A nuclear power plant about 95 miles to the northwest of Chicago lost power Monday morning and shut down in an "unusual event," according to WIFR. The Byron Generating Station operated by Exelon Nuclear had a power loss at 10:18 a.m., causing a unit to shut down and generators to provide power as Byron Station began to vent steam to reduce pressure.
* Steam venting at Byron Station is designed to reduce pressure in the event of a power loss and the steam contains low levels of the radioactive isotope tritium. Officials have stated the levels of tritium in the steam are safe.
* Officials with Byron Station were initially unsure what caused the power loss but were certain it was from an off-site source. It was later determined the failure occurred after a failed piece of equipment triggered a power outage.
* According to a fact brochure from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois has 11 active nuclear reactors operating at six sites. Most of these are in the central and northern part of the state.
* Nuclear power plants in Illinois generate approximately 50 percent of the state's electricity.
* The Byron Station is a Pressurized Water Reactor. In a PWR station, the nuclear reactor core will create heat and it is carried to a steam generator by pressurized water in a primary coolant loop. Once inside the generator, the heat from the primary coolant loop will vaporize water that is in a secondary loop. Steam is produced and is directed toward a turbine that turns and generates electricity. Unused steam from this process is exhausted to a condenser. In the condenser, the steam is turned to water which is pumped out, reheated then pumped back into the steam generator.
* In a PWR station, electricity is a necessity as the fuel assemblies in the reactor core are cooled by water which is circulated by electric pumps.
* The power loss at Byron Station was classified as the lowest level of emergency classification by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. According to the NRC website, the four classifications are Unusual Event, Alert, Site Area Emergency and General Emergency.
Tammy Lee Morris is a lifelong resident of southern Illinois where she enjoys a quiet life in a rural area. After working for a local newspaper while studying journalism at a local community college, she developed a keen interest in the news and events that happen in her region and state.
1 comment