No, cooling towers are not obsolete. While alternative cooling methods exist, cooling towers remain the most cost-effective and energy-efficient way to reject large-scale heat for power plants and heavy industry. Valued at around $4.59 billion, the industry continues to grow to support both modern power generation and massive hyperscale data centers.
In large commercial facilities, water-cooled chillers are far superior to their air-cooled counterparts for air conditioning; although air-cooled chillers don't need a cooling tower, the energy efficiency advantage of water-cooled chillers compensates the extra cost.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
In hot climates, large office buildings, hospitals, and schools typically use cooling towers in their air conditioning systems.
Working in Chernobyl's favour, however, is that its stored fuel is older and therefore has already had time to emit much of its radioactive energy and cool down. The risk now is lower than the risk was in 2022, for example, when New Scientist reported on similar power outages at Chernobyl.
There are two nuclear plants in Texas and both use reservoirs for cooling. That gives you a sense of the cost involved in cooling feedwater at a power plant. In both cases, it was cheaper to build and maintain a dam and huge lake than a cooling tower that would work well in our climate.
Chernobyl Units 1–4 did not have cooling towers because they used a large, man-made cooling pond (approx. 25 sq km) connected to the Pripyat River to dissipate heat. This once-through cooling method was cheaper and sufficient for the initial reactors, while later planned units (5 and 6) required towers because the pond's thermal capacity was maxed out.
Illinois has the most nuclear power plants and reactors of any U.S. state, with 11 operating reactors spread across 6 commercial power sites. These facilities generate over half of the state's electricity and account for about one-eighth of the total nuclear power production in the United States.
Yes, animals in and around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone exhibit genetic mutations and rapid evolutionary adaptations, though not in the form of monstrous, sci-fi creatures. Today, scientists are studying these wild populations to understand how prolonged radiation exposure affects DNA.
The title "most radioactive" depends on whether you are looking for an open-air location, an accidental disaster site, or a naturally occurring anomaly.
The "Elephant's Foot" (the massive, highly radioactive lava-like corium mass at Chernobyl) cannot be removed because doing so would release a lethal, radioactive cloud of dust. Furthermore, the radiation it emits is so intense that it fries the circuits of electronic machinery.
Elon Musk is a strong proponent of traditional nuclear fission, calling it "extremely safe" and a crucial, environmentally friendly energy source for the transition to a sustainable grid, though he views terrestrial nuclear fusion reactors as redundant due to the Sun.
In colder climates, many designers and operators are concerned with operating cooling towers in subfreezing temperatures. By following some simple operating guidelines, cooling towers can and have been successfully operated in very cold climates (-15°C / 5°F) as shown in the photograph at right.
If you swam in a nuclear storage pool, your biggest immediate danger would be drowning. Surprisingly, because water is an excellent radiation shield, treading water on the surface is safe. However, diving to the bottom near the radioactive fuel rods could deliver a fatal dose of radiation.
Yes, but only in dry, arid climates (like Arizona or inland California). Because they work by evaporating water, swamp coolers can lower indoor temperatures by 10∘F10 raised to the composed with power F10∘F to 20∘F20 raised to the composed with power F20∘F on a 100-degree day, provided the humidity is low.
The air will carry the heat by evaporating water from the cooling tower into the atmosphere.
Large Industrial Towers (500+ tons): Typically $500,000 to $1,000,000 or more.
France derives about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, due to a long-standing policy based on energy security.
Bill Gates is the founder and primary backer of the nuclear innovation company TerraPower. In addition, his climate fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, has invested in Commonwealth Fusion Systems, an advanced nuclear fusion energy company.
Chernobyl’s RBMK reactors used ordinary water as coolant. In this design, the water flowed through vertical pressure tubes to absorb heat from the uranium fuel and generate steam to drive the turbines.
Air Force One cannot survive a direct nuclear blast, as the intense heat and shockwave would destroy it. However, the aircraft is specifically designed to survive the far-reaching effects of a nuclear explosion, including specialized shielding against the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) that disables standard electronics.
Dogs in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are undergoing rapid genetic changes and have developed into a genetically distinct population compared to dogs elsewhere in the world. However, scientists are still debating whether these specific adaptations are directly caused by radiation or simply the result of long-term isolation and inbreeding.
When possible, take a shower with lots of soap and water to help remove radioactive contamination. Do not scrub or scratch the skin. Wash your hair with shampoo or soap and water. Do not use conditioner in your hair because it will bind radioactive material to your hair, keeping it from rinsing out easily.
However, there are two large human-free zones that were made so intentionally—because of serious nuclear accidents. The areas around the sites of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters have been closed off and designated as nuclear exclusion zones because of the ongoing dangers of radiation and its effects.
Jobs with the highest radiation exposure include astronauts, underground uranium miners, interventional medical personnel (like cardiologists and X-ray technicians), and aircrew. While modern safety protocols keep doses regulated, these professions consistently face higher exposure to cosmic rays, radioactive ores, or medical X-rays.