Why isn't there steam coming out of Three Mile Island?

Answer 1

Because there isn't supposed to be. It's bad when we see nuclear power plants release steam unless they are just venting the secondary system, blowing down vents, or testing valves or systems. Let's think this through. The really big "towers" at Three Mile Island (TMI) are the evaporative cooling towers for the plant. Water is cooled by evaporation in the towers and this cool water is (primarily) used to cool the main condensers below the steam turbines in the generating plant. If the weather conditions are right, water vapor can be seen rising from the "big towers" at the plant and it looks like steam. But it's really water vapor. Nothing more. It's normal. Note: There is a fine line between steam like that coming out of a tea kettle and water vapor like in a cloud. But it's pretty much the same thing - condensing water that can be seen. The difference may be that the steam is created through elevated temperatures while the cloud is just a "low temperature" product of weather related activity. A link is provided to a picture of the TMI complex, and water vapor can be seen rising from the cooling towers of the Number 1 unit. Number 2 is shut down and it's reactor core is a wreck. It's towers are not going to be showing any activity.