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ICE FOG SUPPRESSION USING THIN CHEMICAL FILMS
Citation:
McFadden, T. AND C. Collins. ICE FOG SUPPRESSION USING THIN CHEMICAL FILMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-79/007.
Description:
Ice fog suppression experiments on the Fort Wainwright Power Plant cooling pond were conducted during the winters of 1974-76. Baseline information studies occupied a sizeable portion of the available ice fog weather in 1974-75. Hexadecanol was added to the pond and dramatically improved visibility by reducing fog generated from water vapor released by the pond at -14C. Although this temperature was not low enough to create ice fog, the cold vapor fog created was equally as devasting to visibility in the vicinity of the pond. During the winter of 1975-76, suppression tests were continued using films of hexadecanol, mixes of hexadecanol and octadecanol, and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGME). Suppression effectiveness at colder temperatures was studied and limits to the techniques were probed. A reinforcing grid was constructed that prevented breakup of the film by wind and water currents. Lifetime tests indicated that EGME degrades much more slowly than either hexadecanol or the hexadecanol-octadecanol mix. All the films were found to be very effective fog reducers at warmer temperatures but still allowed 20% to 40% of normal evaporation to occur. The vapor thus produced was sufficient to create some ice fog at lower temperatures, but this ice fog occurred less frequently and was more quickly dispersed than the thick fog that was present before application of the films.