How do you operate a nuclear reactor?
Startup and Shutdown: During reactor startup, operators follow specific procedures to gradually increase power output. Conversely, during shutdown, they reduce power and eventually shut down the reactor safely.
Monitoring and Control: Reactor operators continuously monitor the reactor’s performance. They keep an eye on critical parameters such as coolant flow, temperature, pressure, and neutron flux. If any parameter deviates from the norm, operators take corrective actions to maintain stability.
Control Rod Adjustment: Operators manipulate control rods to regulate the reactor’s power level. Inserting control rods reduces the reaction rate, while withdrawing them increases it.
Emergency Response: In case of abnormal conditions (e.g., coolant leak, power excursion, or equipment malfunction), operators follow emergency protocols.
Shift Work: Reactor operators work in shifts to ensure 24/7 coverage. They communicate with other team members, log data, and maintain detailed records.
How do you refuel a nuclear reactor?
Nuclear fuel is slowly used up over time. When the emitted power drops too far, it is time for refuelling. This happens every 12 to 18 months. Some of the fuel – usually one-third or one-quarter of the core – is removed from the reactor core. The remainder is rearranged to a location in the core better suited to its remaining level of enrichment. The movement of fuel is done by huge refuelling machines.
The refuelling operation typically involves the following phases:
- Reactor Disassembly: Opening the reactor vessel and removing spent fuel assemblies.
- Fuel Handling: Moving the fuel assemblies to the spent fuel pool for storage.
- Reactor Reassembly: Placing fresh fuel assemblies back into the core.
- Preoperational Checks and Tests: Ensuring all systems are ready for start-up.
- Reactor Start-up: Resuming power generation after refuelling.
How do you monitor a nuclear power station?
A reactor spends most of its life completely inaccessible. How are the operators able to monitor its condition?
Control Instrumentation: A reactor is filled to the brim with control instrumentation which monitors many different variables. The collected data tells us what is happening inside the reactor. A lot of reactor control is done automatically, meaning machines respond directly to the data received. This is particularly important to prevent operation outside normal conditions. The data can also be used by reactor operators to make manual changes.
In-Service Inspection: In-service inspections assess equipment condition during operation. Techniques include both simple things like visual inspections, as well as using highly advanced technologies which can take measurements of the inside of equipment while it is running.
Testing and Calibration: Reactor equipment is regularly tested to verify functionality. This includes performance tests, safety system tests, and calibration of instruments.
How do you repair a nuclear power station?
A nuclear power station has an unfathomable amount of parts. That’s why repair and maintenance happens all the time. Typical repairs in a nuclear power station focus on maintaining safe, reliable, and efficient operation.
Preventive maintenance involves scheduled activities to keep equipment which is important for safety in optimal condition. It includes tasks like calibration, lubrication, and visual inspections.
Corrective maintenance addresses unexpected failures or defects. It includes repairs, replacements, and troubleshooting.
Redundancy is built into modern nuclear power stations. That’s why a small failure usually will not cause operations to halt. Instead, backup equipment will take over, giving technicians a chance to repair the damaged part.
Planned outages are used to maintain significant bits of equipment which would take the whole station offline if they were to fail. This type of equipment is usually built to be extremely reliable and closely monitored at all times.
What else is happening around a nuclear power station?
There are tons of different facilities on a nuclear site including Containment Buildings, Fuel Handling and Storage Facilities, Turbine Halls, Cooling Systems, Auxiliary Buildings, Administration Buildings, Security Facilities, and more.
Find out what’s going on at each of these on our dedicated page: What does a nuclear power station look like?
Ove Schoeppner
Control Room – Yovko Lambrev – Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
Refueling Machine Background – Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) or Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) – Public Domain
Circuit Board Background – Harland Quarrington – Open Government Licence version 1.0
Instrument Inspection – IAEA Imagebank – CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed | Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic | Creative Commons
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