Invention: Diamond-cooled nuclear reactor
Warning: include(/www/htdocs/domains/planetaryruin.com/inc/ads.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/indemand/public_html/domains/planetaryruin.com/wp-content/themes/default/single.php on line 22
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening '/www/htdocs/domains/planetaryruin.com/inc/ads.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php') in /home/indemand/public_html/domains/planetaryruin.com/wp-content/themes/default/single.php on line 22
Nuclear plants can fail when the heat from the reactor is not removed quickly enough from the core. This can happen in pressurised water nuclear reactors if the water in the cooling system boils, because steam is a much poorer conductor of heat than liquid water.
These reactors have a primary water cooling system that directly takes heat away from the reactor. It is sealed under huge pressure to prevent it boiling and conducts heat to a secondary water cooling system that is not sealed.