Water and energy for everyone · Volume two
N05 Cooling after shutdown
Look, connect the ideas and tell the story
- STOP · Reaction stopped
- Heat that remains
- Cooling
Words and symbols to help us tell the story. Sizes and distances are not to scale.
When the chain reaction stops, heat still needs to be taken away. This is why cooling continues. Some systems use pumps. Others use natural forces, such as gravity. Experts study different routes. They must check where the water flows and where the heat goes, even when the normal electricity supply is lost.
Does cooling end as soon as the reactor is switched off?
For the accompanying adult
We return to the central principle in R12. Active and passive systems operate within designed conditions and verified operating times. Reserves, independent supplies and mobile equipment are options to assess for the particular design; they are not universal guarantees. Earthquakes, floods and loss of services can affect several systems at once. Moving water is not enough: the heat needs a suitable destination.
Sources for further reading R12 F3 F4 · Final section of the book