Monitoring thermal discharge from a nuclear plant through Landsat 8

Difeng Wang; Delu Pan; Ji-An Wei; Fang Gong; Qiankun Zhu; Peng Chen

doi:10.1117/12.2242253

19 October 2016 Monitoring thermal discharge from a nuclear plant through Landsat 8

Difeng Wang, Delu Pan, Ji-An Wei, Fang Gong, Qiankun Zhu, Peng Chen

Proceedings Volume 9999, Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions 2016; 99991E (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2242253
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

The National Development and Reform Commission of China has approved a large number of nuclear power projects, with a total capacity of 23,000 MW. However, concomitant with the accelerated development of nuclear power stations, the environmental effects of thermal discharge will become a problem that cannot be avoided. Real-time monitoring of water temperature needs to be installed following station construction in order to measure its variation with time and to ensure that the operation of the nuclear plant does not result in adverse environmental damage. Landsat is the world’s oldest, continuously acquired collection of space-based, moderate-resolution, land remote sensing data. On May 30, 2013, data from the Landsat 8 satellite became available, and the data quality and radiometric quantization of the thermal infrared sensor (TIRS) are significantly greater than those of previous Landsat instruments. The analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) obtained from Landsat 8’s TIRS data was used to enhance information about the plume shape, dimensions, and direction of dispersion of the thermal discharge from the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Hangzhou Bay on the East China Sea coast. Both single-channel and split-window algorithms were used and focused. The detection of temperature increases through split-window algorithms is considered a preferable method for warm discharge monitoring. Recent results showed that the thermal discharge from the nuclear plant was controlled over a small area, and that it never breached national water quality standards.

Citation Download Citation

Difeng Wang, Delu Pan, Ji-An Wei, Fang Gong, Qiankun Zhu, and Peng Chen "Monitoring thermal discharge from a nuclear plant through Landsat 8", Proc. SPIE 9999, Remote Sensing of the Ocean, Sea Ice, Coastal Waters, and Large Water Regions 2016, 99991E (19 October 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2242253

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