Nuclear Plants on the Crashing Border
After the 9/11 Terror of 2001, every American lived for a year or so with a nightmare of another Terror attack coming.
Now, after the 3/11 Disaster of 2011, every Japanese is living with a nightmare of possible nuclear contamination. But, it should not continue for a year.
To make sure, no radiologically contaminated foods harvested within a 30-km range and adjacent prefectures of Fukushima and Ibaraki are delivered. Authorities check everyday vegetables, milk, and so on. Only safe foods are provided from those areas to Tokyo. No abnormal radiation levels are recorded in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures except some part of Fukushima Prefecture, though a higher radiation level of tap water was detected in Tokyo only for several days toward the end of March.
http://www.waterworks.metro.tokyo.jp/tp_first.pdf
PART I: Japanese Nuclear Reactors
A Japanese blogger posted a video clip showing the inside of a nuclear reactor of a similar type to the Fukushima Daiichi Plant. He wrote that he took the video for himself. The reactor is run by the Japan Atomic Power Company in Fukui Prefecture, 150 km north of Kyoto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJeEka0qcng&feature=player_embedded#at=67
(http://anjin.cocolog-nifty.com/nuclear/2011/04/post-6a4d.html)
The schematic diagram of a boiling-water reactor is also presented:
(Click to enlarge)http://anjin.cocolog-nifty.com/nuclear/2011/03/post-4e19.html
What it lacks is the emergency water supply to be set above the pressure reactor for automatic provision and circulation of cooling water in case that emergency operation of pumps using an emergency power supply should fail.
By applying a special mechanism, water/vapor can be circulated between the pressure vessel and the auxiliary water tank without using electricity, even in the worst case.
PART II: North East Japan M8 Earthquakes
The history of big earthquakes (M8.0 or larger) that occurred in north east Honshu Island, Hokkaido Island, and the South Kuril Islands of Japan on the North Pacific Ocean are as follows:
1) 869, July 9, Jyogan-Saniriku-oki, M 8.6
2) 1611, December 2, Keicho-Sanriku-oki, M 8.1
3) 1793, February 17, Sanriku-oki, M 8.4
4) 1843, April 25, Tokachi-oki, M 8.0
5) 1896, June 15, Meiji-Sanriku, M 8.5
6) 1918, September 8, Kuril Ostrov Urup, M 8
7) 1933, March 3, Showa-Sanriku, M 8.1
8) 1952, March 4, Tokachi-oki, M 8.2
9) 1958, November 7, Kuril Etorofu (Iturup) Island, M 8.1
10) 1963, October 13, Kuril Etorofu (Iturup) Island, M 8.1
11) 1994, October 4, Hokkaido-Toho-oki, M 8.2
12) 2003, September 26, Tokachi-oki, M 8.0
13) 2011, March 11, Tohokuchiho-Taiheiyo-oki, M 9.0
These earthquakes can be put into a group, since their epicenters are along the border between the Pacific plate and the North American plate.
(Click to enlarge.)http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/kishou/know/whitep/2-1.html
Especially, 210 years between 1793 and 2003, 10 earthquakes each with a magnitude M 8.0 or larger occurred in this region.
It is one in 20 years since around 1800. In this region, one Magnitude 8.0-class earthquake has occurred in every 20 years in these 200 years.
So, if a nuclear power plant is built in this region, it must be prepared for twice occurrences of an M 8.0 class earthquake, assuming the plant operates for 40 years.
The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants of TEPCO do not look like having been designed and built on this rational assumption.
Eventually, on March 11, 2011, the M 9.0 earthquake occurred, accompanied by 14-meter high tsunami.
It must be also noted that the Jyogan-Saniriku-oki earthquake of 869 was accompanied by big tsunamis of a 10-meter class. Some scientists and scholars who recently found the evidence of the past tsunamis actually gave a warning to TEPCO and the government about a possible 10-meter-high tsunami to hit the nuclear power plants in the sanriku region (Pacific shores of Iwate Prefectures in northeast Honshu) and the south Tohoku region (including Fukushima Prefecture).
The 869 Sanriku earthquake and tsunami (869-nen Sanriku jishin) struck the area around Sendai in the northern part of Honshu on 9 July 869 (May 26, Jogan 11).[2] The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 8.6 on the surface wave magnitude scale.[citation needed] The tsunami caused widespread flooding of the Sendai plain, with sand deposits being found up to 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the coast...
As for the other two large tsunamis recognized before the 869 tsunami, one was estimated to have occurred between about 1000 BC and 500 BC and the other about 500 BC and 1 AD.[6] In 2007 the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw 8.1–8.3 was estimated as 99% within the following 30 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunami
If the American East Coast from Rhode Island to Charleston is to have an M 8.0 earthquake once in 20 years, who would construct a nuclear power plant in New York and Washington D.C. on a just 15 feet-high plot above the sea.
PART III: A Suggestion from England
As this is an accident related to a core of human civilization of today, the Japanese authorities should refer to wisdom in the world.
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011
Filtering gaseous emissions from Fukushima
I have been speaking to a UK company producing ion-exchange resins, to see how the filtration process would be assembled.
Once a duct has been fixed to the window(s) of Reactor 2 (the one with intact secondary containment) the gases will first need to be cleansed of H2 because of the explosion risk.
An oxidant solution such as chlorine should meet this need.
Second, a simple particle filter would be needed. The gases should then be passed through water to dissolve the radionuclides. this would also cool them as they need to be close to 40*C for ion exchange filters to work.
Next, chemical preciptiation could bring most radionuclides out of solution.
Finally, ion-exchange resins would be used for entrapment of anything left. The exact form of resin would depend on the mix of ions left in solution.
All filters and precipitates would have to be stored as radioactive waste.
Once experience has been gained with Reactor 2 gases, 1,3 and 4 will need to be clad in fabric and have ducts inserted in order to do the same, but at larger scale, with them.
The ducts can lead to manifolds, so that more filter processes can be added on as necessary.
It is therefore pretty simple technology. At the end of the treatment, the cleaned water can be cooled further, and passed back into the cooling circuit.
The technology is simple. Persuading the decision makers to do it is the difficult aspect.
http://greenerblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/filtering-gaseous-emissions-from.html
**** **** ****
Japan provided $100 million for recovery of Haiti from the earthquake of January 2010.
It is estimated that the amount of damage from the 3/11 Disaster of Japan reaches $235 billion, probably without counting future nuclear damage.
Yet, in Haiti, the number of casualties, including victims of the unrest after the earthquake, is 316,000. It is ten times larger than the deaths in the 3/11 Disaster of Japan.
Somebody must provide $2350 billion for Haiti to make the matter even.
Anyway, as the 9/11 Terror on America set the course of 2000's in the world, the 3/11 Disaster in Japan might set the course of 2010's in the world.
In this context, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti might symbolize the 2000's as the aftermath of the 2001 Terror on America. I hope that something better would happen in 2020 in the world.
(Sumatra, Sichuan, Haiti, Christchurch, and finally Northeast Honshu of Japan...or Three Mile, Chernobyl, and finally Fukushima? Oh I really wanna take ya...down to Kokomo...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHtQ4-WBkis&feature=related)
Mar 4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
Mar 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
Mar 4:14 The sower soweth the word.