table was used to diferentiate test fsh that typically would have been impinged on a standard 9.5-mm mesh screen from smaller individuals that typically would be entrained. Twenty-eight species were tested, and collections were dominated by fve species: alewife, emerald shiner, gizzard shad, rainbow smelt, and spottail shiner. Survival rates commonly approached or exceeded 80%, and were infuenced by species, fsh size or life stage, season and fsh condition. Results are interpreted in terms of survival rates demonstrated elsewhere for entrained fsh and fsh impinged on alternative traveling screen technologies. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Fine mesh traveling screen; Impingement survival; Ristroph screens; Mitigation; Fish return system; Lake Ontario 1. Introduction Several features were designed into the once-through cooling system for the protection of fsh and other New York State Electric and Gas Corporation aquatic animals. Although relatively untested, fne (1- began commercial operation of its 625-MW coal-fred mm) mesh traveling screens were installed as part of a Somerset Station in August 1984. For a period from system that would return fsh to the source water 1991 until 1999, Somerset Station was known as the body, Lake Ontario. The rationale for fne mesh Allen E. Kintigh Station. Somerset Station was screening was to prevent as many organisms as poss- designed to refect state-of-the-art technology for all ible, including fsh eggs and larvae, from being environmental concerns at the time. Although it entrained through the cooling water system, where the retains a once-through cooling system, cooling water relatively high fTs would be assumed to cause 100% fow rates are much reduced. The station withdraws mortality. Therefore, any survival of typically entrain- 195,000 gpm or 281 mgd for cooling water needs. able organisms screened by the fne mesh would be a Under its 402 Discharge Permit, Somerset Station is beneft gained. In essence, the overall strategy for fsh allowed to raise the temperature of the circulating sys- protection was to reduce the number of organisms tem water a daily average not to exceed 18oC (33.7oF) withdrawn from the lake by reducing the volume of or a maximum of 21.7oC (39.0oF) during non-winter water withdrawal, while maximizing the screen recov- months. During winter months (mid-November to ery and survival of screened organisms for return to mid-April), the maximum fT is set at 22.2oC (40.0oF). the lake. An extensive aquatic monitoring program was con- ducted at Somerset Station during 1982 through 1986, * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-716-759-1200. E-mail address: [email protected] (J.B. McLaren). and included both lake sampling and pumphouse 1462-9011/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S 1 4 6 2 -9 0 1 1 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 4 1 -1 S370 J.B. McLaren, L.R. Tuttle Jr / Environmental Science & Policy 3 (2000) S369-S376 sampling. The pumphouse sampling component was pipe transitions from 38.1 cm, branching to two 25.4- continued during 1987-1992. In addition to monitor- cm pipes, and fnally to a single 35.6-cm pipe. This fsh ing impingement rates, the pumphouse studies had the return pipe receives a make-up fow of approximately following objectives: 2800 gpm to maintain a velocity of 5-7 fps for return- ing fsh to the lake. 1. to determine the overall efectiveness of the fsh screen removal/return system; 2. to optimize fsh removal from the traveling screens 3. Collection efciency testing procedures by means of system adjustments; 3. to assess fsh survival following impingement and Optimization of the fsh screen removal/return sys- transport in the fsh trough; tem required assessment of the efciency of fsh 4. to assess the survival of fsh transported to the lake removal from the traveling screens (collection ef- through the fsh return pipe; and ciency) and post-impingement survival. Collection ef- 5. to compare survival of early life stages aforded by ciency testing was initiated in November 1984 to the fne mesh screening to that of juvenile and adult determine the appropriate operating modes of the fsh. screening system for subsequent testing, particularly the operating pressure (14 psi) for the fsh spray header. Testing continued throughout 1985 to investi- gate alternative spraywash designs that would increase 2. Station description removal of the smallest impinged fsh. Alternative con- fgurations tested included: (1) replacement of the fve Somerset Station is located in the Town of Somerset original defector-type spray nozzles with eight 60o in Niagara County, New York, approximately 40 km cone-type spray nozzles, and (2) addition of a separate east of the mouth of the Niagara River. To reduce the inside spray header fabricated with a longitudinally- efects of water withdrawal and thermal discharge on slotted spray outlet. Following this testing, screen- the near-shore zone of Lake Ontario, Somerset Station washing system upgrades were installed during 1987 has ofshore intake and discharge structures. The and 1988, and were tested in 1989. The upgrades intake tunnel runs nearly perpendicularly ofshore for (Fig. 1) consisted of: (1) the addition of fve spray noz- a distance of 625 m, and the 670-m long discharge tun- zles directed at the inside of the screen loop to remove nel is at a 30o angle to the intake tunnel. The intake is small fsh from the articulation between the adjoining a capped octagonal structure with eight ports at an screen panels; (2) the addition of external low pressure average depth of 7 m below the lake surface and a sprays on the descending side to wash fsh down the minimum distance of 1.8 m above the lake bottom. screen panel into the fsh trough; and (3) the installa- Three circulating pumps withdraw water through four tion of articulating fberglass defectors to prevent fsh separated forebays and four conventional traveling from dropping between the fsh trough and the screen. screens ftted with 1-mm smooth nylon mesh. Mean These modifcations required further testing for opti- approach velocities in front of the screens typically will mal spraywash pressures. range from 0.88 to 1.08 fps, but maximum velocities of Collection efciency tests were conducted by releas- 2.5-3.1 fps have been observed during low water level. ing marked dead or live fsh into the ascending screen Screens continuously rotate at either 10 or 20 fpm. buckets and recovering the fsh in collection devices at Fish lifting buckets incorporated into each screen bas- the end of the fsh trough just prior to entry into the ket hold 5 cm of water. fsh return pipe. A gate was installed at the end of the Impinged fsh are washed from the screens by a low- fsh trough which would divert fsh to either a concrete pressure spray wash, located on the interior descending pool built into the foor of the pumphouse deck, or side of the screens, into a 51-cm wide fberglass fsh into a collection, or larval, table (Fig. 2) constructed trough with a semi-circular cross-section. A 60-psi in 1986 and used for subsequent testing of small fsh. spray wash is mounted beneath the fsh trough on the Fish used for testing generally were of sizes and species interior of the screen to wash debris into a concrete available from impingement collections, and were trough, sloped in the opposite direction to the fsh marked with rose bengal stain, clothing dye or fn trough and terminating in a debris collection basket. A clips. supplemental fow of 400 gpm is provided to the fsh To evaluate the efectiveness of the fne mesh screen- trough to maintain a water depth of 15.2 cm. The fsh ing relative to standard mesh screening, a device was trough connects to a fberglass return pipe that is constructed to separate the fsh that would have been imbedded in the intake tunnel and terminates 305 m impinged on a standard 9.5-mm square mesh from ofshore at a water depth of approximately 4.6 m at those that had been retained by the 1-mm mesh. This low water level. The internal diameter of the return device was a screening table consisting of a hinged, J.B. McLaren, L.R. Tuttle Jr / Environmental Science & Policy 3 (2000) S369-S376 S371 Fig. 1. Schematic cross-section of the traveling screen systems installed at Somerset Station, showing the original (left) and modifed (right) de- signs. Fig. 2. Fish survival collection table. S372 J.B. McLaren, L.R. Tuttle Jr / Environmental Science & Policy 3 (2000) S369-S376 Table 1 fat horizontal screen of 9.5-mm mesh placed above a Percent recovery of impingeable marked fsh released onto Somerset table surface that concentrates and holds fsh small Station screens, 1985 enough to pass through the 9.5-mm mesh screening.