... because the 50 technicians struggle day after day to control a situation of extreme gravity, in Europe and elsewhere our politicians, with Merkel at the helm, engaged in demagoguery to the issue of nuclear power plants. We know what moves to Merkel: the next election. So closes 3 nuclear power plants for 3 months in an attempt (¡!), (I understand that vain) to carry off a handful of votes uninformed.
For once it is recognized that Zapatero's reaction has been sensible and measured, which is surprising given the profile of the character.
And while Europe generated a debate that is absurd to suggest at this time, in Japan our 50 brave face an unprecedented event, possibly something unthinkable until recently: the simultaneous catastrophic failure 4 reactors at once, in a devastated environment that barely electricity.
are nothing useful nor the interventions of some nuclear experts these days trying to make believe that it is not so serious and the situation is more or less controlled. I insist that the loss of cooling of 4 reactors at the same time, failure of all redundant safety systems (in the nuclear outweigh that of other industries), is something we've never had to face, and therefore it must be concluded that the situation is grave and its possible outcome still very uncertain.
That does not mean that we are facing another Chernobyl, as one hears. The Japanese plant is modern in design, structure withstood remarkably well the greatest earthquake in history, the characteristics of negative reactivity of the reactor allowed to stop the fission reaction well, the vessel and the containment building fulfill its role in a first time (it still met, though with greater difficulty) and protocols for the disposal of the population are being met with diligence.
But as is necessary to explain to the general public, even without nuclear chain reaction within the nuclear fuel still occurring radioactive decay reactions that generate much heat, so it is necessary to refrigerate. When power fails, the coolant pumps which have to introduce the diesel self feed prepared for that purpose and the big problem, the real problem Fukushima I on which there will be time to think, is that these engines were destroyed by the tsunami. Yes, they were protected by a wall antitsunamis, but clearly this was not enough. The question of whether the Probabilistic Safety Analysis of the plant was properly made, it makes sense. But it makes sense to raise it now, and compare the situation in Japan with the European Central? In my opinion, no.
is a matter of priorities: what Japan needs now is help, all technical and financial assistance you need, because the situation is hopeless (water spraying from helicopters showed how desperate, as their effectiveness is ridiculous except perhaps for the spent fuel pools and only to gain time). Because if the core melts (fuel elements begin to "melt", bend and mix with the structural elements), will form an amalgam and radioactive metal at the bottom of the vessel that in that moment becomes unmanageable: the best you can cool the surface, but not within it, that if the temperature continues to rise release potentially explosive gases.
Of course, the plant is finished, the problem is that subsequent monitoring of a molten core leaves us few options other than confinement in some sort of enclosure to be built around him, and that construction will be extremely difficult and the personnel in charge of her work in a high radiation area which I have not clear how they will be protected.
But that comes later. It is now essential to try to avoid it. And then come the hour of questions, review protocols and how that will influence the future of the nuclear industry. But this, for the next entry.
0 comments:
Post a Comment