Three Mile Island (pics!)

[marko138]

Damn...I'm gonna have to check those out when I have a few minutes.

[marko138]

I was back at the Island yesterday. Today is the 30 Anny. I snapped a few more pics. Mostly of the damaged Unit 2.

Unit 2:


Working Unit 1:


Unit 2 cooling towers:


Unit 2:

[Porkchop]

Have they basically dismantled the bottom of 2's cooling towers? Is that why its open at the bottom?

[marko138]

Trip...question....the nuc plants that don't have big ass cooling towers like TMI...how do they cool them or release the steam or whatever?

[Particle Man]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

Have they basically dismantled the bottom of 2's cooling towers? Is that why its open at the bottom?

Water flows down the bottom as the steam condenses. It's open for more cooling I believe. It's cool when the water vapor freezes.

[azoomm]

I'm fascinated by that industry. My father worked for GE in the 60's and early 70's... Japan, San Jose and then Joliet. I've been looking for the old pictures of him with his white lab coat in front of the endless panels of switches.

Thanks for a great thread Marco.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by marko138

Trip...question....the nuc plants that don't have big ass cooling towers like TMI...how do they cool them or release the steam or whatever?

All plants have a means of cooling. They just all don't look like Westinghouse cooling towers of Simpson fame. My plant and TMI are Westinghouse designed PWRs. Some plants don't have to use them all the time either. We have a sister plant in TVA and they don't run their cooling towers all the time. It just depends on the design. Even similarly designed plants can have vast differences in how they operate.

The design of the Japan plant and TVA's Mark I GE BWR won't have those type cooling towers. TVA's version has what looks like warehouse buildings that are it's cooling "towers."

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

Have they basically dismantled the bottom of 2's cooling towers? Is that why its open at the bottom?

That design is open, but they have took out a lot of stuff. May have sold it off because they won't use that unit again. Atmosphere cooled water falls into a big pool in the bottom. Might be weather conditions that force some of the northern plants to cover theirs.

Ours are still open.

[marko138]

Originally Posted by Trip

All plants have a means of cooling. They just all don't look like Westinghouse cooling towers of Simpson fame. My plant and TMI are Westinghouse designed PWRs. Some plants don't have to use them all the time either. We have a sister plant in TVA and they don't run their cooling towers all the time. It just depends on the design. Even similarly designed plants can have vast differences in how they operate.

The design of the Japan plant and TVA's Mark I GE BWR won't have those type cooling towers. TVA's version has what looks like warehouse buildings that are it's cooling "towers."

I knew there had to be some cooling just wasn't sure what it was instead of the big cooling towers.

Zoomie...I'm also very fascinated with nuclear power. I've always been interested in Three Mile Island. I wanted to tour the island when I was young but never did. After 9/11 they stopped the tours but I was lucky enough to get on the island when I still worked in TV.

It's one of my favorite assignments I ever got. Way cooler than meeting pro athletes or politicians or whatever.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by marko138

It's one of my favorite assignments I ever got. Way cooler than meeting pro athletes or politicians or whatever.

Naturally... because unlike those other things, a power plant actually contributes something useful and beneficial to our nation.