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Nuclear Power Station output adjustments
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Written on: 16 August 2009 [19:40]
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ecoadmin
Administrator
Topic creator
registered since: 20.07.2007
Posts: 585
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Hello all, Does anybody know how well a civil nuclear power plant can adjust its output levels? I've heard it is common practice to let them run atfixed output level for reliability reasons. Anyone knows? I am aware that nuclear power is not 'the solution', but just curious. Twike 890
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Written on: 17 January 2010 [18:21]
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OwningElectricCar
 
registered since: 16.01.2010
Posts: 31
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The answer is "not very". A nuclear power station produces power at a uniformly constant rate. This makes them suitable for base load electricity, but not particularly good for increasing and decreasing according to demand. Here in the UK, we have around 8,200 MW of nuclear power production. The power production can vary between 7,500 MW and 8,200 MW from month to month, but on a daily basis you'll see very little change from one hour to the next. Coal and gas are more flexible for adjusting output levels, and can be put on standby if necessary. Hydro electricity is the most flexible form of power production as this can be adjusted on the fly - quite literally at the turn of a tap. Many countries - the UK included - also has a pumped storage facility, pumping water to a reservoir at the top of a hill whilst there is surplus electricity available and then letting it flow down through a turbine system to a second reservoir at the bottom of a hill during peak electricity demand. Author of the book 'Owning an Electric Car' - http://www.OwningElectricCar.com
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Written on: 20 January 2010 [03:04]
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lwalth
registered since: 09.01.2010
Posts: 16
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They can change as much as you want them to, but do to the costs of operating them they are normally run full open. I have operated them and they respond just like any other plant, but due to the costs and that people that Own them want them to be first up, last down. They are normally run full open. Almost all Nuke plant are called "Base Load Plants", they are so big, and they have been included in the rate payers bills already. They are run full open, then the extra needed to cover the system load is done with Peakers. These are Gas plants that have a very fast start-up time, normally less than 15 minutes. Then there is Hydro, or pump storage, then there is Coal and wind and anything else you may have on your system. But they can move up or down like any Power plant. They can move at the designed rate of what ever that may be Like the ones I was on were able to move at 15 Megga-watt a minute. Lee A Walth
http://electricdemise.blogspot.com |
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