Year 12 Physics students visit Hartlepool power station

Our Year 12 Physics students have visited the EDF nuclear power station located south of Hartlepool. This trip was fantastic as it was both enjoyable and had many links with the A level Physics course.

After an explanation of how the plant worked, the boys took a tour of the control room simulator. Jack Pearson became Homer Simpson and simulated a complete shutdown of the reactor and the room became a chamber of noise and flashing lights.

The boys visited the turbine room and saw the vast size of both the turbines and the generators with the room they were encased easily being able to fit the entire school. The noise inside was deafening with blades weighing many tonnes moving at 3,000 rpm.

The tour carried on into the pumping station where a massive water supply helps to cool the pure water after it has been through the turbines. They pump enough water to create a small river. The fire station they have is small but they are one of the only power plants in EDF that have their own fire engine.