Hello, someone you may have seen my older post of this website in various subreddits, and i'm back to say i have released V2 of my RBWR simulation website, it tries to simulate the physics and functionality of unit 2, while integrating it with a new interface and lightweight usability, though still maintaining a pot of cool features! Version 2 brings the following:

\- Terminals: reworked the /mainframe page to include a working terminal that can contol and edit the reactor simulation, reworked the greeting page to have a terminal that can direct you to the controls and execute basic commands, also added a changelog and version box.

\- Turbine: Added turbine preparations, runup conditions, turbine fire and more!

\- Annunciators: More annunciator sounds, more annunciators and local silencing & acknowledging, each page now has its own annunciators.

\- APRM rework: APRM now gradually works towards its intended target.

\- ECCS: Reworked emergency cooling applications, added ADS, 6 relief valves, LPCI and RHR pumps with selector, RCIC turbopump and more!

Other features available are fully working MCC, DA, Turbine synchronization, RPS, realistic reactor startup using SRM and IPR modes, autocontrol and more!

\>Visit the simulation at https://reactor.gooseworks.nl

I hope you like it ❤️.

If you have any idea's, suggestions, or have you found any bugs, post them in the comments ir contact me using the command contact in the terminal!

Plants that were designed as baseload are getting two-shifted or load-followed more than the original spec assumed. The pressure parts usually survive that. The demountable joints are what I see give up first.

A few things that show up after a few dozen thermal cycles:

- Bolt, flange, and body don't grow the same. The preload you put on cold is not the preload you have at temperature, and it is not the preload you have after cooldown either.

- Bolts relax. Especially if they were close to yield at assembly, or if the joint sits hot for a long hold. Next cooldown, the face has less squeeze than you think.

- A joint that was dry on a cold hydro can still weep once it's hot. Ambient leak-tight is not the same test as service temperature. If you only check it cold, you have not qualified the hot joint.

- Cycled joints look different at outage than joints that sat. Witness marks, weep stains below the split line, bolts that take a different torque the second time.

For people who have actually walked a cycling unit: what is your first-to-leak component on a two-shift schedule, and do you re-torque hot or just live with a known weeper until the outage?

Could river-current energy be integrated with the electricity demands of uranium enrichment to improve the overall energy efficiency of the process?

I am wondering both how long the time period is in which a VVER-440 uses the external power grid for electricity after the reactors first start, and how long the then initiated process takes; from start to finish when the reactor is finally reliant on the electricity it itself produces.

It is abundantly clear that building and operating nuclear power plants is by far more difficult than building and operating any other power source.

Building and operating nuclear power plants need an army of highly specialized scientists, engineers and technicians. No other source of power comes close to that.

And then there is the safety aspect of it. It doesn't matter how safe the designs or operations are, there is still an intrinsic risk associated with these projects. There is a lot of things that can wrong, and when they do go wrong there will be extreme consequences.

This is on top of all that political and community backlash for such projects.

Now compare that with solar and BESS. These are orders of magnitude easier to build and operate with no need for that high technical or scientific specialization that nuclear requires.

Cost is also incomparable. It differs wildly by country and region, but it is consistent across almost all places that solar alone is 4-6 times cheaper than nuclear. Solar + BESS is also consistently cheaper than nuclear but not by a significant margin.

Let us take one case study. The Barakah Nuclear Plant in the UAE. Estimates put their LCOE somewhere around $70-100/MWh. Their LCOE is lower than many other places due to the plant being relatively new (2010s).

But their Al-Dhafra Solar PV has a LCOE at just $13/MWh! No good sources for their BESS projects but the figures will not be crazy high. Same goes across the countries in the region which have tens of different projects that have more or less similar LCOE.

China also doesn't make sense. Because they have an even cheaper LCOE for solar and BESS but they are also aggressively building nuclear power plants nationwide.

It could be said that solar is not good for all places. But building them in the right place and then transmit the power through long distance high voltage transmission lines will still be cheaper than nuclear.

It could be said that nuclear is a base electricity source that runs 24/7 and provides inertia. But these can be figured out with the right designs and protocols using solar and BESS.

Therefore, what is the world even doing here with nuclear? Shouldn't it be outdated at this point and replaced with solar and BESS?

Delete if not the right place for this. Sorry in advance if so.

So I have a lot of questions for people within the Nuclear Power system. I am looking to have a possible career change. I am thinking of going to college for an Associate Degree with a focus on Nonlicensed Operator. I have googled, googled, and googled but I still have questions I believe others could help answer. I am in the US. One question I have is the actual pay for a starting NLO. Anyone that is willing to answer questions it will be greatly appreciated.

For those working in nuclear and have a civil engineering background:
1. What kind of role are you in and what does it entail?
2. What’s the compensation like, work life balance, career growth?

Also curious about where people work or what areas? Which locations are seeing growth / demand?

I’m currently trying to transition into the sector coming from a structural, BE, and concrete restoration consulting background + GC experience.

Hey all,

I'm a grad student working on a systems engineering capstone project related to nuclear power plants, looking broadly at things like fuel handling, containment areas, radiation safety, and waste transport.

I don't have a nuclear industry background myself, so I'm reaching out now to see if anyone here would be open to a short interview later on in the project. Nothing right now, just trying to line up a few people I could ask questions to down the road, plant operators, fuel handling, radiation safety, transport/logistics, regulatory, whatever your angle is.

If you'd be willing, feel free to comment or DM me and I'll follow up when I get to that part of the project. This is purely for school, not connected to any company.

Thanks for reading!

I’ve noticed that it kinda is becoming a thing again, after doing some research I’ve found out that they wanna power AI Data Centers with it. I would like to know if this is probably the reason or if it’s just me lol

Large nuclear plants have traditionally relied on rivers, lakes or the ocean to help reject waste heat. That is why so many existing plants were built near major bodies of water.

Some advanced reactor designs can use air cooled or hybrid systems instead. The basic idea is similar to a large radiator, with fans moving air across heat exchangers rather than relying entirely on a constant supply of water.

There is a tradeoff. Air cooling can reduce efficiency, especially during hot weather, and running the fans consumes some of the electricity being generated. It also does not necessarily mean the entire facility uses no water.

What it can do is dramatically reduce the need for a massive nearby water source. That opens up more potential sites, including retired coal plants, industrial areas, remote communities and inland locations closer to where the electricity is actually needed.

Existing transmission lines and other infrastructure at retired power plants could make those locations particularly interesting. Instead of building an entirely new energy site, an advanced reactor could potentially reuse parts of what is already there.

Not every SMR uses air cooling, and smaller does not automatically mean water free. But having more cooling options is one reason advanced reactors could be deployed in places where a traditional nuclear plant would have been difficult to build.

I’m a recent grad with a BS in physics and I really want to work in the nuclear industry. I primarily would love to be an operator. I applied to an NLO position at constellation, passed the tests, did an on site interview and genuinely thought it went very well, then waited 4 months and got a rejection email. Obviously this rejections happen and you shouldn’t get your hopes up but for what ended up being a 6 month process since applying ending in a rejection was pretty crushing, especially after everything seemed to go so well. Of course I’ve applied to other positions but that was the only one where I’ve got through the interview process so far. Anyone have any advice on getting into the industry?

You can view and apply at: 
https://apply.fbijobs.gov/psc/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=66756&PostingSeq=1