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tw · 04-21-2013, 06:30 PM

NHK, two years later, continues exposing unreported facts about Fukishima. Latest revelations come from research performed by NHK by 'secretly' obtaining engineering documents.

First, nuclear power plants have passive cooling systems (called isolation condensers) that permit a plant to cool itself passively. No electricity required. But, for reasons that remain unknown and undiscussed, those passive cooling systems were not operational. And those systems had never been tested in 40 years.

Since the system had never been tested, then no one knew what a working cooling system looks like. Management 'assumed' a trace amount of steam meant it was working. When passive cooling works, the noise is quite loud. Steam fills the sky all around the plant. Trace amounts of steam, assumed to be a working cooling system, meant a complete failure.

In both company and an independent investigations, no mention of these passive cooling systems. And yet that alone could have averted the nuclear meltdown in Fukishima Daiche One that occurred within 24 hours. (A meltdown that the company denied for weeks even though it was obvious even to layman in days.)

To keep water in Fukishima 3, fire engines were connected to pump 400 tons of water into the reactor. Operators knew water was leaking elsewhere. And again, company investigations ignore this. So again, NHK did independent investigations. Discovered the leak and why it occurred. Explained why so much water was discovered later in condensors.

A pump, operating not as designed, had leaked 55% of the incoming water, through a tiny 1.5 inch pipe, into the condensors. NHK recorded an Italian laboratory duplicating this failure. Had only 25% of the water leaked, then Fukishima 3 could have been saved. Another fact somehow lost in TEPCO's investigations and another by the government. Another in a long list of facts that NHK discovered 'overlooked' by TEPCO and government investigations.

In the US, identical plants (ie 9 Mile Island) test their passive cooling systems every four years. Have obtained mobile pumps and installed dedicated pipes so that external cooling can be performed directly. These potential weaknesses are not unique to Fukishima. But NHK is demonstrating a serious problem with honesty at the higher levels of TEPCO management. And questionable investigations by Japanese Nuclear Regulators. 85% of all problems ...

Shocking were comments by top TEPCO people who accuse TEPCO employees of having insufficient knowledge of basic concepts. Anyone with any industrial or military experience knows that attitude and knowledge must come from top management. Can management actually blame employees for what is obvious a major management created disaster? Apparently that still is their attitude.

This NHK report is the third in a series exposing lack of clarity or intentionally convoluted reports from TEPCO (whose management created the Fukishima disaster) and from government regulators.

04-21-2013, 06:30 PM	#170
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	NHK, two years later, continues exposing unreported facts about Fukishima. Latest revelations come from research performed by NHK by 'secretly' obtaining engineering documents. First, nuclear power plants have passive cooling systems (called isolation condensers) that permit a plant to cool itself passively. No electricity required. But, for reasons that remain unknown and undiscussed, those passive cooling systems were not operational. And those systems had never been tested in 40 years. Since the system had never been tested, then no one knew what a working cooling system looks like. Management 'assumed' a trace amount of steam meant it was working. When passive cooling works, the noise is quite loud. Steam fills the sky all around the plant. Trace amounts of steam, assumed to be a working cooling system, meant a complete failure. In both company and an independent investigations, no mention of these passive cooling systems. And yet that alone could have averted the nuclear meltdown in Fukishima Daiche One that occurred within 24 hours. (A meltdown that the company denied for weeks even though it was obvious even to layman in days.) To keep water in Fukishima 3, fire engines were connected to pump 400 tons of water into the reactor. Operators knew water was leaking elsewhere. And again, company investigations ignore this. So again, NHK did independent investigations. Discovered the leak and why it occurred. Explained why so much water was discovered later in condensors. A pump, operating not as designed, had leaked 55% of the incoming water, through a tiny 1.5 inch pipe, into the condensors. NHK recorded an Italian laboratory duplicating this failure. Had only 25% of the water leaked, then Fukishima 3 could have been saved. Another fact somehow lost in TEPCO's investigations and another by the government. Another in a long list of facts that NHK discovered 'overlooked' by TEPCO and government investigations. In the US, identical plants (ie 9 Mile Island) test their passive cooling systems every four years. Have obtained mobile pumps and installed dedicated pipes so that external cooling can be performed directly. These potential weaknesses are not unique to Fukishima. But NHK is demonstrating a serious problem with honesty at the higher levels of TEPCO management. And questionable investigations by Japanese Nuclear Regulators. 85% of all problems ... Shocking were comments by top TEPCO people who accuse TEPCO employees of having insufficient knowledge of basic concepts. Anyone with any industrial or military experience knows that attitude and knowledge must come from top management. Can management actually blame employees for what is obvious a major management created disaster? Apparently that still is their attitude. This NHK report is the third in a series exposing lack of clarity or intentionally convoluted reports from TEPCO (whose management created the Fukishima disaster) and from government regulators.