Natural Convection Cooling for Offshore Nuclear Power Plants

A preliminary evaluation of the use of natural convection cooling to remove waste heat from offshore nuclear power plants is presented. This approach would minimize the environmental problems of thermal and mechanical shock and excessive temperatures associated with once-through cooling. The results indicate that approximately six times the length of condensate tubing used in a conventional condenser would be needed for natural convection cooling; a more complicated steam-handling system would also be required. The concept could only be justified if a power plant is needed at a particular site where the environmental cost of the conventional system exceeded the cost of natural convection cooling.