Coastal Meteorological Networks to Determine Effects of Nuclear Plant Cooling Systems

Abstract

Twenty-five meteorological stations are in operation inland from two nuclear power plants located on the Lake Michigan shoreline in southwestern lower Michigan. Their purpose is to provide data to enable meteorological effects of mechanical-draft cooling towers at the Palisades Nuclear Plant and a once-through cooling system at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant to be evaluated. Temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation are measured at all stations, total solar radiation and wind velocity at four, and visibility at three. The stations, equipment, and calibration methods are described, and examples of types of meteorological analyses are presented.