This is what you had written:
“I think the steam tubes experiencing failure are on the reactor side of the plant so a leak or catastrophic failure would be bad.”
I just thought that statement displayed a lack of understanding of how a steam generator works. The tubes separate the reactor coolant side from the steam side.
It’s like saying, “I think the hole in can of Coke is on the soda side.”
I went to the news site and cringed at the comments. Then I started reading the FR comments and became even more frustrated.
Your earlier comment about “being sure” the plant has enough energy to desalinize the once-through cooling water is an example of people commenting on subjects they know nothing about. It’s very frustrating.
I mean, you openly wondered why the plant doesn’t boil their cooling water before use!
The nuke plant in the article has a minor leak on a system that has nothing to do with the reactor plant, and people are going nuts over it.
When this same system leaks at a conventional plant (which
is likely leaking at most steam plants right now) does it make the news? Do commenters wonder if we’re getting coal dust or bunker oil into our drinking water?
This shouldn’t be in the news.
I just thought that statement displayed a lack of understanding of how a steam generator works. The tubes separate the reactor coolant side from the steam side
So, it sounds like an accurate description to me. The inside of the lots of tubes flow pressurized water from the reactor do they not? Then since the water is pressurized, it has a higher boiling point which is a good thing if you want the water on the outside of the myriad of tubes to expand to drive the turbine, yes? I see what you're talking about though, it really doesn't matter which side of the tube fails, it's still a failure.
Your earlier comment about “being sure” the plant has enough energy to desalinize the once-through cooling water is an example of people commenting on subjects they know nothing about. It’s very frustrating.
I mean, you openly wondered why the plant doesn’t boil their cooling water before use!
I assume this is part of the same statement. My comment was that it seems to me that salt water is corrosive and using it causes shorter life spans in the equipment that carries it does it or does it not? I was assuming they would use reverse osmosis, not a still to desalinate.
Yes, I am aware they need access to lots of water, hell, Rancho Seco had a huge lake, well maybe not that big, it's been over twenty years since I've seen it although I've never seen the three eyed fish like in the lake in the nuk plant on the Simpsons.
While it shouldn't be in the news (maybe), most news readers are lefties and next to W, nuclear power is the worse thing on the planet, with hydro being next since it kills some fish.
I read a long article on the problems they were having maybe a year ago and from what I read, they didn't have this many problems with the old steam generators. What's the point of having two separate systems if the water commingles although it seems like it's a tiny amount. The problem is, any problem with a nuk plant, no matter how inconsequential, becomes more fodder to get rid of them.
I just saw a special on the Grand Coulee damn and of course the environmentalists were whining about all the damage it did/does (it was on PBS). Since Seattle and Portland get a lot of their power from there, I'm all for removing the damn, let them go dark like North Korea does at night.