Perry Nuclear Power Plant
Posted by: Adam Fuson @ 2007.03.04.2321

This quarter I am enrolled in a nuclear power systems and operations class. The course is a collaborative effort between OSU, Wilberforce and UC. Ohio State's Professor Brian Hajek is the primary instructor broadcast via video-conference to the other sites, but occasionally Professor John Christenson has supplied some lecture material, as well. As part of this class several field trips are required, and a weekend ago the collective class travelled to Cleveland for a tour of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant.

Six of us met at the Old Chemistry Building on UC's main campus and departed for Perry at 8:30 am. Stopping only for a few minutes to get lunch from Wendy's we arrived at the plant site at 1:20 pm and met for a briefing in an administration building before walking to the actual plant. Before entering the main facility we entered through another round of security and radiation detectors. Our experienced guide, who is planning to retire in the coming months showed us many of the plant systems. Most notable was the difference in cleanliness between coal plants and nuclear plants. We visited the turbine deck, the control room and the spent fuel pool, which was actually one of the most profound points of the tour. One can look down through 30+ feet of water to see all the fuel ever consumed by the Perry boiling water reactor, which has been in service for 2 decades. It went critical in 1987 and fuel will only begin to be stored in dry concrete casks in about 2010. Afterwards we walked outside in the cold Cleveland air to the cooling towers and their associated pump houses and to the service water pump houses. Obviously, all of these pumps several times larger than any man and impressive to see first-hand.

That evening we stayed in a local hotel and had dinner as a group at the Damon's next-door to the hotel. The following Saturday morning we enjoyed the buffet breakfast at the hotel and then returned to the plant site. All Saturday we explored the systems of the simulator. Core spray & injection systems used to cool the core and supply it with additional water, pumps, generators, ventilation and reactivity controls. All of them are available in the simulator just as they are in the actual control room. Finally, after we had explored for hours, the actual engineers performed a few demonstrations of possible scenarios and responses. Afterwards, we headed home nervous about the freezing rain predicted in Cincinnati.

Adam, I want my bass back. -the Capt

yes, but did the plant have a Mr. Fusion???

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