Survival and Nuclear Plants

[greghaa]

The first post was not a production of mass media. I have a valid question. I know that Nuclear is incredibly safe and has multiple layers of redundancy built for protection.
The question is what happens when those systems run out of diesel and the batteries die and the main grid is not back? The redundancy is only meant to last for about
2 weeks. If the grid is not back, and the safety systems go down, then what? I am not trying to invoke fear. I am actually a proponent of nuclear as a safe, reliable, and clean form of
energy.

 

[snake dr]

They are designed to naturally flow the cooling without any power whatsoever.
I would suggest that you get educated on the engineering of a nuclear power plant before spreading fear and loosing sleep at night.

The first post was not a production of mass media. I have a valid question. I know that Nuclear is incredibly safe and has multiple layers of redundancy built for protection.
The question is what happens when those systems run out of diesel and the batteries die and the main grid is not back? The redundancy is only meant to last for about
2 weeks. If the grid is not back, and the safety systems go down, then what? I am not trying to invoke fear. I am actually a proponent of nuclear as a safe, reliable, and clean form of
energy.

 

[VanillaGuerrilla]

OP raises a good question though. It's something to think about. Hopefully mrlinebacker is right and everything gos as planned. But I imagine that's best case sceniaro. I wonder if all that stuff can take place without human assistance. What if all the engineers dip out to be with there loved ones? What are the odds that all the plants who's fallout cloud could reach GA are and stay set up to totally shut themselves down? Just a thought.

 

[jlcnuke]

They are designed to naturally flow the cooling without any power whatsoever.
I would suggest that you get educated on the engineering of a nuclear power plant before spreading fear and loosing sleep at night.

I think it's also important to mention that the heat load from decay-heat only is exceptionally small compared to when a reactor is operating. The total required cooling capacity drops off sharply at first and then will continue to reduce over time, making the passive cooling systems more than adequate for cooling.

 

[linebacker]

In all my years working in the nuclear industry, I have never been physically forced into a shower and scrubbed down as potrayed in the movie "Silkwood". This movie scared the hell out of the public.
Here is the scene that I am referring to.

 

[cshoemaker3]

Chernobyl was a disaster waiting to happen. They were forewarned by the US that it was too dangerous to even start those units up. Their safety was not their priority and wasn't even considered when the plant was up and running. It was ran by the government.

The most recent was in Japan, IMO-it was a very stupid idea to build that plant where it was built. They had all of the safety systems that were "required" but no one can predict a tsunami disaster like that to happen, but it did. The water washed away the backup systems and emergency systems which caused a disaster. Who could have predicted that? answer: no one


IMO---
Final thoughts: Nuclear Energy is the safest and most economical form of producing electricity there is. The only people who are against nuclear energy are either the ones that can't compete with it and the ones that don't fully understand it's concept which makes them afraid of it.

I was gearing up for an educational rant but then read this; all pretty much on the money. Gonna add some though cause I am very interested in Nuclear (studied Mechanical Engring with a Minor in Nuclear/Radiological. A big part of our education was Fission Plants (important to note this is the kind of Nuclear Plant being discussed here; get to Fusion at the end).
Additions: At Chernoybl they were running experiments in a reactor not designed to be a test reactor (and had altered the system to do this) and the Russian reactors of the time lacked many common 'passive' safety features. Most everything on the day of the failure was being actively controlled so if you pressed to many of the wrong buttons....ooops.

Now Japan is very important for our country to look at, especially as there are US coastal reactor in 'vulnerable' places to natural disasters and power outages.

Some US reactors a very very safe, example: New reactors going into Vogtle are top of the line passively safe designs. NOW, there are reactors in the US that scare me and I would not want o live anywhere near them; though these are being fazed out and now it is much harder to re-license these old models through the NRC.

For a power failure to turn into a full meltdown leading to possible Hydrogen explosions and thus a breach of containment would require more system failures/human error then just loss of power.

Its good to have your eye on these things, but not be ridiculously paranoid about them. At this point in time we rely on these Energy sources and you dont have many more good options. (Also, Coal fly ash has {IMO}, as many radiation/health hazards as a fission plant though this claim is refuted by others).

Now to the future: You don't like Nuclear (fission) plants, think it is unsafe, going to cause a nukZombacolypse? Well rest safe assured at night. Nuclear Fusion research (this is hot fusion, not the bogus 'cold' fusion) has been underway for a few decades now and is making big leap with the Globally funded construction of ITER (in France) and the use of superconducting magnets (same things in CERN - hadron collider). The simple way of thinking about why Fusion is safer is you are building up-hill, not breaking things downhill. In fission you are going down the element binding energy curve, so as long as there are heavy elements nearby to be broken down and release energy they will do so, which is how a meltdown occurs. Fusion you are (generally) building up heavy hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) to release energy, so if you loose power you loose the needed inputs for the reaction to occur and it just turns off (just like your lights) and you don't have nearly as many radioactive radicals being created and those that are have way shorter half-lifes than your Uranium based daughter isotopes. I like fusion and you should let your political representatives know you do to ! IT'll probably be 25 years before we see it in an industrial application though.

Basically, Nuclear Power is like a loaded weapon. If you treat right, have taken care of it, haven't done any stupid modifications, and don't hand it over to an idiot...you are safe...unless strange strange things occur in which it is out of your control.

Disclaimer: This is the simple version so don't try to pick holes in it, Ill go grab my books and bore you to death.

Links:
Binding Energy Curve
Great Breakdown of Fission v. Fusion
Non-Superconducting Reactor Fusion Reactor & Burn

 

[greghaa]

I am not paranoid, nor am I losing sleep. I was really just asking questions. I find a little disappointing that I am being attacked as spreading fear and all of this. The idea that these plants require a grid connection is a little disconcerting. I brought it up in this forum as I am sure many of you must know about this and being "preppers" or whatever figured I could get some more insight.
If here is not the place to ask these types of questions then where?

 

[snake dr]

Hell I did!

In all my years working in the nuclear industry, I have never been physically forced into a shower and scrubbed down as potrayed in the movie "Silkwood". This movie scared the hell out of the public.
Here is the scene that I am referring to.

 

[snake dr]

If every person at a nuclear power plant walked out, whilst it was operating at 100% power, the plant would shut itself down to a safe mode whenever it deemed necessary. This can be done without any outside assistance.

Where did you obtain the require grid connection?

 

[linebacker]

If every person at a nuclear power plant walked out, whilst it was operating at 100% power, the plant would shut itself down to a safe mode whenever it deemed necessary. This can be done without any outside assistance.

Where did you obtain the require grid connection?

^ This ^

Grid Connections are NOT required!

However, a nuclear plant in GA can send electricity to California if need be and of course for the right price.