this is Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick Pennsylvania
in Berwick Pennsylvania
in Berwick Pennsylvania there are two nuclear reactors here each
there are two nuclear reactors here each
there are two nuclear reactors here each with a cooling tower and together they
with a cooling tower and together they
with a cooling tower and together they generate power for about two million
generate power for about two million
generate power for about two million homes but right now one of the reactors
homes but right now one of the reactors
homes but right now one of the reactors is shut down
the unit one reactor is getting a new
the unit one reactor is getting a new more efficient turbine every time a
more efficient turbine every time a
more efficient turbine every time a turbine is shut down it puts stress on
turbine is shut down it puts stress on
turbine is shut down it puts stress on the grid the plant has to buy power for
the grid the plant has to buy power for
the grid the plant has to buy power for its customers from another source
now if everything goes according to plan
now if everything goes according to plan the outage will cost about 10 million
the outage will cost about 10 million
the outage will cost about 10 million dollars but if anything goes wrong we
dollars but if anything goes wrong we
dollars but if anything goes wrong we could be talking serious money nuclear
could be talking serious money nuclear
could be talking serious money nuclear power plants like this one use the
power plants like this one use the
power plants like this one use the process of nuclear fission to make heat
process of nuclear fission to make heat
process of nuclear fission to make heat the heat converts water into steam and
the heat converts water into steam and
the heat converts water into steam and the steam expands into a chain of
the steam expands into a chain of
the steam expands into a chain of spinning turbines that turn a generator
spinning turbines that turn a generator
spinning turbines that turn a generator and that makes electricity we’re here to
and that makes electricity we’re here to
and that makes electricity we’re here to fix the high-pressure turbine getting
fix the high-pressure turbine getting
fix the high-pressure turbine getting the old turbine apart is complicated the
the old turbine apart is complicated the
the old turbine apart is complicated the outer casing alone tips the scales at
outer casing alone tips the scales at
outer casing alone tips the scales at 110 tons
110 tons
110 tons next the 42-ton inner casing comes apart
next the 42-ton inner casing comes apart
next the 42-ton inner casing comes apart finally we can get at the old 80 ton
finally we can get at the old 80 ton
finally we can get at the old 80 ton rotor then the new one goes in every
rotor then the new one goes in every
rotor then the new one goes in every lift has to be done with surgical
lift has to be done with surgical
lift has to be done with surgical precision
precision
precision the inner and outer casing finish the
the inner and outer casing finish the
the inner and outer casing finish the job there’s nothing lightweight about
job there’s nothing lightweight about
job there’s nothing lightweight about taking apart a nuclear power plant
taking apart a nuclear power plant
taking apart a nuclear power plant turbine this top piece alone weighs 110
turbine this top piece alone weighs 110
turbine this top piece alone weighs 110 tons about as much as 50 pickup trucks
tons about as much as 50 pickup trucks
tons about as much as 50 pickup trucks stacked on top of each other and it has
stacked on top of each other and it has
stacked on top of each other and it has to come up perfectly level
to come up perfectly level
to come up perfectly level we’ve got our four big cables coming
we’ve got our four big cables coming
we’ve got our four big cables coming down off the hook they’re going to the
down off the hook they’re going to the
down off the hook they’re going to the four corners and the lid wrapping around
four corners and the lid wrapping around
four corners and the lid wrapping around the horn this is actually the seam right
the horn this is actually the seam right
the horn this is actually the seam right there this is the top case this is the
there this is the top case this is the
there this is the top case this is the bottom casing when we start to apply
bottom casing when we start to apply
bottom casing when we start to apply force to this lift we’re going to peel
force to this lift we’re going to peel
force to this lift we’re going to peel it apart right there and that’s where
it apart right there and that’s where
it apart right there and that’s where the potential contamination is going to
the potential contamination is going to
the potential contamination is going to be coming from right out inside that
be coming from right out inside that
be coming from right out inside that crack getting really close to seeing
crack getting really close to seeing
crack getting really close to seeing this thing flying out if it comes up
this thing flying out if it comes up
this thing flying out if it comes up crooked it could scrape metal off the
crooked it could scrape metal off the
crooked it could scrape metal off the blade carriers what they call galling I
blade carriers what they call galling I
blade carriers what they call galling I can actually see turbine blades inside
can actually see turbine blades inside
can actually see turbine blades inside there if little bits of Steel get left
there if little bits of Steel get left
there if little bits of Steel get left behind they may find their way into the
behind they may find their way into the
behind they may find their way into the new turbine it’s a relief when the outer
new turbine it’s a relief when the outer
new turbine it’s a relief when the outer casing is clear
casing is clear
casing is clear there goes we’re off but we’re not out
there goes we’re off but we’re not out
there goes we’re off but we’re not out of the woods yet this casing has spent
of the woods yet this casing has spent
of the woods yet this casing has spent the last two years in constant contact
the last two years in constant contact
the last two years in constant contact with steam coming directly off the
with steam coming directly off the
with steam coming directly off the radioactive core radioactive material
radioactive core radioactive material
radioactive core radioactive material could be falling on the floor right now
could be falling on the floor right now
could be falling on the floor right now as it moves across any area of the
as it moves across any area of the
as it moves across any area of the ground that it covers becomes
ground that it covers becomes
ground that it covers becomes potentially contaminated area so as it
potentially contaminated area so as it
potentially contaminated area so as it comes towards us we’re all going to have
comes towards us we’re all going to have
comes towards us we’re all going to have to push away
contamination is generally easy to clean
contamination is generally easy to clean up as long as it stays on the outside of
up as long as it stays on the outside of
up as long as it stays on the outside of your body as soon as the cover passes
your body as soon as the cover passes
your body as soon as the cover passes overhead now get out all these swabs and
overhead now get out all these swabs and
overhead now get out all these swabs and they swab up the deck underneath it
they swab up the deck underneath it
they swab up the deck underneath it three days into the fix we’ve just got
three days into the fix we’ve just got
three days into the fix we’ve just got the top off and that was the easy part
the top off and that was the easy part
the top off and that was the easy part next comes the 42-ton inner casing then
next comes the 42-ton inner casing then
next comes the 42-ton inner casing then the old rotor will be replaced with a
the old rotor will be replaced with a
the old rotor will be replaced with a new more efficient one they’re almost
new more efficient one they’re almost
new more efficient one they’re almost ready to take out the old rotor this is
ready to take out the old rotor this is
ready to take out the old rotor this is going to be tricky because one end of
going to be tricky because one end of
going to be tricky because one end of the rotor is a lot heavier than the
the rotor is a lot heavier than the
the rotor is a lot heavier than the other end if the bearing starts coming
other end if the bearing starts coming
other end if the bearing starts coming out we’ll stop take a dead blow
out we’ll stop take a dead blow
out we’ll stop take a dead blow knock-down Jeff lays it out for the team
knock-down Jeff lays it out for the team
knock-down Jeff lays it out for the team how the lift will go down just keep an
how the lift will go down just keep an
how the lift will go down just keep an eye on it alright guys be safe we got a
eye on it alright guys be safe we got a
eye on it alright guys be safe we got a plan time to rock and roll they’re also
plan time to rock and roll they’re also
plan time to rock and roll they’re also a really tight fit so we’re gonna have
a really tight fit so we’re gonna have
a really tight fit so we’re gonna have to lift really slowly in the first
to lift really slowly in the first
to lift really slowly in the first couple feet to get it picked out of
couple feet to get it picked out of
couple feet to get it picked out of there
finally it’s level that’s close enough
finally it’s level that’s close enough to pick it out
to pick it out
to pick it out and they wrap it up to trap in any
and they wrap it up to trap in any
and they wrap it up to trap in any contamination
contamination
contamination there we go
this rotor supplied over a million homes
this rotor supplied over a million homes with electricity for five years the new
with electricity for five years the new
with electricity for five years the new rotor taking its place along with some
rotor taking its place along with some
rotor taking its place along with some other upgrades will get more power from
other upgrades will get more power from
other upgrades will get more power from the same amount of nuclear fuel we go to
the same amount of nuclear fuel we go to
the same amount of nuclear fuel we go to ships that pass in the night that’s the
ships that pass in the night that’s the
ships that pass in the night that’s the old rotor just coming in is the brand
old rotor just coming in is the brand
old rotor just coming in is the brand new rotor that’s waiting to go in right
new rotor that’s waiting to go in right
new rotor that’s waiting to go in right behind it this is the heart of the beast
behind it this is the heart of the beast
behind it this is the heart of the beast as precise as a Swiss watch only this
as precise as a Swiss watch only this
as precise as a Swiss watch only this thing is German this is the big moment
thing is German this is the big moment
thing is German this is the big moment I’m going to pick the rotor up drop it
I’m going to pick the rotor up drop it
I’m going to pick the rotor up drop it into the place where it will be working
into the place where it will be working
into the place where it will be working for the next few years we like to say
for the next few years we like to say
for the next few years we like to say lower the rotor we hate to use or drive
lower the rotor we hate to use or drive
lower the rotor we hate to use or drive I never use the word drop crosses man
I never use the word drop crosses man
I never use the word drop crosses man yeah it’s worth five million dollars not
yeah it’s worth five million dollars not
yeah it’s worth five million dollars not including the cost of having to shut
including the cost of having to shut
including the cost of having to shut down the plant
there’s a lot hanging on getting this
there’s a lot hanging on getting this piece in without a scratch
it’s a beautiful piece of steel now this
it’s a beautiful piece of steel now this was pretty significant engineering feat
was pretty significant engineering feat
was pretty significant engineering feat I mean they’re trying to locate this
I mean they’re trying to locate this
I mean they’re trying to locate this thing within three dimensions it’s easy
thing within three dimensions it’s easy
thing within three dimensions it’s easy to get it off kilter and scar the sides
to get it off kilter and scar the sides
to get it off kilter and scar the sides and if they scar it it’s got to come out
and if they scar it it’s got to come out
and if they scar it it’s got to come out there’s no option for failure here yeah
there’s no option for failure here yeah
there’s no option for failure here yeah it’s a high tension moment because this
it’s a high tension moment because this
it’s a high tension moment because this is if something drastic is wrong
is if something drastic is wrong
is if something drastic is wrong thousand times it’s going to show itself
thousand times it’s going to show itself
thousand times it’s going to show itself so they’ll go to the hardware store for
so they’ll go to the hardware store for
so they’ll go to the hardware store for another one of these
nice the turbine rotor is finally in
nice the turbine rotor is finally in position it’s almost time to put on the
position it’s almost time to put on the
position it’s almost time to put on the last two pieces they discovered that the
last two pieces they discovered that the
last two pieces they discovered that the new inner casing was just a little too
new inner casing was just a little too
new inner casing was just a little too big to fit inside the outer casing so it
big to fit inside the outer casing so it
big to fit inside the outer casing so it has to be pared down by just a bit
it’s soon ready to go on to the road Oh
it’s soon ready to go on to the road Oh a lot of weight to muscle around it’s
a lot of weight to muscle around it’s
a lot of weight to muscle around it’s got the slide in right next to the
got the slide in right next to the
got the slide in right next to the blades without touching them or scarring
blades without touching them or scarring
blades without touching them or scarring them I got to get a picture of this
these guide pins set up and will keep
these guide pins set up and will keep the orientation of these rotor blades
the orientation of these rotor blades
the orientation of these rotor blades and the stationary blade carriers
and the stationary blade carriers
and the stationary blade carriers perfectly vertical so as we slide it
perfectly vertical so as we slide it
perfectly vertical so as we slide it down we don’t scar anything up that
down we don’t scar anything up that
down we don’t scar anything up that piece is in place no mishaps one more to
piece is in place no mishaps one more to
piece is in place no mishaps one more to go there’s our big case and this huge
go there’s our big case and this huge
go there’s our big case and this huge piece of steel is kind of like the back
piece of steel is kind of like the back
piece of steel is kind of like the back to the watch we already put in all the
to the watch we already put in all the
to the watch we already put in all the watch works now we just put the back on
watch works now we just put the back on
watch works now we just put the back on and then we’ll be able to start it up I
gotta say I’m impressed with what yes
gotta say I’m impressed with what yes ooh man hey really amazing I’m glad
ooh man hey really amazing I’m glad
ooh man hey really amazing I’m glad you’re out there making power for people
you’re out there making power for people
you’re out there making power for people that’s right got to be done that’s right
that’s right got to be done that’s right
that’s right got to be done that’s right somebody’s got to do it knows that I’m
somebody’s got to do it knows that I’m
somebody’s got to do it knows that I’m here to help
here to help
here to help mission accomplished right on time
mission accomplished right on time
mission accomplished right on time pretty soon there’ll be water vapor
pretty soon there’ll be water vapor
pretty soon there’ll be water vapor coming out of that other tower and
coming out of that other tower and
coming out of that other tower and they’ll be electricity rolling out over
they’ll be electricity rolling out over
they’ll be electricity rolling out over the lines that means I’m good to go
”
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