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McGuire Nuclear Power Plant, North Carolina |
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Update: October 3, 2008
Next Update: October 2009 McGuire Nuclear Power Plant Net Generation and Capacity, 2007
Description: This station is located about 17 miles northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina, on a 32,500-acre lake, created in 1963 by Duke Power for the Cowens Ford Hydroelectric Station. The McGuire units use the lake’s water for cooling. McGuire, Unit 1 Nuclear Steam System Supplier (NSSS Vendor) = Westinghouse McGuire, Unit 2 Nuclear Steam System Supplier (NSSS Vendor) = Westinghouse Pressurized-Water Reactor (PWR) In a typical commercial pressurized light-water reactor (1) the reactor core generates heat, (2) pressurized-water in the primary coolant loop carries the heat to the steam generator, (3) inside the steam generator heat from the primary coolant loop vaporizes the water in a secondary loop producing steam, (4) the steam line directs the steam to the main turbine causing it to turn the turbine generator, which produces electricity. The unused steam is exhausted to the condenser where it is condensed into water. The resulting water is pumped out of the condenser with a series of pumps, reheated, and pumped back to the steam generator. The reactors core contains fuel assemblies which are cooled by water, which is force-circulated by electrically powered pumps. Emergency cooling water is supplied by other pumps, which can be powered by onsite diesel generators. Other safety systems, such as the containment cooling system, also need power.
Containment: Both reactors are PWRs with wet, ice condenser containment.1 _________________________________________ 1 Wet, Ice Condenser containment: A reactor containment design whose safety has been evaluated on the basis of a dry air atmosphere at ambient pressure AND an ice condenser present prior to the onset of a loss of coolant accident or steam pipe break. The containment design (concrete and steel tendons and ice melting) must be able to take the full thermal and pressure stress associated with the rapid energy release (steam) from a major pipe break. In lay terms, these containments have huge refrigerator ice trays in them that are stocked with abundant ice. If there is an accident, the pipe break leads to a rapid build up of steam and air pressure in the inside of the containment. NOTE: as air is heated in an enclosed space, it expands and hence pressure builds up. Also, as liquid water from the reactor flashes to steam, it occupies a much larger volume than the liquid did. This also builds up pressure inside the containment and could burst the walls. So, with ice condenser containment, the steam hits the stored ice. The ice melts and in doing so, robs the steam of some of its thermal energy. The air which is mixed with the steam stays cooler and does not expand so much. The ice also condenses the steam back into water thereby reducing the steam volume and pressure in the containment. |
see also:
annual
nuclear statistics back to 1953
projected electricity capacity to 2030
international
electricity statistics