Accession Number:

ADA063107

Title:

Ice Fog Suppression Using Reinforced Thin Chemical Films,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H

Personal Author(s):

• McFadden,Terry T.
• Collins,Charles M.

Report Date:

1978-11-01

Pagination or Media Count:

29.0

Abstract:

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 sizable portion of the available ice fog weather in 1974-75. Then hexadecanol was added to the pond and dramatically improved visibility by reducing fog generated from water vapor released by the pond at -14 C. Although this temperature was not low enough to create ice fog, the cold vapor fog created was equally as devastating 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 stuided 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. 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.

Descriptors:

• *THIN FILMS
• *FOG
• *SUPPRESSION
• *ICE FOG
• DEGRADATION
• GRIDS
• ALASKA
• WIND
• ETHERS
• BUTYL RADICALS
• COLD WEATHER
• CURRENTS
• ALCOHOLS
• ETHYLENE GLYCOL

Subject Categories:

• Meteorology
• Physical Chemistry

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE