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Title |
Evaluation of Water Temperature and Turbidity of Cooling Water Supplied to Data Center According to Intake Depth in Lake Soyang
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Authors |
하지원(Jiwon Ha) ; 윤여정(Yeojeong Yun) ; 김성진(Sungjin Kim) ; 정세웅(Sewoong Chung) |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.15681/KSWE.2026.42.1.77 |
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Keywords |
CE-QUAL-W2; Cooling water; Data center; Deep water intake; Lake Soyang; Outflow temperature |
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Abstract |
This study explores optimal intake strategies for harnessing deep water from Lake Soyang as a sustainable thermal resource for cooling data centers. The primary focus is on maintaining a stable intake temperature (≤7°C) while minimizing turbidity. We utilized the CE-QUAL-W2 model, calibrated for the wet year 2022 and validated for the dry year 2016, to simulate the temperature and turbidity of intake water under various scenarios and to identify the optimal intake depth. During calibration, we applied cooling water intake scenarios (S0-S3), which were subsequently replicated as S4-S7 for the validation period. Scenario S0 represents the current condition, where hydropower releases are solely supplied through the penstock outlet (EL. 130.0-150.0 m). Scenario S1 assumes an additional intake of 2.79 m³/s of cooling water through the same outlet. Scenarios S2 and S3 assume the same discharge volume, but selectively withdrawn at EL. 130.0 m and EL. 120.0 m, respectively. Results indicated that the current outlet withdrawal (S1 and S5) exceeded the 7°C cooling criterion for over 179 days in 2022 and 161 days in 2016. In contrast, selective withdrawal from 20 m below the current outlet (S3 and S7) consistently maintained target temperatures of ≤7°C. Additionally, maximum turbidity was reduced by approximately 60% and 38% compared to S1 and S5, respectively. This study highlights the significant impact of intake depth on cooling efficiency and water quality for data center cooling. The findings contribute to the optimization of deep-water intake strategies and the prediction of water quality impacts for thermal energy utilization projects in multipurpose dams across Korea.
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