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BUCHANAN, N.Y. – A buildup of combustible gases inside a transformer that routes electricity from Indian Point Unit 3 to the grid, essentially shut down the plant just after 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. The plant stopped sending power to the grid about 4:30 a.m.
During routine maintenance operators discovered a buildup of combustible gases inside the oil of the transformer; a buildup of this kind can indicate transformer degradation. The plant is running at about 13 percent power at this point, according to officials at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The company’s plan is to “tag out,” or remove from service, the affected auxiliary transformer and temporarily supply all plant busses, which are electrical distribution systems for plant safety systems, from another auxiliary transformer.
An NRC inspector assigned to Indian Point Unit 3 was at the plant overnight to monitor the down power, and Entergy’s approach to dealing with the auxiliary transformer issue. NRC officials said the inspector did not identify any immediate safety concerns. Neil Sheehan, spokesperson for the NRC said there is not a set date when IP3 will return to full operation.
During the powering down, operators dump steam generated by super-heated water directly into the plant’s condenser.
This is instead of the normal processes of Indian Point pressurized water reactor system, which during regular operation routes super-heated steam through a turbine, which generates electricity. During normal operation the steam is pumped over pipes containing cool Hudson River water, which turn the super-heated steam back into water to be heated again in the system, much like a car’s radiator.
Sheehan said it’s unclear if this down-power will count against the plant’s performance indicator for unplanned down-powers. Since 2007, not including Wednesday morning’s incident, Indian Point Unit 3 has had nine unplanned down powers or plant shut downs for various reasons since January 2007, according to officials at the NRC.
Comments (8)
The fact that nuclear power is dangerous as the mishaps of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukoshima have demonstrated but what major industrial plant is not? Part of living in the modern age requires large amounts of electrical energy. Presently renewable resources do not provide the necessary generation ability at a cost that the economy can absorb. The only alternative is to increase electricity generation by burning more fossil fuel. Even the founder of Greenpeace believes nuclear power is the most environmentally friendly cost effective electric producer available today. To state that we don't need the power and "the people "of Westchester have spoken shows not only ignorance but hubris. Just because housemusic3 and the "chicken littles" of the world are scared to come out of their house does not make the original statement correct. Have you ever heard of the term "silent majority"?
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I did not know you speak for all the people in Westchester housemusic3 or just all the left wing wackos?
I live in Westchester, On my street there are 25 homes. I know everyone that lives on the street and every single one of them wants this closed. none of us are "Left Wing Wackkos" but you already sound like a "right Wing" one
There are 1,000,000 residents of Westchester and the 25 houses on your street have how many people? I apologize you are not a left wing wacko, just a wacko.
"The TRUTH" has never been more wrong. How could you extrapolate that I"m a wacko for making the suggestion that Nuclear Power Plants are dangerous? regardless of how many people live in Westchester and how many people you think REALLY WANT this thing looming in their backyards, how can you possibly think that your view point is in the majority, Like, I"m the only person that has ever raised the question of a nuclear power plant being dangerous. Your inability to have a clear and concise thought process leaves a pretty lack-luster impression on anyone who may read your comment on this subject and reveals your self serving intentions as well as your stupidity.
Close this place. The commission was done. we don't need the power from them. There is enough to fill the gap if they closed tomorrow..and if we used even a quarter of the cash subsidies these guys received from the feds for alternate green energy, we would be much better off. This plant is a huge disaster waiting to happen. if something happened the whole area for at least 50 miles would be uninhabitable. these consequences are too great, Loom at Fukishima. A far newer, state of the art and supposedly "Fail safe" system failed catastrophically. The people of Westchester have spoken on this issue and they don't want this monster in their back yards any more