Topic: Nuclear Stupidity

[charlesoakwood]

The Pilgrim nuclear electric energy production plant shut down today because it lost outside power.  Lost outside power; Doesn't it generate enough energy for itself? 
Next! It's running on ... wait for it... Diesel Generators!  What?

Scotty, beam me up.


http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/02/09/outage-shuts-down-plymouths-pilgrim-nuclear-power-plant/

[AlanS]

Why do I find that amusing?

[Libertas]

Fukeshima had that issue too, the tsunami trashed their back up generators.  Something so critical should have more than one back up plan, one would think.

[charlesoakwood]

There's something I'm missing. Why would they need external energy (electricity) to operate when they are generating it?

[BigAlSouth]

There's something I'm missing. Why would they need external energy (electricity) to operate when they are generating it?

The problem is how to keep the reactor cool when power generation is interrupted. That is why you need outside power.

[warpmine]

There's something I'm missing. Why would they need external energy (electricity) to operate when they are generating it?

The problem is how to keep the reactor cool when power generation is interrupted. That is why you need outside power.

Essentially all light water reactors suck badly because of this feature. Passive cooling doesn't exist. If we would develop molten salt fuels for LFTR that we wouldn't have a worry on the world but we can't have that and have perpetually stupid population at the same time.

[charlesoakwood]

OK, I'm still missing something.  Pilgrim was working fine until external power transmission lines went down.
When Pilgrim could not receive electricity from outside it had to shut down.  That's the way I read it.

If Pilgrim is generating electricity why should it be dependent on external electricity at all?

[John Florida]

OK, I'm still missing something.  Pilgrim was working fine until external power transmission lines went down.
When Pilgrim could not receive electricity from outside it had to shut down.  That's the way I read it.

If Pilgrim is generating electricity why should it be dependent on external electricity at all?

   The back up power is like a breaker switch for it,if it goes out the generators have to be running in case they stop producing power,it's a fail safe.it's a triple redundant system,If they shut down the outside source runs the cooling pumps and it that shuts down the diesel generators take over,but there has to be backup power from someplace for it to continue running.The interuption would have been long enough for the diesels to fire up and get up to operating temp and speed and all the valves switched over.

[charlesoakwood]

Thanks.