Steam plant

[skillet]

I’ve had a couple people tell me the steam plant isn’t putting out warm water. Just wondering if this was true. Was planning on going there this coming weekend.


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[FishAddict]

I was under the impression that the discharge water was always heated from the steam?

[Halli]

Forget about fishing think of energy. So when TVA Gallatin has to run it's Boilers at max is when it's really cold outside and even then during peak hours like when most folks wake up and then get home!!!

It's all about Boilers.

[tkwalker]

Folks my two cents worth ... I worked at GSP from 1972 until 1984... As a Senior Instrument Tech, also 212 trips up the stacks for EPA instrumentation(A good view of people catching fish in the canal.) So I know the process very well, unless things have changed with the new EPA scrubbers for emissions. You have four Westinghouse steam turbines two of them are 312 mega watts and if I remember correctly the other two are 275 mega watts ... The boilers were Babcox Wilcox.

Unless the the turbines have been up graded to German units? Even so the process is the same. What heats the discharge canal is the condensate that the temp is from the low and final stage of the three temp cycles that enters the three stages of blades of the turbines .. Rotating and stationary ... IT IS A TURBINE..The condensate from the tubing sweats from the warmer than ambient air .. This has nothing to do with the steam cycle of the boiler which reaches super heated steam of 1050 degrees at above 1000 psi. ... This is condensate, similar to what your Home heat pump does when it goes through a defrost cycle,that's the water you see around your unit, or the water dripping from your unit in the summer .. AT GSP the Condensate,(sweat) from the tubes of the spent steam is what creates the actual water discharge in to the canal... The steam is a captured system under a lot of pressure and heat. The boilers pretty much don't change as far as temp... The amount of steam is always there ... The spent steam reenters the boiler from the turbine .. There are three stages, High,Intermediate, and low to be reheated...

The lose of a minute canal temp is common in the spring and Fall when turbines are taken off of the line for either boiler or Turbine outages (overhauls) but rare in the winter unless an emergency of a downed unit ... but even at that any of the units running will develop a higher temp than river temp ...

Now it has been 34 years and I am 73, I may have not remembered every detail and may have some things screwed up ... But I hope this clears up some of your questions .. The only way the discharge canal can be the same temp as the river ... There are no units running ... I saw this once the in the 13 years I was there <'TK><

Note: In the winter when you see a white discharge coming from the stacks, this is condensate caused by the warm discharge gases meeting the cold air temps... similar to your automobile when you first start it up in the cold mornings .. But if you see a black smoke coming from the stacks this could be from starting up a unit.. shutting down a unit or problems like the boilers going on pressure (these a negative pressure boilers) electrostatic precipitaters problems etc ...

[SalmonDaze]

That's great TK, but why doesn't the river dry up?!?!?
;)

https://patriot.imgix.net/461ff9e131d79199eb1db9ffa9f204f5e20820e31484bb7eb2 5a63d10a1c0eb9.jpg?w=720&auto=format
THIS IS Ocasio-Cortez :eek:

[tkwalker]

The condensate was not taken from the river it was produced free of charge.. Therefore it adds to the river ... Also where do you think clouds come from... The smoke stacks?? :D :eek:

[Texas_Rig]

I fished there on the morning it was snowing. The water temp on main lake was 49 I believe. The water in the canal was 60-61.

[skillet]

So, until it gets stupid cold the warm water discharge won’t be so warm? Am I picking up what’s being put down? Like the production is on low for the moment? Y’all know I’m simple and stupid. 🤦*♂️


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[tkwalker]

So, until it gets stupid cold the warm water discharge won’t be so warm? Am I picking up what’s being put down? Like the production is on low for the moment? Y’all know I’m simple and stupid. ��*♂️


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Okay Skillet ...Good question ... The normal flum temp. That is the flow of water that is discharged from the plant and peters out around the 109 bridge.

In Spring through to late Fall the temp is approx 20 degrees higher than the river temp. In the colder months the river temps drop so the GSP discharge canal temps drop... Not because the condensate discharge temp from the Plant has changed ... The river temp has decreased...

So the average discharge is around 8 to 12 degrees warmer than the river. Now this may not seem like much but this is heaven for the bait fish... It draws .. linesides as well as sauger in my day, but now the Tilapia as well ... also skippes..

But as far as the Rocks go, it is a staging point for their Journey upstream to spawn in the Spring ... <'TK><:)

[tkwalker]

That's great TK, but why doesn't the river dry up?!?!?
;)

https://patriot.imgix.net/461ff9e131d79199eb1db9ffa9f204f5e20820e31484bb7eb2 5a63d10a1c0eb9.jpg?w=720&auto=format

Thanks for exposing the The greatest communist threat and Bernie follower Her Name is Ocasio-Cortez :eek: ... EXTREME ... FREE everything and has no idea how to pay for it ... Or even where the $$ comes from ... And she was elected to congress ... :eek:

[thehick176]

Went to the plant this morning for a few hours. Water temp in the canal was 53 degrees. All I could manage was a bunch of small white bass and yellow bass on Crappie jig. Gonna be a long winter if they don't crank the heat up

[tkwalker]

"Gonna be a long winter if they don't crank the heat up" ??????

[Texas_Rig]

Went to the plant this morning for a few hours. Water temp in the canal was 53 degrees. All I could manage was a bunch of small white bass and yellow bass on Crappie jig. Gonna be a long winter if they don't crank the heat up

It was 60• in there couple weeks ago when the main lake was upper 40s to 50

[thehick176]

Easy TK, it was just an expression Lol.

[tnduxcaller]

Concerning Ocasio-Cortez, she was complaining a few weeks ago about not having enough money to start her new life in DC, because she had not received her first paycheck, yet. Did not have enough $ to live a week or so and pay for her apartment in DC until she gets the first $$$$$!!!!! I agree with TK!!!!

[SAMBOLIE]

Concerning Ocasio-Cortez, she was complaining a few weeks ago about not having enough money to start her new life in DC, because she had not received her first paycheck, yet. Did not have enough $ to live a week or so and pay for her apartment in DC until she gets the first $$$$$!!!!! I agree with TK!!!!

Anyone wanting to contribute to a GO FUND ME to assist her can send their $ to me and I will donate to the Clinton Fund. Hillary's Fund has done so much for so few that I am cure she will assist.