15 May 2008
Reader Question re: Yucca Mountain Nuclear Power Plant: "wouldn't the plant's cooling water be radioactive?"
I don't know much about the inner workings of nuclear power plant cooling systems, so I started with a patent search and found U.S. Patent 4894202. It is a "method of inhibiting radioactive substances from eluting into cooling water in a nuclear plant and an apparatus" issued on January 16, 1990. One would assume that a patented method/product that's been in existence for 18 years is in use, but I will continue to research this - and anyone who passes this way should feel free to Comment with what they know or learn.
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I actually used to build cooling towers at power plants, although none of them were at nuclear power plants. Your question is a good one.
My experience was mostly building 400 and 700 series cooling towers that were of a smaller design, not like the grand natural draft design of the hyperbolic towers seen at nuclear power plants. The premise is the same although the smaller towers are a fan driven design to aid in the cooling.
A cooling tower in simple terms is like a radiator. As the heated water flows over the fins (wooden lath suspended in fiberglass racks or plastic fins as found in towers)it is cooled with air flow and reused or disposed of. In a tower, the exterior sides have louvers (they used to be made out of asbestos!) and the air is drawn into the tower through the louvers with the aid of the fans on the top of the tower. The water enters the tower through a sprinkling system (pipes and water deck)set up on the roof and is cooled as it trickles downward.
In some instances, the water is reused once it's cooled. In other instances it is placed into a natural stream or river and must be cooled so it does not upset the ecological system it enters.
The water becomes heated in the first place because it is used to cool turbines or other machinery that is being used to create energy or some other need.
Your question makes me glad I never built or repaired a cooling tower at a nuclear power plant. Although if I had, I might not need a flashlight in the dark!
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