AboutDr. Kent Welter Expertise Nuclear Reactor Safety Analysis, Generation IV Reactors, Thermal-Hydraulics, Nuclear Analysis, Environmental Aspects of Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Nuclear Engineering Education and Training, Knowledge Management, and Climate Change.
Experience Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State University (2002). Experience as a Reactor Systems Engineer at the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Executive Committee Member, Enviromental Sciences Division, American Nuclear Society.
Question QUESTION: Hello and thank you for your time. You may be interested that I,like you,volunteer here under the screename tbaarr and may be able to assist you in making a better return on your investments if you feel like reading my answers. NOW to my question. I am an ex electrical engineering student who was supposed to work at the moscow ohio nuclear plant that was never completed due to contractor issues and finally went coal fired. My question is in parts.
1 Is not the temp that is permenantly put out by spent fuel still around 400 degrees?
2 This fuel is stored in lead lined vaults so its fairly safe for people to be near.
3 Why is it necessary to create new reactors that require new rods, When the spent fuel vaults could simply be placed around a sealed water supply and easily cause hat supply to boil and turn into steam.
That steam heat could be easily be transferred through a sealed heat exchanger to a second water supply that could go thru the typical superheaters used in coal fired plants and finally turn the turbines.
Ie no worry about meltdowns as the fuel is stabilized in a vault.
The piping could be double strength and be replaced at intervals by robots so men are not endangered.
Ie no steam leaks.
No need to buy new fuel as the existing waste fuel for the last 30 years should suffice.
Your thoughts and input is appreciated.
thank you for your time
chuck weber
ANSWER: Hi Chuck,
Thank you for taking time to submit your answer at allexperts.com! Please see below for response to your questions.
1. Is not the temp that is permenantly put out by spent fuel still around 400 degrees?
3. Why is it necessary to create new reactors that require new rods, When the spent fuel vaults could simply be placed around a sealed water supply and easily cause hat supply to boil and turn into steam.
Good question! However, when you place water around the rods, it will cause the assemblies to go critical causing a fission reaction. Just like in the core of an operating reactor. This critical chain reaction would heat up the fuel and fail the cladding.
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QUESTION: I am not saying put water around the rods. I am saying put the storage vault that is totally stable next to a tank. the rods are still inside the vault.. the vault is the heat source
the rods never come into contact with the water as they are still inside the vault. the water is inside a sealed system. That system is heated to boiling point by the heat transfer through the air caused by placing the vault next to the water tank
Answer OK. The tank would not reach boiling temperature. Only the cladding, right next to the fuel inside the dry cask, can reach temperatures up to 400C. The temperature on the outside of the storage vault or dry cask is essentially ambient temperature (70 F).
