Characteristics of EIA Cooling Sys

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Energy-Water NexusGlenn McGrath, Team LeadMarch 22, 2012| Washington DC

U.S. Energy Information Administration Independent Statistics & An
Overview of the Cooling Water Data Overview of the Cooling Water Data

• Advantages: 

– High coverage of the level of the U S generating capacity High coverage of the level of the

U.S. generating capacity

– System level reporting allows for accurate representation of plant 

and operation

• Disadvantages:

– Complexity of Generator:Boiler:Cooling system configurations ma

analyses difficult

– The survey instrument can be bulky, making certain configurations 

report

• Question before us Today: Question before us Today:

– Are there better ways to present the data without sacrificing mean

accuracy?

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
In Terms of Capacity Total Coverage 

In Terms of Capacity, Total Coverage 

Total US Operable 

Capacity

Sources of Cooling 

System Data

Units 18,151 3,479

Plants 5,825 878Capacity (MW) 1,039,062 715,780

2010 EIA-860

Cooling water data is collected on 15% of the plants in our frame, representing 69% of the US generating ca

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
Data Frame Data Frame

• The EIA-860 is the asset survey

– Company level form with plant and unit level data Company level form with plant and unit level data– By gathering key asset level data, its sets the frame of the operati

• Key asset e e data c ude asset level data include:

– Equipment identification, design characteristics, type, status, ener– Relationships between the other plant assets

• Complex asset relationships need to be accounted f

validation and analysis of operational data

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012 
There is High Coverage Among Key Energy S

There is High Coverage Among Key Energy S

Coal Natural Gas Nuclear Petroleum

Total Cooling

Data

Total Cooling

Data

Total Cooling

Data

Total Cooling

Data

Units 1,396 1,055 5,484 1,746 104 104 3,779 402Plants 582 406 1,657 437 65 65 1,169 149Capacity (MW) 316,000 309,886 405,112 265,981 101,167 101,167 55,647 35,281

The addition of non-duct fired natural gas in 2010 added 51 plants, 61 systems, and 32,405 MW of additional ncapacity Additionally all the nuclear capacity was added capacity. Additionally, all the nuclear capacity was added.

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
Singular Relationship between Generator:Boiler:Coolin

Singular Relationship between Generator:Boiler:Coolin

Capacity

Plants (MW) Syste

1:1 Systems 155 37,755 180 

Total 873 715,780 1,67

Percentage 18% 5% 11%

Singular Systems by Energy Source

Energy Source

Plants Capacity S

Count Share MW Share Cou

Coal 115 20% 63 177 , 20% 24

Natural Gas 77 38% 38,424 25% 14

Nuclear 38 58% 47,219 46% 7

Singular system relationships facilitate the use of CFS/MW and CFS/MWh ratios to promote quality assuranefforts. 

Many 

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
Multiple Generators to a Single Boiler

Generator:Boiler 

Ratio Generators

1:1 1,607 1:2 243 

1:3 or more 173 

Gens without Boilers 

(mostly CTs) 1,395 

Total 3,479 

1:1 Generator:Boiler relationships dominate the population, with about 71% of the total capacity. 

Many 

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
Multiple Boilers to a Single Generator

Boiler:Generator 

Ratio Boilers Pla

1:1 2,132 1:2 106 1:3 76 

1:4 12 

1:5 and greater 27 

Total 2,353 

1 1’ l d i t h ith b t 90% f th b il f 1:1’s also 

dominate 

here, with a

bout 90% of the 

b

oiler frame. 

Backtracking generator capacity to boilers is often not easy or meaningful

Many 

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
Boiler to Cooling System Relationships

Boiler:Cooling 

System Ratio Systems Plan

1:1 880 1:2 624 1:3 313 

1472 1:4 335 

1:5 or more 200 

Total 2,353 

Most boilers are served by multiple cooling systems. 

Many 

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012
Cooling System to Boiler Relationships

Cooling 

System:Boiler Ratio Systems 

1:1 1,177 

1:2 311 1:3 81 1:4 42 1:5 19 1:6 21 

1:7 or more 23 

497

Total 1,674 

Systems Plants Capacity (M

Coollng systems with multiple design 

types 96 60 86,7

Systems with multiple types that have 

both open and closed loop design types 46 29 38,7

The term ‘system’ is not standard. Many systems have multiple design types and some systems include boloop design characteristics

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012

loop design characteristics.
Combined Cycle Systems

C bi d C l S t Combined Cycle System

Plants Units Capacity

Duct-Fired 213 816 137,500 

Non Duct Fired 51 172 29,431 

Subtotal of Cooling 

System Respondents

264 988 166,931 

52% 54% 80%

All other Combined All other Combined

Cycle Respondents 244 827 41,082 

Total 508 1815 208,013 

80% of the combined cycle systems report cooling water data. Of all the systems that report cooling water d

represents 23%.

Many 

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012

p
Implications Challenges and Opportun

Implications

,Challenges and Opportun

• Complex systems require complex data structures• Resources to this point have been targeted at cost e

collecting timely and accurate data, minimizing respburden to as low as reasonabl

y possible

• The point of collecting this data is to ensure its used 

useful. 

• What can we do to make it more so?

Glenn McGrath, Washington DC, March 22, 2012