Safety Design To Reduce Accident Risk

Nuclear plants operators all over the world have actively reviewed their safety policies and procedures as a result of the Fukushima accident. The occurrence of cascading failures in multiple reactor units is unprecedented and generates concerns about the existence of faulty emergency procedures, the presence of the design flaws, or both. The new design of Generation III reactors is relevant in the light of this accident but site considerations should be reviewed to be sure that natural risks or other external threats are correctly taken into account. Nothing is perfect but many things can be improved.

Concerns about the radiation and etc will be always in mind, but nuclear technologies has been developed for more than 60 years now, all the facilities are already there. In our opinion, this is all a very basic argument when a new technology is about to be implemented. What about damp that generates electric? Does it not destroy the rivers and forest? Every choice has its consequences and it’s just the matter of which one worth the risk. 

Residents, evacuated from the 20-kilometer exclusion zone around Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station

Gravity, natural convection, and conduction instead of grid-powered, diesel-fueled, or battery back-up electricity, are among the key strategies that have emerged for tackling the challenge of nuclear plants' constant need for cooling power. Whereas Fukushima's backup systems did not survive the tsunami, newer reactors such as the ESBWR and the Westinghouse AP1000 could be better equipped to handle this type of event.

In addition, advanced passive designs which once approved by regulators could make boiling-water nuclear reactors 10 to 100 times safer than their active predecessors based on the core damage frequency metric, a calculation of the likelihood that an accident could cause the fuel in a given reactor to melt.Therefore, the improvement of the nuclear reactor is needed to ensure that the situation will not happen again. Generation III+ targets improved environmental protection (effluent discharge), passive safety systems, increased service lifetime, and lower operating and maintenance costs (but higher investment costs).

Thinking Man, Think Nuclear, Think Green.

The affected unit 1 reactor was due to be retired in Febuary 2011, but its license was extended for another 10 years beyond its initial 40 years operational time after a safety review and upgrades. In the USA licenses for operating plants are being extended by 20 years beyond their 40 years licenses to 60 years based on a detailed review of their safety operational level. 

Most of the components such as the steam generators have been replaced or renovated under these licenses extensions, except for the pressure vessels.Whether safety procedures were not followed at Fukushima, or if they did follow? Either way, we are going to have to beef up the procedures, so people take the right paths when they reach a crossroads or develop new crossroads that will lead you in the right direction. 

Now, please watch this simple but really meaningful video about nuclear accident that hit Fukushima. In this interesting video, the government tried to explain to people of Japan about what happened in Fukushima. I would like to mark the line "That's the least we can do for accepting the nuclear boy's energy for so many years, by praying". Wishing you the best of luck, Japan! From Malaysia, with love~

 "Don't worry, with each passing moment, the nuclear boy will get better and better"

Nuclear is a very good power source since it can provide highly reliable, competitive, stable and environment - friendly power supply.

Regards,

Nuclear Boy