Nuclear reactors?

Question

When you look at a question of nuclear power plants there are generally two large hourglass shaped structures. What are those and what do they do?

http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/coldwar/images/tmi.jpg

Answer 1

Answer by Mr P is 100% correct. They are cooling towers. They are also used in oil or coal fired power stations also to cool the circulating water from the condensers.

Answer 2

Both fossil fuel powerplants and nuclear plants that use steam turbines heve them.

Once the water is heated to produce high pressure steam for the turbines, it is used, then still comes out over 100 degrees C. This needs to be cooled to water again to start the process again.

Large heat exchangers are used ( so as to keep the steam-water clean) - but this hot water (usually river water) has to be cooled before being dumped back in the river.

This is done in the cooling towers, by spraying it through the air. The shape is called a venturi - and these towers are open at the bottom - allowing air in and up - taking steam with them. The water at the bottom is cool enough to flow out into the river again.

I've been in both a coal fired powerstation and a nuclear plant, and inside these towers it is raining all the time!

They are very loud places!

Answer 3

Yes they are cooling towers, however, the steam you see issuing from them is not turbine exhaust steam as eluded to by poster 1.  Water from the turbines is PIPED through the tower but at no time does it come in contact with the atmosphere.  The steam you see is condensation boiling off the exterior of the piping.

Answer 4

they are called cooling towers, they allow the water vapor that powers turbines to cool to a lower temp before entering the atmosphere

nuclear reactors use reactive material to boil water that turns turbines to create electricity