How did the nuclear accident get this bad?

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  • longbow

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    Sadly it came back to a few thousand dollars in materials.

    The replacement generators trucked into the plant were shipped with the wrong electrical connections. They did not get the correct ones on site until after the building exploded......

    Please note, the wave destroyed all the emergency generators. They were not placed high enough for the wave that hit the plant.
     

    Leadeye

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    Sadly the human element in design. The root cause of Chernobyl was the senior technician, who was not familiar with the reactor type, removing too many control rods to get a faster startup.
     

    03A3

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    The generators could have been enclosed in such a way that the water could not reach them. It wouldn't be that hard to do in the grand scheme of things.
    It's odd that so much technology goes into something like that, and then they drop the ball on simple things like emergency backup power.
    Something like this was going to happen, it was just a matter of time. And will probably happen again.
    We have no business fooling with nuclear power as the consequences of a serious accident are so severe. You ask for trouble, and you will get it. It's as simple as that.
     
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    hindsight is a wonderful thing but very seldom does it help the imediate problem

    semper fi :( :patriot:

    Sadly, that's all too true.

    History is littered with little, seemingly unimportant decisions that turn out to greatly change the course of history. I have a feeling that we're going to see a number of such things (good AND bad) that were game changers in this one.
     

    grimor

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    The generators could have been enclosed in such a way that the water could not reach them. It wouldn't be that hard to do in the grand scheme of things.
    You can't plan for everything, Their major concern was an earthquake and there were design features in place to help minimize damage. No one really thought a 30-meter high was was coming. It's like if your house gets hit by a meteor, in hindsight if you would of just build it 10' to the left you would of been fine...
     

    03A3

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    Hindsight my arse, not when you're dealing with a nuclear power plant.
    Not a personal thing directed at any of you, but I know what it means to plan for all contingencies.
     

    redneckmedic

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    It's easy for us to arm chair both Japan and S.S.R. after all, as we have never had any man made mega-engineering fail.

    Just goes to show, no matter how well we design something.... we are still meek to a higher power.
     

    jblomenberg16

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    longbow-

    I'd be interested if you have further reading on the topic, or a link to the source, etc. I'm in a business directly tied to electrical power generation and would be interested in more details.
     

    CarmelHP

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    Something like this was going to happen, it was just a matter of time. And will probably happen again.
    We have no business fooling with nuclear power as the consequences of a serious accident are so severe. You ask for trouble, and you will get it. It's as simple as that.

    Oh bull****, using this logic then no one should ever drive or leave their house. Their are calculated risks that are taken because of necessity. Is everyone supposed to sit and freeze in their houses because "we shouldn't fool with" the only viable alternative to fossil fuel?
     

    Jack Ryan

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    But they were the lowest cost bidder and we want to run our public facilities "like a business".

    Bean counter degrees and politicians making design desicions.

    "It may not happen today, it may not happen tomorrow, but sooner or later there will be an earth quake and a tsunami..."

    "We don't pay you to do the thinking. I've been to college. Just because we live on a volcanoe in the middle of the ocean doesn't mean a thing. I read a book one time..."
     

    longbow

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    longbow-

    I'd be interested if you have further reading on the topic, or a link to the source, etc. I'm in a business directly tied to electrical power generation and would be interested in more details.

    Its more based on people I have met and kept in touch with. Back in college I got involved in nuclear safety/power plant issues. Several of my classmates or seminar contacts ended up at the NRC, DOD and private industry. We seem to stay in the same circles.

    Also, with my job, I get to ask questions that people normally would not answer because we are trying to manage risk.

    FYI, one of the hardest jobs to get in the military or government is one of the risk manger jobs. They have to know everything! I applied for one 3 years ago was with the Navy, as the job interview process started, the job changed involving 80% travel. That was more than my family could handle. They get the FBI involved and by the time it is done, they know everything ( almost ) about you.

    The risk manager job I would jump for is for the Airforce.... There are five places I'd be allowed to visit that people just get to talk about and wonder. I've always had some concerns about how they are structured.
     

    jblomenberg16

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    I see. If you had links to some reading about the failure of the generators I was going to read up on them to see if there was anything I could learn from it.

    It sounds like the tsunami took out the permanently installed backup generators, and then as you say, something didn't work correctly with the mobile units that were brought in.
     

    03A3

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    CarmelHP I guess if nuclear power is such a good thing then it looks like Japan and actually the whole World is worrying over nothing here.
    Could we then equate this situation to the same thing as hearing about a car wreck?
    Nothing to worry about at all. And nope, no chance of it getting worse, let alone ever happening again.
    Freezing in our houses. Lets see....you have a woodburner? Or do you have any wood of your own on your little lot of ground up there in that suburb?
     
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    There is risk in everything. You take a risk going to the Men's room. yeesh....

    Slow down. Let's let this play out - they've got the best in the world working on the problem. Then - 2-3 weeks from now when the facts are MUCH more clear -let's revisit what the risks are and what the costs are and we can have a much more intelligent conversation. Jumping to conclusions with half the facts while this whole problem is still completely in the air is premature. The facts will come out. Then we can make a more reasonable estimate of nuclear energy and its safety as opposed to other alternative forms of energy.
     

    Indy_Guy_77

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    Simple and snarky answer:

    The nuclear accident got this bad due to the strongest recorded earthquake ever. (if not THE strongest, then one of)

    All the engineering safety controls in place are designed to withstand and/or mitigate a "big one", but not "the biggest one ever".

    Could very very very easily happen here in this country, too. And we'd be even more screwed. Granted, there probably wouldn't be a tsunami here to make things worse.

    -J-
     
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