bardal wrote:These 50 kWh / m000 / year represent all of the thermal energy potentially dissipated in the atmosphere or in the water of the Rhône; the use of cooling towers means that 2% of this potential energy is dissipated in the form of water vapor, and not in thermal form. It therefore remains to dissipate in thermal form 97,5%, or about 2,5 kWh / m1250 / year, or of the same order of magnitude as the insolation of the site. Thermal pollution is therefore very marginal.
For your calculations, then I would point out to you that, if they were correct, and the Rhone cooling three other power plants downstream from Bugey, the water from this river should arrive in Arles at a temperature above 35 ° or even 40 ° C ... This does not seem to me to be the case (too bad, the Arlésiens could heat themselves for free) ... Beware of the internet, there is sometimes anything there.
Re-hi,
My calculations are not exact, but "These 50 kWh / m000 / year represent the total thermal energy" actually dissipated, it is just double the annual production of electricity.
And the flow of the Rhône is much less in Bugey than in Arles.