Florida's Electricity Picture Had Red Flags

it sucks

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adc of @ May 11, 2009 09:36:38 AM

Steam Plant Water Usage

Many steam plants use well water for process make-up water after it has been treated via a demineralizer. Well water is preferred over city water or river water because it is less costly to process it. City water (when available) must be purchased by the gallon, as it is at your home. River water can be contaminated with chemical pollutants or particulates (especially during Spring run-off periods) that make it difficult to "clean up" for the steam generation equipment. During drought periods, wells can run dry and plants are forced to drill new, deeper wells.

As for condenser cooling water systems, even closed systems need makeup water, especially if it's connected to a direct-contact cooling tower. The evaporation rates of the cooling water as air is drawn through can be very high. Only newer generating units with non-contact cooling (like a huge car radiator) don't need significant makeup water flows. So plants on rivers can have problems for cooling water systems, as well

Rick of CT @ Feb 28, 2008 15:31:53 PM

A couple comments

The Browns Ferry units were forced to reduce power due to high river water temperature, not lack of water. This was an environmental rule to prevent problems with the river ecosystem. The cooling water was close to returning to the river at 90 F, because the intake water was warm due to the heat wave at the time. Browns Ferry was never shut down to my knowledge, it just operated at reduced power for a little while. This problem would affect any steam cycle power plant.

You could use dry cooling to almost eliminate the water concern but that would hit the ratepayers in the pocketbook.

A lot of nuclear (and coal/nat gas) plants use seawater for the circulating water system.

of NV @ Feb 27, 2008 10:55:23 AM

ElectricPro

Many powerplants, Nuclear and conventional have used saltwater for cooling for decades. The saltwater is used to cool the condenser only. All the piping and equipment within the plant use only treated demineralized water in a closed loop. The saltwater cools the treated water via a heat exchanger.

carl marcin of NJ @ Feb 27, 2008 07:42:55 AM

ElectricPro

Nuclear plants generally require fresh water for cooling; saltwater's chemical composition would be hard on plant piping systems and pumps and desalinization would be too expensive

of TN @ Feb 26, 2008 21:58:21 PM