Friday, May 20, 2011

#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 1: Seawater Injection Halted on March 12 at Prime Minister's Order

Well, since this prime minister claimed to be a "nuclear expert" during the early stage of the Fukushima crisis, he must have good reasons.

Since the fuel was likely to have melted down by the morning of the day the seawater injection started, maybe it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

Kyodo News Japanese (9:28PM JST 5/20/2011):

1号機の海水注入を55分間中断 再臨界恐れ首相指示

Injection of seawater into the Reactor 1 RPV was interrupted for 55 minutes, at the order from the Prime Minister who feared recriticality

 地震翌朝に燃料が溶け落ちるメルトダウンが起きたとみられる福島第1原発1号機で、政府が公表した3月12日の海水注入開始時刻の前に東京電力は注入を開始、政府の指示で55分間注入を停止していたことが20日、分かった。

It was revealed on May 20 that TEPCO had started the injection of seawater into the Reactor 1 at Fukushima I Nuke Plant sooner than the government had disclosed previously, but the company halted the injection for 55 minutes at the order from the government.

 海水注入の遅れで被害が拡大したとの批判があり、専門家は「海水注入を続けるべきだった」と指摘している。

There are some criticisms that the damage got more grave due to the delay in the seawater injection. Experts say the seawater injection should have been continued.

 政府の対策本部の資料では、海水注入の開始時刻は3月12日午後8時20分としていた。だが、東電が5月16日に公表した資料では、午後7時4分に海水注水を開始し、同25分に停止、午後8時20分に海水とホウ酸による注水開始、と記載されている。

The government information identifies the start of seawater injection at 8:20 PM on March 12. However, according to the data released on May 16 by TEPCO, the injection of seawater started at 7:04PM, but was halted at 7:25PM, and resumed at 8:20PM with boric acid mixed in the seawater.

 政府筋によると、午後7時すぎの海水の注入は現場の判断のみで開始。原子力安全委員会への問い合わせで海水注入で再臨界が起こる恐れがあることが判明したとして、菅直人首相がいったん注水を止めさせたという。その後、問題ないことが分かり、ホウ酸を入れた上での注水が再開された。

According to government sources, the seawater injection at 7PM was the decision made by the people at the plant. After inquiring at the Nuclear Safety Commission and [supposedly] finding out that there was a danger of recriticality if seawater was poured into the RPV, Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the halt. Afterwards, it turned out that there was no such danger, and the seawater injection restarted with boric acid.

 1号機は地震、津波による全電源喪失のため、3月12日朝には燃料の大半が溶け落ちていたとの暫定評価を、東電が公表している。

TEPCO has already announced its provisional assessment that due to the power loss resulting from the quake and tsunami, most of the fuel in the Reactor 1 had melted down by the morning of March 12.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Robbie001 sez:

It looks like GE has setup a blog to explain away the MARK I containment failure. With gems like, “Coincident long-term loss of both on-site and off-site power for an extended period of time is a beyond-design-basis event for the primary containment on any operating nuclear power plant.” everyone should be reassured. In GE's expert opinion NO nuclear power plant is designed for a full blackout. The engineers know about the problem so to fix it they ignore it and call it a "beyond-design-basis event" (Who could have known). The comments on this blog rip GE a new one. Commenter Don Hudson is my hero better save a copy I bet this blog is going to fade away.


http://www.gereports.com/how-it-works-white-paper-on-mark-i-containment/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=+BWR%20+reactor&utm_campaign=G%20-%20GE%20Nuclear%20Reputation%20Management%20Campaign&kmed=ppc

Alex Smith said...

I realize you are moving, and still keeping the best Fukushima blog on the Net going daily - but please take seriously my request to interview you for radio.

Radio Ecoshock now services over 75 college and community radio stations, mostly in the U.S., but also Canada. We've done a half dozen specials on Fukushima (with help from your blog!)

Consider writing me at: radio@ecoshock.org

Alex Smith
host
Radio Ecoshock
temporary host
Earthbeat

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