SOURCE: REUTERS · ASSOCIATED PRESS · AFP · DRUDGE REPORT NEWS:

Cooling Problem Shuts Ariz. Reactor

  Jan 18 2006 -- 12:54 PM US/Eastern

PHOENIX

A reactor at the nation's largest nuclear power plant was shut down because of a growing vibration in a coolant pipe.

Arizona Public Service Co. had been operating the reactor, one of three at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, at about one-third of capacity because of vibration, but operators decided to shut it down Tuesday after the vibration rose above acceptable levels.

The unit could be restarted within two days, said a spokesman for Arizona Public, Jim McDonald.

Potential fixes could include adding shock absorbers, installing weights or heating the line.  McDonald said the coolant line is used only the reactor is being shut down.  "It's used at low temperatures and low power when you're bringing the plant off-line," he said.

The utility said the installation of the unit's new 800-ton steam generators and low-pressure turbines could have contributed to the increased vibration.

Problems over the last two years at Palo Verde, about 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix, have caused more than a dozen shutdowns.

Arizona Public owns 29.5 percent of the plant and operates it for a consortium of utilities.  It supplies electricity to about 4 million customers in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.  All rights reserved.  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

©2005 BREITBART.COM, INC.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Advertise    |    Contact Us    |    Design by Marc Atlan


A NOTE FROM ARCHIVIST DAN MARTIN: 

The purpose of this archive is not to steal, but rather to preserve.  I always give full credit to the original source and have no profit motive or personal gain in presenting the above.  A link to the original post is included below.  The original content is unaltered and the original appearance differs [if at all] mostly in the welcome absence of pop-up windows and advertisements.  Many of the outside links in the original article have been preserved as have most images (space allowing).  Over the last few years the internet version of " Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" has become all too common.  This archive is intended to act only as a backup resource in the event the original disappears.  To jump to the original article,  Click here


Return to Dan's Archives Page

Return to Dan & Sheryl's Home Page