Nuclear power plants are built last fifty/sixty years around the world to produce electric power in addition to fossil fuel powered plants.
The risks due to nuclear contamination and safety is a major concern.
If the containment vessel made out of concrete and steel is breached due to temperature approaching 2000 deg. F and loss of circulating/cooling water producing high pressure steam required to drive a turbine for electric power generation.
Basically the design of a nuclear power plant consists of a reactor vessel
which contains uranium or plutonium fuel/control rods and circulation water is pumped in which is converted to high pressure steam by the fuel rods which exits through the top of the reactor to a steam driven turbine connected to an electric generator producing electric power for consumption.
Further, out of the exhaust turbine, condensed water flows to a pump completing the recirculation cycle back to the reactor.
If the water circulation to the reactor is disrupted due to a power failure or any type of disruption such as an earthquake for example, the temperature in the reactor core quickly exceeds 2000 deg F and reaches 4000 def F, during which time the pressure as a function of temperature reaches an explosive
limit unless venting the hydrogen preventing it to react with the oxygen component of the mixture, causing a catastrophic explosion releasing radioactive effluent to the atmosphere, which could be carried over and dispersed into the environment as well as cooling water effluent.
Certain stop gap emergency measures could be taken to prevent the containment structure which is typically made out of concrete and steel by depressuring the mixture, mainly hydrogen before it reacts with oxygen
leading to an explosion.
In the present Japanese reactor, seawater was pumped into the reactor vessel in lieu of circulating water as an emergency measure, to keep the temperature in check. In spite of which the runaway reaction posed a melt down situation of the fuel rods, which could melt and burn through the floor of the containment structure causing an explosion as in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986.
As the present situation develops further and remedial actions takes place,
the blog will be revised as necessary.
NOTE: A block flow diagram including processing, treating, storage and safe transportation of the radioactive wastes is part of the investigation by Robert Sonti, P.E., RSA international providing recommendations and solutions to curtail, prevent and minimize contamination to atmosphere, water and ground radioactive effluents.
A similar article (front cover page) was published in Chemical Engineering Magazine, McGraw-Hill in January 1984, which won a editor's award). Further, in Dec 1984, union carbide designed plant in Bhopal, India:Methyl Isocyanide accidentally mixed with water and the deadly gas leaked into the atmosphere causing over two thousand causalities in a few minutes.
ROBERT SONTI P.E. actively solicits similar services in chemical, nuclear, off and onshore oil and gas installations, long distance pipelines to name a few word wide.
Regarding reprocessing of radioactive water effluent facilities, please contact us.
The risks due to nuclear contamination and safety is a major concern.
If the containment vessel made out of concrete and steel is breached due to temperature approaching 2000 deg. F and loss of circulating/cooling water producing high pressure steam required to drive a turbine for electric power generation.
Basically the design of a nuclear power plant consists of a reactor vessel
which contains uranium or plutonium fuel/control rods and circulation water is pumped in which is converted to high pressure steam by the fuel rods which exits through the top of the reactor to a steam driven turbine connected to an electric generator producing electric power for consumption.
Further, out of the exhaust turbine, condensed water flows to a pump completing the recirculation cycle back to the reactor.
If the water circulation to the reactor is disrupted due to a power failure or any type of disruption such as an earthquake for example, the temperature in the reactor core quickly exceeds 2000 deg F and reaches 4000 def F, during which time the pressure as a function of temperature reaches an explosive
limit unless venting the hydrogen preventing it to react with the oxygen component of the mixture, causing a catastrophic explosion releasing radioactive effluent to the atmosphere, which could be carried over and dispersed into the environment as well as cooling water effluent.
Certain stop gap emergency measures could be taken to prevent the containment structure which is typically made out of concrete and steel by depressuring the mixture, mainly hydrogen before it reacts with oxygen
leading to an explosion.
In the present Japanese reactor, seawater was pumped into the reactor vessel in lieu of circulating water as an emergency measure, to keep the temperature in check. In spite of which the runaway reaction posed a melt down situation of the fuel rods, which could melt and burn through the floor of the containment structure causing an explosion as in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986.
As the present situation develops further and remedial actions takes place,
the blog will be revised as necessary.
NOTE: A block flow diagram including processing, treating, storage and safe transportation of the radioactive wastes is part of the investigation by Robert Sonti, P.E., RSA international providing recommendations and solutions to curtail, prevent and minimize contamination to atmosphere, water and ground radioactive effluents.
A similar article (front cover page) was published in Chemical Engineering Magazine, McGraw-Hill in January 1984, which won a editor's award). Further, in Dec 1984, union carbide designed plant in Bhopal, India:Methyl Isocyanide accidentally mixed with water and the deadly gas leaked into the atmosphere causing over two thousand causalities in a few minutes.
ROBERT SONTI P.E. actively solicits similar services in chemical, nuclear, off and onshore oil and gas installations, long distance pipelines to name a few word wide.
Regarding reprocessing of radioactive water effluent facilities, please contact us.
