Insights Blog
-- Browse All Articles --
Physics Articles
Physics Tutorials
Physics Guides
Physics FAQ
Math Articles
Math Tutorials
Math Guides
Math FAQ
Education Articles
Education Guides
Bio/Chem Articles
Technology Guides
Computer Science Tutorials
Forums
General Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Materials Engineering
Trending
Featured Threads
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
General Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Materials Engineering
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
The Nuclear Power Thread
Reply to thread
Message
[QUOTE="Astronuc, post: 2995324, member: 15685"] There are such systems as district heating plants, which can be nuclear. These provide heating to businesses or residential areas. In NY City, the local utility provides steam to some buildings. With such systems, there is always the concern of liability in the event a hot water/steam line ruptures and injures or kills people or damages property. Nuclear power plants have typically been built in areas removed from population concentrations, primarily because of the Emergency Protection Zone (EPZ), which can be a large area. It's easier to do that in rural areas, which also pay much lower property taxes. In addition, large power plants need a lot of cooling water - either sea, lake (reservoir), river, cooling tower, or in other words the heat is passed into water or air. Low power density nuclear plants could possible be viable if they can have a small EPZ, and provide electricity and district heating. Using a Rankine cycle, plants may develop up to ~36% thermal efficiency, but low temperature (and lower pressure) plants are less efficient. It would be ideal (if not practical) to provide heating from the hot water discharge of the power system. Otherwise, the heat is just dumped to the environment. There are a number of small reactors generating radioisotopes for medicine. And one commercial nuclear power plant in the US is being used to produce Co-60 for medical applications. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Post reply
Forums
Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
The Nuclear Power Thread
Back
Top