Demystifying Nuclear Power——Exploring Sea Salt, the Birthplace of Nuclear Power in Mainland China
Source: Zhejiang Daily. Date: 2014-06-03.
Starting from Hangzhou, driving northwest along the Hangpu Expressway, you can see high-voltage iron towers along the way, carrying fine wires stretching far into the distance, and reaching the Qinshan Mountains.
Next month, the Fangjiashan project, the first phase of the Qinshan nuclear power plant expansion project in Haiyan County, will enter the "loading" phase. This means that two new 1 million kilowatt new nuclear reactors will be launched soon. By then, the entire Qinshan nuclear power base will have 9 nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of more than 6.3 million kilowatts.
The next day, the reporter came to Haiyan, known as "the birthplace of nuclear power in mainland China," to explore the mystery of nuclear power.
The power of plutonium fission: 1 ton of uranium -235 = 5 billion degrees of power generation
"The use of nuclear energy in China and the world is inevitable," said Zheng Wenbo, director of the Zhejiang Nuclear Society and an expert on nuclear reactors. According to him, the nuclear power plants in the world currently generate energy through nuclear fission to generate electricity. The atomic uranium-235, which can be used as nuclear fuel, splits into two lighter nuclei under neutron bombardment, and simultaneously releases 2 to 3 new free neutrons; the new neutrons then bombard the atomic nucleus and cause the second generation of fission From generation to generation. Nuclear energy comes from this chain-type nuclear fission reaction.
Plutonium scientific experiments show that the energy generated after 1 ton of uranium-235 fission can generate 5 billion kWh, which is equivalent to burning 3.3 million tons of standard coal. By the end of 2013, the Qinshan Nuclear Power Base had accumulated a total of 297.3 billion kilowatt-hours of safe power, which is equivalent to saving 95.07 million tons of standard coal (equivalent to 1.6 million trains of skinned coal) and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 292 million tons.
However, the fissured atomic nucleus can not only explode huge energy, but also produce a large amount of radioactive material. How much radiation does the construction of a nuclear power plant have on the surrounding environment? Some experts have made this analogy: If you live next to a nuclear power plant for a year, you will receive less radiation than if you traveled from New York to Los Angeles by Boeing plane once.
During the interview, the reporter visited the nuclear fuel warehouse of Unit 1 of Qinshan Phase II, which was separated from the wall of the nuclear reactor. There was a large amount of "spent fuel" burnt in the reactor and extremely radioactive. Before entering the nuclear fuel warehouse, special suits, shoes, socks, hats, and gloves need to be replaced, and a dosimeter capable of displaying the radiation dose is worn. After exiting, they need to pass through a “gate-type whole body pollution monitor” to detect the radiation. Happening. During the half-hour visit, the reporter's radiation dose showed zero.
The power of control: "Golden Man" + defense in depth system
链 The chain reaction produced by nuclear fission, because it can be controlled, can really be used in electricity production, bringing warmth and light to millions of households. The workers who control this response are often called "golden men."
何 Why does the "golden man" get its name? Qinshan nuclear power simulator training instructor Li Yanglong told reporters that at the beginning of nuclear power development, operators were generally sent to overseas for training. The cost of one hour of training was thousands of RMB, and the total training time was thousands of hours. Does not include their living expenses abroad and daily wages. "Cultivating a nuclear reactor operator is the same as training a fighter pilot. It costs more than gold."
In addition to the high training costs, the extremely rigorous training exams are the true fire of the "golden man". As a "golden man" teacher, Li Yanglong himself is a "golden man" who has emerged from numerous examinations.
From the authorization of the first seven positions, to the subsequent two selections, to the training of the simulator and the post in the main control room, until the operator qualification examination sponsored by the National Energy Administration, he has passed more than a dozen major examinations. There are countless quizzes in the middle. In addition, most exams cannot be retaken, and once they fail, they are eliminated and lose their qualifications as operators.
"The nuclear reactor operator does not allow failure. He must have extremely skilled professional skills and first-class psychological qualities, and there must be no flaws in any aspect." Li Yanglong said that at Qinshan Nuclear Power, there are about 70 to 80 students participating in the selection every year. People, but only 5 to 6 people can eventually become "golden people".
At the same time, Qinshan Nuclear Power has also adopted extremely stringent defense-in-depth defense measures, mainly including "4 barriers" designed to prevent the escape of radioactive materials, and "5 lines of defense" deployed for various types of nuclear power accidents that may occur. . "Our nuclear reactor can withstand the direct impact of a jet fighter and stand still." Bin Bin, deputy secretary of the party committee of Qinshan Nuclear Power Base, took the reactor containment in the "4 barriers" as an example, and made such an analogy.
The driving force of plutonium: nuclear power + sea salt = integrated development
Since 2013, the Haiyan County Government and the Qinshan Nuclear Power Base have jointly launched a "Three-year Action Plan for the Popularization and Education of Nuclear Power Science and Technology." Last year, Haiyan launched a total of 33 nuclear power science popularization activities, about 73,000 people received nuclear power science popularization education, of which more than 4,000 people went to the nuclear power plant to visit and learn.
"We in Haiyan are atmospheric." Xiao Jianming, deputy secretary of the party group of Haiyan County Nuclear Emergency Management Office, repeatedly mentioned this sentence in an interview. In simple words, the dedication and efforts of Haiyan for the development of nuclear power are condensed. One example is the continuous promotion of nuclear power science popularization to eliminate people's misunderstanding of nuclear power.
Whether it is a company in the county that is related to nuclear power construction and operation, or a wide Qinshan Avenue built to communicate nuclear power plants with the main urban area, or a whole living area for nuclear power workers, Haiyan is everywhere All have been imprinted with nuclear power.
At the same time, Haiyan, a small coastal city, has embarked on the road of rapid economic development driven by huge nuclear energy in recent years. From 2004 to 2012, tax revenue from nuclear power generated a total of 1.54 billion yuan in local fiscal revenue, a cumulative surcharge of 550 million yuan in education surcharges, 586 million yuan in urban construction taxes, 664 million yuan in personal income tax, and 510 million yuan in social security contributions. In 2013, tax revenue from nuclear power generated local fiscal revenue of 671 million yuan. The income from nuclear power continues to promote the development of local education, infrastructure construction and social welfare.