tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740971876602952565.post1737360027356867626..comments2024-03-19T22:49:42.491-07:00Comments on Nuke Power Talk: Post-Fukushima Findings:Gail Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03389387408479728702noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8740971876602952565.post-22205145395957577212011-07-18T19:34:30.057-07:002011-07-18T19:34:30.057-07:00As with almost all major disasters, it is usually ...As with almost all major disasters, it is usually a combination or chain of events that result in catastrophe. In hindsight (only!) one can say that, if any one link in the chain of circumstances hadn't happened, then the consequences would have been avoided or greatly lessened. The same I would submit is true at Fukushima. It wasn't a single decision that ended up in the mess that exists today. Yes it is true that the hill was shaved, but that is only on link in the chain. Yes it is true that the DC batteries and the generators were located in the basement, but each of these is also just one link in the chain. There are critical additional links not mentioned in the articles.<br /><br />First, it is my understanding that the electrical panels were also located in the basement and were also flooded with seawater. That made restoring power with generators brought in after the tsunami almost impossible as seawater and electrical panels with very high voltages are a deadly combination.<br /><br />However, even if the hill hadn't been shaved so much and the generators, dc batteries and electrical panels hadn't been flooded, the disaster would have happened anyway, because of two other critical links. First are the seaside pumps mentioned in the article. Some genius decided to put in water-cooled generators, so when the tsunami came in, the seaside pumps were taken out and, not only was cooling water for the primary reactor cooling circuits cut off, but it is my understanding that water to cool the generators was also cut off. IIRC, there was only one of 12 or so generators that was air-cooled and it I believe was the one that saved units 5 and 6, which IIRC were also a few meters higher than units 1 to 4.<br /><br />Second, Fukushima Dai-Ichi (Fuku I) was connected to grid power through a conventional above-ground power line. TEPCO owned apparently one and only one transmission tower of the many that carried the power line. Unfortunately, this single trasmission tower was taken out by a landslide caused by the earthquake. The final and deadly link.<br /><br />It is my understanding that Fukushima Dai-Ni (Fuku II) also suffered many of the same failures as Fuku I, but it apparently was built a little higher up. Second, although it IIRC lost its seaside pumps and its generators and its electrical panels were also flooded, I am not sure but they may have had a second set of panels above the flood level. Most importantly, however, it never lost grid power. You may remember that there was a 10 km evacuation around Fuku II also, because it came very close to disaster as well, but the 10 km zone around Fuku II was almost entirely within the 20 km zone around Fuku I.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com