NukeWorker Forum
Reference, Questions and Help => Nuke Q&A => Topic started by: NucEng for Hire on May 14, 2006, 12:29
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I am seeking opinions on the differences (where they may exist) in quality of work environment for the various reactor and containment technologies, preferably from the standpoint of duties as an NLO.
GE BWR/2-4 MARK1
GE BWR/4-5 MARK2
GE BWR/6 MARK3
Combustion Engineering PWR
Babcock & Wilcox PWR
Westinghouse 2LP-4LP PWR Ambient
Westinghouse 3LP PWR Subatmospheric
Westinghouse 4LP PWR Ice Condenser
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The GE Mark 1 is the absolute worst. It's the most crowded, humid, and hot containment out there. There's no room to stand, no room to walk, and virtually no way to get aloft without climbing. I did my NLO time in a Mark 1 Containment. Even during outages they rarely get below 110 degrees F in most places.
Next worst is an Ice Condenser Lower Containment I guess, though it's larger than the largest Mark 1 Containment with smaller equipment. It's not as humid, there's more room and the temperatures aren't as bad as a Mark 1. The accumulator roms are close to the feeling of a Mark 1 but not quite as bad.
Mike
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Broadzilla is right on with the GE Mark 1 containment. 6 hours in containment doing lineups in preparation for a containment closeout is very hard work. The CE PWR containment is huge and we install vendor supplied skid mounted chillers units on our containment fan coolers for outage use only. We actually have been trying to raise temperature in the containment the last couple of nights due to being too cold. Needless to say, moving fuel in containment is pleasant.
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Westinghouse 3-loop also had temp CTMT A/C for outages. Very nice, and lots of room most places. B&W is probably the best in terms of space and open access.
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B&Ws were designed for work in containment while operating, hence the design. (it did have a water fountain in the containment in the original.)
CE plants are a little tight and the neutron leakage was a holy terror. (Yes i pegged a rem ball) The original design of SIT sampling was the pits.
Westinghouse are somewhere inbetween. The original designs had a "death zone" transfer tube area that looked like a ventilation duct in the over head. LD100 while fuel transfer was goin on.
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Thanks for the good comments - if there are more out there, keep 'em coming.
Anyone have any opinions on the BWR/6 MARK3?
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From what I hear from some BWR 6 guys the Mark 3 isn't much different than being in a medium to large sized PWR containment.
Mike