tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post7019894325053505151..comments2024-03-07T02:00:01.582-05:00Comments on NEI Nuclear Notes: From Germany to Maryland – with LoveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-33840710876917075722009-06-23T22:45:07.214-04:002009-06-23T22:45:07.214-04:00Nuclear plants are licensed based on the reactor t...Nuclear plants are licensed based on the reactor thermal power, not the electrical power, and they operate slightly below 100% core power.<br /><br />The amount of electrical power a steam plant can produce is a function of the heat sink temperature. As a result, they can produce more power in winter than in summer. The electrical power rating used to calculate the capacity factor is based on summer conditions. As far as I know, this is also the case for coal, natural gas, etc.<br /><br />As a result, a nuclear plant that operates at full power for an entire cycle will generally have a capacity factor slightly over 100%.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06989611896218534840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-11176448574150328142009-06-22T13:13:46.381-04:002009-06-22T13:13:46.381-04:00Capacity factor is a measurement of commercial per...Capacity factor is a measurement of commercial performance, not a comparison of reactor power to licensed reactor power level. In theory, a plant could operate at an annual 100.1% capacity factor will never allowing the reactor power to exceed 99.8% power.D Kosloffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-1992846363010985602009-06-19T20:34:37.173-04:002009-06-19T20:34:37.173-04:00Don't you like, get in some kind of trouble fo...Don't you like, get in some kind of trouble for running above full licensed capacity for an entire year? (in reference to the 101.37% 2008 capacity factor). Not that I'm calling it a close call or anything.Max Epsteinnoreply@blogger.com