Nuclear Divers, A Definite Breed

Posted Jan 20th 2007 8:46AM by Willy Volk
Filed under: Health & Medicine, Stories, Experts, Other

nuclear diver, image courtesy Diving Heritage According to David Harner, "Not everyone would want to jump in a nuclear reactor. It's a definite breed." Harner should know whereof he understates, because Harner is a nuclear diver, one of those "definite breed" who dives inside the cooling reactors of nuclear power plants while wearing a specialized, 100-pound "cool suit." Claiming he enjoys diving in reactors because the vis is so good, I've got two words for him: Cayman Brac.

Interestingly, a nuke diver's logbook doesn't just track depth and bottom time. It also includes data concerning millirems, a measure of radiation exposure. Nuclear divers try to keep their exposure below 2000 millirems a year, although the government allows divers to be exposed to 5000 millirems a year. (For comparison, an x-ray delivers about 40 millirems, and people sitting too close to the television can receive up to 890 millirems of radiation to the eyes annually.)

Most nuclear power plants don't retain full-time divers. Rather, most work as subcontractors and travel as teams. If you want to learn more about nuclear diving, start with Kathryn Kranhold's profile of several nuclear divers, and after that, try these:

Underwater Construction Corporation is the largest nuclear diving company in the world. With over 200 employees (about 5 of which are women), they travel the world offering nuclear plants the services they need. Guess what? They've got job openings right now.
Both MescoDivers and The Ocean Corporation offer nuclear diver training programs.
Diving Heritage has an excellent history and overview of nuclear divers, including some tiny but illuminating images of nuclear divers at work (like the thumbnail in this post).
Valhalla, Texas is home to a missile silo that used to house a nuclear-tipped missile. While it may not be as, um, glamorous as diving in a real nuclear reactor, it's probably a lot safer and requires a lot less training.

[Thanks, CharlieK!]

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. I'm very interested in becoming a Nuclear diver, but i live in ireland. Does anybody know if a company like Underwater Construction Corporation, would employ someone from another country?

Posted at 11:32AM on Mar 31st 2009 by Scott

2. I was diving nuc plants back in the day (1986) At the time only six of us in the world where doing what we did, cleaning radio active waste from supression pools (torus).I hope the pay is better. Just another industry taking advantage of it's divers.......

Posted at 9:01PM on Nov 4th 2009 by Scott Larson

3. sssss

Posted at 8:58PM on Nov 4th 2009 by Scott Larson

4. Why experience the uncertainty and danger of diving in a nuclear reactor?

In many parts of the world, including the US, there is a simple mature technology available that can deliver huge amounts of clean energy without any of the headaches of nuclear power.

I refer to 'concentrating solar power' (CSP), the technique of concentrating sunlight using mirrors to create heat, and then using the heat to raise steam and drive turbines and generators, just like a conventional power station. It is possible to store solar heat in melted salts so that electricity generation may continue through the night or on cloudy days. This technology has been generating electricity successfully in California since 1985 and half a million Californians currently get their electricity from this source. CSP plants are now being planned or built in many parts of the world.

CSP works best in hot deserts and, of course, these are not always nearby! But it is feasible and economic to transmit solar electricity over very long distances using highly-efficient 'HVDC' transmission lines. With transmission losses at about 3% per 1000 km, solar electricity may be transmitted to anywhere in the US. A portion of the Mojave desert would be sufficient to meet the entire current US demand for electricity.

In the recent 'TRANS-CSP' report commissioned by the German government, it is estimated that CSP electricity, imported from North Africa and the Middle East, could become one of the cheapest sources of electricity in Europe, including the cost of transmission. A large-scale HVDC transmission grid has also been proposed by Airtricity as a means of optimising the use of wind power throughout Europe.

Further information about CSP may be found at www.trec-uk.org.uk and www.trecers.net. The many problems associated with nuclear power are summarised at www.mng.org.uk/green_house/no_nukes.htm .

Sincerely,

Robert

Posted at 5:17AM on Jan 22nd 2007 by Robert Palgrave

5. Robert,

While solar is a promising technology, think of the huge benefit of being a nuclear diver-- no need for a dive light ever again! ;)

Posted at 9:46AM on Jan 22nd 2007 by CharlieK

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