March 7th, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Re: New interactive animations show the inner workings of U.S. nuclear power reactors.

To help people understand nuclear power, the author has created a web site with animated drawings of the two types of nuclear reactors in use in the United States: Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs).  There is an animated overview for each type and, for the PWR, there is also a view showing a typical steam generator arrangement.  For the BWR, there is a reactor core flow diagram.

All four animations are based on common, well-known industrial illustrations of Westinghouse and General Electric reactors.  The program may be freely copied if left unchanged.

Here is the URL for these new animations:

Depending on your browser and/or email settings, you might want to try the "html" file instead:

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This author would also like to gratefully acknowledge Synthesis/Regeneration: A Magazine of Green Social Thought, which included my essay about the dangers of tsunamis and nuclear power plants in their March issue (page 4).  Other places the Tsunami article can be found include:

These sites have also either posted the article, or at least a link to one of the other postings, and usually a description as well:

You'll also find the essay mentioned at the dukeemployees.com web site:

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To see what can go wrong at these reactors, please view my previous animation, called ONE BAD DAY AT SAN ONOFRE, about an internal memo sent by the plant's management to all employees in December, 2004 regarding this author.  ONE BAD DAY includes a graphic depiction of various natural (and unnatural) disasters which might befall the facility (move your mouse over the icon ONE BAD DAY, on the left, to view the animated destruction of the facility):

or try:

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Here are some additional URLs for essays and animations about nuclear power by this author:

Animated history of U.S. nuclear activities, including over 1500 data points (ongoing project):

21 subcritical tests

1033 bomb blasts on, above, or under continental U.S. soil

113 additional U.S. bomb blasts

10 U.S. Carriers

190 U.S. Nuclear Submarines

28 U.S. Nuclear rockets

9 U.S. Nuclear Cruisers

1 U.S. "Civilian" nuclear ship

41 BWRs (8 closed)

83 PWRs (13 closed)

1 Yucca Mountain

A few dozen mines, also research facilities, processing plants, etc. etc..

or try:

List of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants with , with activists, output levels, CRAC-2 estimates, years of operation, owners, locations, etc:

Glossary of Nuclear Terminology (aka "the Demon Hot Atom"):

List of most of the ~500 books in my collection about nuclear energy, atomic theory, and nuclear weapons:

NASA's Nuclear Nuttiness (which is ongoing, with the expected 2006 launch of another "RTG)":

The Effects of Nuclear War -- don't let this happen to you (or in your name)!:

Shut San Onofre home page:

My own personal Flash-based home page:

Non-Flash: