“I think the hydrogen is being GENERATED by the fuel rods, meaning they would have to inject nitrogen CONTINUOUSLY to displace the hydrogen.”
No, hydrogen in the reactor is not explosive unless there is oxygen present. The idea is to purge the reactor of oxygen thereby making it non explosive. You would just have to do it once. They wouldn’t have to use nitrogen, they could use CO2 instead.
But they won't because that might contribute to global warming.
I had the same idea using CO2.
“No, hydrogen in the reactor is not explosive unless there is oxygen present. The idea is to purge the reactor of oxygen thereby making it non explosive. You would just have to do it once. They wouldn’t have to use nitrogen, they could use CO2 instead.”
Actually, the hydrogen is, if I am not mistaken, present from the disassociation of a water molecule, which would result in a perfectly volatile and explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. You can’t get hydrogen without also getting the oxygen to make it go “boom”.
It would need to be a continuous process to evacuate the hydrogen and oxygen.
CO2 is not recommended as an inert. It can set up sparks, remember the double disaster of the Alva Cape?