HYDROLOGICAL ANALYSIS FOR A COASTAL POWER PROJECT

Abstract

Meteorological parameters viz, rainfall, wind speed and air temperature play a major role in the design of the nuclear power projects. Rainfall forms an important input to other processes like estimation of maximum water level at the proposed site, whereas wind speed is necessary to study structural safety, particularly, of tall structures like cooling towers, stacks, transmission line towers etc. Air temperature plays an important role in the design of cooling water intake & hot water outfall structures. Due to the stochastic nature of the variability of the meteorological parameters, the design value of a parameter considered in design should have a mean recurrence interval much higher than the life time of the facility. Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), Mumbai has proposed to establish a 6000 MWe power plant at Mithi Virdi village in Bhavnagar district. The power station will have six power generating units, each having a capacity of 1000 MWe. Bhavnagar is the nearest meteorological station to the proposed site. Hence, meteorological data for the period site from 1969 to 2006 of Bhavnagar were used for analysis. The monthly extreme data of rainfall, air temperature and mean wind speed for stations Bhuj, Ahmedabad, Dwarka, Rajkot, Baroda, Surat and Veraval were also obtained from IMD, Pune and used in the present study. The study comprises short and long term persistence in climatic variables, frequency analysis and analysis of meteorological data such as rainfall, air temperature and wind speed for eight stations of Gujarat. Intensity—Duration—Frequency curves have been developed using n-hourly maximum rainfall estimates for Bhavnagar. The results presented in this report can be used for site evaluation, design, construction and operation of the proposed power project and related facilities.