I was just thinking; since steam (read: water vapor) is a byproduct of nuclear fission, as in nuclear power plants, is it possible that this water could be used for domestic/agricultural/industrial purposes (on a large scale)? The idea is that since power plants need water to cool down the fuel rods, ocean or saline water could be desalinated and distilled while electric energy is produced by the power plant. The excess/waste steam from the cooling towers could be used as fresh, liquid water for the aforementioned purposes.
Would it be impractical or too expensive for power plants to use the steam they give off, as opposed to just releasing it into the atmosphere?
If it were done on a large scale to provide communities with fresh water, would you use it, knowing that it was once used to cool off nuclear fuel rods? FYI, this water would have no uranium in it (insert smiley face)!
Would it be impractical or too expensive for power plants to use the steam they give off, as opposed to just releasing it into the atmosphere?
If it were done on a large scale to provide communities with fresh water, would you use it, knowing that it was once used to cool off nuclear fuel rods? FYI, this water would have no uranium in it (insert smiley face)!
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Well, the purpose of water in a nuclear power plant is to be heated in the gas turbine and produce work due to expansion. Basically, the nuclear plants energy creates thermal energy which is transferred to the water and the hot water is put into a giant steam engine. The giant engine rotates a massive electrical generator. Once having passed through the engine, the water is returned to its initial reservoir. The cycle repeats.
Sending this water directly to local industry facilities would be excessive. We already have dams and water towers with extensive plumbing systems to do this for us. Also, pumping heated water is very difficult and dangerous, due to the additional pressures due to the heat causing cracks in piping etc.
The steam coming from the towers could be captured. But if you compare the amount of steam that is let off from the reactor to the amount of water use by a typical agriculturally complex, it is very insignificant.
Capturing this water would require use to cool the water down even further before it escapes in the atmosphere. We could achieve this by passing the gas through a series of chambers with multiple fin contacts with are an inert metal. The metal will draw heat from the mobilize water gas particles and will eventually cause them to precipitate on the metal surface. The series of fins can be angled so that water droplets can slide down into a pool for collection.
Overall, it is a tedious and most inefficient process. We would be much more efficient building a desalination plant.
Sending this water directly to local industry facilities would be excessive. We already have dams and water towers with extensive plumbing systems to do this for us. Also, pumping heated water is very difficult and dangerous, due to the additional pressures due to the heat causing cracks in piping etc.
The steam coming from the towers could be captured. But if you compare the amount of steam that is let off from the reactor to the amount of water use by a typical agriculturally complex, it is very insignificant.
Capturing this water would require use to cool the water down even further before it escapes in the atmosphere. We could achieve this by passing the gas through a series of chambers with multiple fin contacts with are an inert metal. The metal will draw heat from the mobilize water gas particles and will eventually cause them to precipitate on the metal surface. The series of fins can be angled so that water droplets can slide down into a pool for collection.
Overall, it is a tedious and most inefficient process. We would be much more efficient building a desalination plant.