CLIMATE: A scientist speaks

Kudos to Mr. Gerards on his My Turn column on the current religion of man-caused climate change. I am a few credits short of a Ph.D. in engineering science and have 12 years in aerospace designing and testing rockets, satellites, re-entry vehicles and recovery systems. I have 20 years in the design and construction of fossil fired and eight nuclear power plants scattered across the U.S. I mention this in case some might be impressed.

I will draw on the experience associated with the power industry, however. What do the solar and windmill turbine advocates have in mind for replacing the power loss due to no or reduced sunlight and or loss of wind? Will every power user be required to have its own standby power generator? Are they thinking the idle power plants can be switched on to replace the shortfall? This solution will require that the power plants must be kept at operating conditions or not be available for power generation for several days up to a week!

Super-heat steam lines in a fossil plant operate at a dull cherry red temperature and the pipe walls are quite thick to withstand the operating pressure at this temperature. Consequently, they must be brought up to temperature and cooled slowly to prevent unacceptable thermal stress across the pipe wall, which can cause catastrophic rupture. The boiler must also be brought up to operating temperature slowly.

Nuclear plants operate at much lower temperatures, but must still be brought on or off line slowly. The “standby” option is not economically feasible and the startup from a shutdown status is not a solution.

Both power plants normally use offsite power to operate the pumps and other equipment required for a safe cool down. Nuclear plants have emergency power generators to accomplish proper cool down upon loss of offsite power.

The advocates for man-caused climate change and solar and wind for our power requirements are sending us down the road to disaster, all in the support of a hoax and the enrichment of a few select pockets! Obama’s EPA has already caused too many fossil fuel using facilities to close due to overly restrictive arbitrary emission limits. Remember, Obama said that he would bankrupt them?

GEDDIE FREDY

Coeur d’Alene