On November 11, 2011, the Institute of Nuclear Plant Operators (INPO) released a report that provides a detailed timeline of events that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in the days and weeks following the Great North East Japan earthquake and series of seven tsunamis. Releasing that report was a rare event; INPO is highly respected within the US nuclear industry but it is a member supported organization whose reports are normally not released to the general public.
I asked two nuclear energy experts, Cal Abel and Margaret Harding to read the report and then to share their perceptions and interpretations with you. I hope you enjoy their commentary, though it might help your understanding if you have the report handy while you are listening.
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Joffan says
November 16, 2011 at 1:52 AMA fascinating discussion of the INPO report. Thanks.
Kit P says
November 16, 2011 at 2:00 AMWow, zero expertize on the design and operational of commercial LWR.
First Cal unless the navy nuke program has stopped being ‘confidential’ shut up about what your captain told. Commercial LWR are stationary power plants with people living around them. There is not plug to pull.
Second, the containment is not designed for a brittle failure of the reactor vessel. A large break LOCA will damage a certain about of fuel which is why containment leakage is an important consideration.
The overarching principle is protecting human life first. One hour into the event, six nuke plants were destroyed beyond repair. The containment building provided time for evacuation. Children were not exposed to I-131.
One of my last jobs in the navy required me to bypass the engineer and report directly captain when it was time to give up the ship and save the crew. Of course the engineer in those circumstances would be focused on saving the ship. That is why different people have different training.
Big picture, after the 9.0 earthquake at least 4 Japanese reactors would never operate again. Two old BWR were decommissioned as a result of 2007 earthquake. The design basis earthquake would not be the 1000 year earthquake. Old small BWR are not economical enough to upgrade to the new standards.
Under the circumstances, it was not possible to prevent core damage on units 1, 2, & 3. That is hindsight, so I am in no way faulting the efforts of the operators. After the unit 1 hydrogen exposition, the did the right thing about backing off.
I have responsibilities for both radiation safety and industrial safety. One of my pet peeves is that people will stupid things that will get them killed because of concerns about level of radiation. Confined spaces and hydrogen are important issues at all large power plants. If you get killed at a coal plant by a hydrogen explosion, your body will not be contaminated.
The bottom line is that they did excellent job of protecting life.
Kit P says
November 16, 2011 at 2:03 AM‘not be the 1000 year earthquake.’ should be ‘now be the 1000 year earthquake.’
Meng Bomin says
November 16, 2011 at 10:01 AMA geographical correction: the Oklo reactors are in Gabon, which is in West Africa, whereas the Great Rift Valley where many of the Australopithecines have been found is in East Africa.
Hume's Bastard says
November 19, 2011 at 11:33 AMAdams makes a comment, that German banks invested heavily in renewable energy. Beyond the investments in solar energy in Spain, can Adams offer details on that comment?
Thanks!
industry shill says
December 29, 2011 at 5:21 PMWhat a ridiculous joke.
I actually came here to learn something remotely close to what may have happened at Fukushima. Instead I have to suffer an hour of three apologists tripping all over themselves.
Do you even have a remote understanding of the impact of this disaster? If you did you would not be laughing and joking while spinning such utter bullshit.
Rod Adams says
December 29, 2011 at 9:13 PM@industry shill
Yes, I do have a pretty complete understanding of what happened at the plant and what has not happened outside the plant. Can you be more specific about what you found so offensive that you had to result to profanity?
I do not call myself an apologist, but I am a nuclear industry professional and am rather proud of the positive contribution that our technology has made so far and the enormous potential that it has to make in the future as we continue to learn and improve. We are still pretty new at this stuff. There are people who are alive today and still contributing to that knowledge development who were mature adults when the very first reactor was built under the defunct football stands at Stagg Field.
Hank says
December 30, 2011 at 5:42 AMNobody died? thats because radiation kills SLOWELY! These hillbillies need to be prosecuted. They know the truth but they are knowingly LYING. There is no innocence here.
Head over to atomicinsights.com and if you are gullible you will be convinced Fukushima should be turned into an amusement park. A disgrace to the human race.