# Intake Technologies Used at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant to Achieve a Reduction in Impingement Mortality to a Level Similar

to Closed Cycle Cooling

By Tom Thompson September 5, 2011Atlantic Ocean Ocean Discharge Area Plant Site NORTH CAROLINA BrunswickSteam Electric Plant N

Kilometers

Miles 0 2 4
0 2 * 

# Brunswick Steam Electric Plant

• 2

- Unit Nuclear Station



# • Cape Fear River Estuary



# • Once

- through Cooling



## • AIF 1,192

- 1,509 MGD



# • Extensive Environmental 

### Studies, 1970

- 1980



# • Long

- term Monitoring 1981

- 1993 (Fish & Shellfish Populations, I, E)



# • Impingement & Entrainment Monitoring, 1994

- Present

# Brunswick Steam Electric Plant

Intake Canal

# Fish Diversion Structure

# Intake Structure and Fish Return Flume

# Mean Percent Survival Fish Return System (1984

- 1987)

Blue crab 96 

## Shrimp 92 Striped mullet 92 Blackcheek tonguefish 83 Flounder spp. 71 Spot 60 

## Croaker 45 Weakfish 35 Atlantic menhaden 16 

## Bay anchovy 5

96

- hour survival studiesAnnual Number and Percent Reduction of Atlantic Menhaden Impinged

at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, 1977

- 2009

Prototype fish diversion structure effective during 1979 Fish diversion structure Completed Nov 1982

Number impinged Baseline Impingement Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure & Return System XAnnual Number and Percent Reduction of Spot Impinged

at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, 1977

- 2009

Fish diversion structure Completed Nov 1982

Number impinged Baseline Impingement Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure & Return System XAnnual Number and Percent Reduction of Atlantic Croaker Impinged

at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, 1977

- 2009

Fish diversion structure Completed Nov 1982

Number impinged Baseline Impingement Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure & Return System XAnnual Number and Percent Reduction of Blue Crab Impinged

at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, 1977

- 2009

Fish diversion structure Completed Nov 1982

Number impinged Baseline Impingement Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure & Return System XAnnual Number and Percent Reduction of Penaeid Shrimp Impinged

at the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, 1977

- 2009

Fish diversion structure Completed Nov 1982

Number impinged Baseline Impingement Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure Percent Reduction Fish Diversion Structure & Return System X

# Summary and Conclusions

● Variation in the effectiveness of the technologies was species specific.

▪ Menhaden can be characterized by poor survival in the fish return system but is effectively excluded from the intake 

### canal by the diversion structure.

▪ Blue crab and penaeid shrimp are less effectively excluded by the diversion structure but are characterized by high survival in the return system.



### ▪ Spot and croaker represent species that are intermediate regarding the effectiveness of the diversion structure and return system in reducing impingement mortality. The combination of the technologies was necessary to achieve overall reductions in IM of 90

- 99%.

# Summary and Conclusions

● The combination of the fish diversion structure, modified traveling screens, and return system reduced impingement mortality for representative species to a level approaching that of closed cycle cooling.

▪ Annual reductions in IM ranged from 90

- 99%.