For the second time this week, TVA’s newest nuclear reactors tripped Thursday because of an equipment problem on the non-nuclear side of the plant.
TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said today that the Unit 2 reactor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant shut down shortly after midnight on Thursday due to a problem in the plant condenser, which converts the steam used to drive the turbine back into water for recirculation in the plant.
Both units of Watts Bar are now shut down while TVA refuels Unit 1 and looks to assess and correct the equipment problem that caused the shut down on Unit 2.
Watts Bar operators shut down Unit 2 on Monday morning due to problems in the pumps on the turbine system. condenser problem. But only 30 minutes after TVA had corrected those problems and brought Unit 2 power back up and online, the reactor unexpectedly tripped again.
“As operators were slowly returning the unit to service late Wednesday, the turbine automatically shut down around 12:15 a.m. Thursday,” Hopson said. “The reactor was then safely taken offline and there were no public or nuclear safety concerns at the time.”