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If this is not what happens now, then what does happen now? If the
generator load disappears suddenly, and the reactor can't cool down
suddenly, and there aren't valves to divert the steam around the turbine,
then why doesn't the turbine speed up to a much higher rotational speed
that would seem likely to cause mechanical damage? Surely there is not a
mechanical brake that can dissipate 1000 MW. So what is the current
practice for shutdown when a sudden disconnect from the grid is required?
When the reactor is shutdown, the core will still continue to
generate decay heat. The heat is removed by bypassing the turbine
and dumping the steam directly to the condenser. The shutdown
cooling mode of the residual heat removal (RHR) system is used to
complete the cooldown process when pressure decreases to
approximately 50 psig.