Big Coal and Nuke Power Plant Owners

[PamW]

9. Wasn't Carter's idea

Actually, in US power plants, the reactor is surrounded by a containment building / dome and the pressure in the containment is slightly LESS than atmospheric. That way, if there are any leaks - the leak will be INWARDS.

This did cause the infamous problem when workers at Browns Ferry were sealing new penetrations in the containment, and checked for leaks with a candle flame. Because the leakage was inward, the flame was drawn inwards where it ignited insulation and caused the infamous fire.

Carter's "idea" was that vacuum was a solution for the overpressure of an accident. The problem is if the accident had pressures more than one atmosphere, you can't have a pressure of less than minus one atmosphere (gauge).

Carter didn't understand that.

Except for noble gases; nuclear power plants are essentially emission free. The noble gases you can't do anything about.

PamW