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Spotting Nuclear Reactors with Warm Air

USAMonday, December 23, 2024

Scientists are exploring a new way to keep an eye on nuclear reactors. They want to use special towers called eddy covariance towers to detect heat released by reactors. These towers are often used to study how ecosystems exchange heat and water vapor. The idea is to see if we can tell when a reactor is turned on or off by looking at the heat it puts out. They checked four big nuclear reactors in the U. S. , two that use pressurized water and two that use boiling water. Both types release heat, but they wanted to see if there's a difference in the heat signature between the two. They also looked at whether reactors that release heat into the air or ocean have different signatures. To do this, they used a special kind of model called logistic generalized additive models. They looked at things like wind direction, seasons, and types of plants near the reactors to see if they affect the heat signals. Later, they grouped weather conditions to see when it's easiest to spot changes in heat. The results showed that these towers can indeed pick up the heat signatures, especially the type of heat released as water vapor. They found that it's easiest to spot changes on dry, calm, and sunny days. This new method could help keep a better eye on nuclear reactors and make sure they're following the rules.

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