Japanese Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Reactors

[dorispulaski]

May 22nd, 2:00 PM JST
Wind in the SouthWest at Daiichi, in the north at Daini

Daini
Six peripheral points (1.8, 1.4, 1.9, 1.6, 1.6, 1.6 ) microSieverts per hour
Manual point 9 AM JST 1.1 microSieverts per hour

Daiichi
Eight peripheral points ( 6, 25, 18, 16, 20, 42, 129, 107 ) microSieverts per hour
Main Office Building 383 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 15 microSieverts per hour
Cart near West Gate 16.0 microSieverts per hour

TEPCO Press Releases from May 21st and May 22nd

-In order to switch the facility for water injection to the reactor from reactor feed water system piping arrangement to electric water-injection pump placed on a hill, the conventional fire pump was stopped at 3:12pm on May 21st and electric water-injection pump was started up at 3:15pm (The amount of water injection is kept approx. 12m3/h).

-At 4:00pm on May 21st, we started to spray water to the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 by the concrete pumping vehicle (We added hydrazine from 4:23pm to 7:00pm). We finished spraying at 7:56pm on the same day.

-The transfer of accumulated water in Unit 6 turbine building to a temporary tank was started at 2 pm on May 21s. The transfer pump was stopped at 6:00 pm on the same day (approximately 80m3).

-At approx. 2:00 pm, May 21st, nitrogen injection to the vessel was stopped (The compressor stopped due to "High temperature".) The back-up supply facility was started up (approx. 20m3/h) at 5:00pm, May 21st. The amount of nitrogen was increased to approx. 26 m3/h at 8:31pm

-At 2:00 pm on 21st, we started transfer of accumulated water in the basement of Unit 6 into temporary tanks.

-As for the outflow of contaminated water from near the intake of Unit 3 (leakage was stopped at 6:45 pm on the same day), we estimated that the volume of outflow was approx. 250m3 and the radioactive dose is approx. 2 x 1013 Bq on the assumption that it flew at the same rate for approx. 41 hours (from 2:00 am on May 10 to 7:00 pm on May 11). As preventive measures and measures to prevent scattering to the outside of the port, we are planning to block the pits the contaminated water might run flow out from, isolation of pump rooms for Units 1 to 4, installation of sandbags containing zeolite inside of the intakes, and installation of a circular purification equipment to the screen area. In parallel, we will continue monitoring sea water inside and outside of the port and reinforce the monitoring system.

-At 9:35 on May 21st, Mega Float arrived at the shallow draft quay in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

They published a report showing that the uranium in the soil at the "Playground", the sampling spot they have used 500 m. west northwest of Units 1 and 2, is indistinguishable from the normal distribution in the soil, and that the ratios of the different isotopes is what it is in normal soil, rather than what the ratios would look like if the uranium were from the reactors.


Extensive Report on Unit 2 and Unit 3 Radioactive Water
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110521e5.pdf
Drawing showing where the leakage was, what the concrete seal of the leaking section looks like, and a drawing of a planned small sea water purification unit that will be used to filter water near the intake to Unit 2. More zeolite bags are planned as well (mapped near the Unit 1 and Unit 4 intakes) They have identified some additional 27 pits or trenches where radioactive water might collect and leak into the ocean, and are in the process of stopping them all up with concrete, intending to have all the work done by mid-June..

They estimate the Unit 3 leak as 250 cubic meters, and as having gone on for 41 hours.
Graphs of all the 30 some measuring points of seawater, submitted as a report to NISA, including a map of simulation of how cesium 137 has spread in seawater (3 maps over last months), essentially travelling south, and then spreading out to the east.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110521e7.pdf

Here's what NHK has to say:

Glitch halts nitrogen gas injection to reactor

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says injection of nitrogen gas into the Number 1 reactor came to a halt for more than 3 hours on Saturday due to mechanical trouble.

Tokyo Electric Power Company continues to inject nitrogen gas into the reactor's containment vessel to prevent the recurrence of a hydrogen explosion that took place in March.

On Saturday afternoon, a TEPCO worker found that the device to inject nitrogen, installed outside the reactor building, was not working. Injection later resumed using backup equipment.

The utility says data indicate that nitrogen gas had not been fed into the reactor for over 3 hours.
But TEPCO says pressure inside the containment vessel has changed little, and there is no increase in the risk of an explosion. The company is looking into the cause of the stoppage.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 12:55 +0900 (JST)

If the pressure changed that little, there are no significant leaks in Unit 1.

Some progress has been made in removing radioactive debris
but Unit 3 has some highly radioactive stuff yet to be removed. The robots are at work!

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is facing the new challenge of removal of highly radioactive debris in order to proceed with efforts to stabilize the Number 3 reactor. Tokyo Electric Power Company on Friday found debris releasing 1,000 millisieverts per hour in an area south of the Number 3 reactor building. It is the highest level of radiation found in debris left outside. Materials emitting 900 millisieverts of radiation per hour have also been found in the plant's compound. These materials are believed to be part of the large amount of debris contaminated with radioactive substances that had been blown off in hydrogen explosions.

In the area around the Number 1 reactor where removal of debris is making progress, radioactivity fell to nearly half the reading of early April.

But radiation levels are still high in some areas around the Number 3 reactor, where the explosion was powerful.

The situation is hampering work to install devices to stably cool the reactor.

The company says it will expedite the removal of debris by using a remote-controlled vehicle so that it can bring the reactor under control by mid-July as planned.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 09:24 +0900 (JST)

and Kan may talk about solar and wind at the G8
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_04.html

risking giving a chance to let Putin get off gibes at Japan's expense, as he did to Merkel, chancellor of Germany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtAbmvbG4mk

but what's really going on as a new energy policy is this:

Japan, China to resume gas field talks
The foreign ministers of Japan and China have agreed to resume talks on the development of gas fields in the East China Sea as soon as possible. The talks were suspended after last year's collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japanese patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands, which are near the gas project sites.

Takeaki Matsumoto told Yang Jiechi in Tokyo on Sunday that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had greatly promoted bilateral ties by visiting the disaster-hit prefectures of Miyagi and Fukushima in northeastern Japan.

Matsumoto said Wen told Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the meeting that China will work constructively with Japan for the 2 countries' future.

Matsumoto said Japan hopes to resume the talks as soon as possible.

Yang said China maintains that it will implement the development projects for gas fields in the East China Sea once the leaders of China and Japan have reached an agreement. He said he wants to work with Japan to restart the talks.

Matsumoto said the Senkaku Islands are an integral part of Japan and no territorial issue exists between Japan and China. Yang said the islands are under China's sovereignty.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 17:16 +0900 (JST)

and whether nuclear power plants are closed or not, this article reminds me that nuclear weapons are still around:

US develops new way to check nuclear weapons
US researchers have successfully completed experiments to verify the performance of the country's nuclear weapons without conducting underground nuclear tests.

The National Nuclear Security Administration of the US Energy Department said the experiments were conducted in November of last year and March of this year at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico.

A special device was used to generate powerful X-rays and create conditions similar to the explosion of a nuclear weapon.

The NNSA said the reaction of plutonium, a material used in nuclear weapons, was observed in the 2 experiments, and they both ended in success.
The organization said that, like a subcritical nuclear test, the new experiment needs no nuclear explosion.

The NNSA added that the experiment requires no gunpowder, and uses a smaller amount of plutonium than a subcritical test.

An NNSA official says the test helps to implement President Barack Obama's policy to maintain the safety and effectiveness of the US nuclear stockpile without underground nuclear tests.

Observers say the success of the experiment will help ensure that old nuclear weapons that the US built during the Cold War remain safe and secure.

But they also say it raises concern that it might lead to the development of new nuclear weaponry.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 11:11 +0900 (JST)

and that the only safe way to eliminate existing nuclear weapons is this way, using a nuclear reactor:
http://www.usec.com/megatonstomegawatts.htm
The Megatons to Megawatts Program, "Recylcing Nuclear Warheads into Electricity":

412 metric tons of bomb-grade HEU* have been recycled into 11,905 metric tons of LEU*, equivalent to 16,494 nuclear warheads eliminated.

*HEU is Highly Enriched Uranium
*LEU is Low Enriched Uranium


But there is some nice news out there. 500 kids is a drop in the bucket, but it is still a nice gesture, and much needed:

.Wen invites young quake survivors to visit China
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has invited 500 young Japanese survivors of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami to visit China. He said he wants to offer them a place to refresh themselves, both physically and mentally.

Wen spoke to reporters in Tokyo on Sunday after the summit with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak.

He said Japan's reconstruction will influence the economic development of Asia and the rest of the world, and he repeated his pledge to offer China's support to help rebuild the affected areas.

Wen referred to plans to send Chinese tour groups to Japan beginning early next month along with inspection teams to further promote trade and investment.

He said China intends to ease the import restrictions on Japanese food that were imposed immediately after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Wen also said that Japan, China and South Korea are neighbors and there are many nuclear power plants in these densely populated areas.

He said it is important for the 3 countries to share information on their plants and to work together to deal with accidents.

Sunday, May 22, 2011 17:08 +0900 (JST)

 

[Olympia]

As you say, 500 kids might be a drop in the bucket, but such a gesture will mean a lot to those 500 kids. You have to start somewhere. Good to hear. I also like Premier Wen's statement that the repair of Japan could affect the economy of the entire region. It could happen if people are smart about it!

 

[dorispulaski]

More NHK Stories

This had been discussed, but is likely to happen this week.

TEPCO to install heat exchanger at No.2 reactor spent fuel pool

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it will install a heat exchanger this week to lower the temperature of the spent fuel pool at the Number 2 reactor.

...

TEPCO plans to reduce the humidity by setting up a heat exchanger in a building next to the Number 2 reactor. The firm told the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency about the plan on Saturday to request its approval. It said it hopes to reduce the temperature of the pool from a peak of 80 degrees Celsius to about 40 degrees Celsius in one month.

The utility also plans to install heat exchangers at the Number 1 and 3 reactors next month and at the Number 4 reactor in July.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 23:18 +0900 (JST)

And I'm not sure whether this is exactly true-the individual who reported this was not a current employee, and manuals do change over time. And NHK would have no way to determine whether this is a past or a current version of the manual they acquired. I expect to see more about this.

It's just as possible that TEPCO made a bone-headed change to the manual as that the employees did not follow the manual.

TEPCO didn't follow Fukushima emergency manual

NHK has learned it is highly likely that the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant did not follow the procedures to prevent a hydrogen explosion. NHK obtained the manual for the No.1 reactor, where the hydrogen blast occurred on March 12th, one day after the tsunami destroyed the reactor's cooling system. A failure of the cooling system causes the pressure inside the reactor's container vessel to rise and generates the risk of a hydrogen explosion.

The manual calls for releasing air from the vessel when the pressure is projected to rise to 853 kilopascals -- double the operating limit. A venting operation is necessary to prevent the vessel from being damaged, which could lead to the leakage of a large amount of radioactive substances. The manual NHK has obtained shows that the pressure inside the vessel was close to the level that requires a venting operation 13 hours before the explosion occurred.

But the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, did not start the operation until 6 and a half hours before the explosion, and the operation was carried out just one and a half hours before the blast because it was hampered by high-level radioactivity.

A former nuclear plant engineer, Masashi Goto, says the utility should have released air when the pressure rose close to twice the operating limit. Goto says if the company had done this, the amount of hydrogen leaked from the reactor core to the container vessel would have been smaller, reducing the risk of an explosion.

Tokyo Electric declined to comment, saying it is evaluating its decision to release the air.
Sunday, May 22, 2011 23:18 +0900 (JST)

and from Reuters a day or two ago:

Japan needs reactor restarts for summer -utilities

Fri May 20, 2011 11:40am GMT

* Only 36 percent of Japan nuclear capacity in operation

* Govt urged to make public understand dependence on nuclear


(Adds details on)

By Risa Maeda

TOKYO, May 20 (Reuters) - Japanese utilities including those unaffected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami may find it hard to meet peak summer demand unless nuclear reactors shut for maintenance are restarted, the main power industry body said.

Makoto Yagi, chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, urged the government on Friday to explain to the public the role of nuclear plants in maintaining a stable power supply and the latest steps implemented by plant operators to ensure safety.

"We'd like to ask the government and the trade minister himself, if necessary, to make this understood to people in regional communities as well as society as a whole," said Yagi, who is also president of Kansai Electric Power Co, at a news conference.

Before the quake and tsunami, which caused the worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl at a plant in Fukushima, northeast Japan, and forced the closure of three other plants, nuclear power supplied about 30 percent of electricity consumption in Japan.
The situation was exacerbated when Chubu Electric Power Co shut all the reactors at its sole nuclear plant in Hamaoka in central Japan this month in response to a government request to make it safer against any future tsunami.

In addition, caution by local authorities has prevented the restarts of any reactors since the quake. Several reactors entered their regular maintenance periods, resulting in a fall in Japan's nuclear power capacity to 17,580 megawatts, only 36 percent of a total nuclear generating capacity.

The current level compares with 25,622 megawatts left a day after the quake.


RISK OF POWER SHORTAGE

For Kansai Electric, Japan's second-biggest power firm, it will be difficult to supply surplus power to other power firms this summer unless reactors that are shut for maintenance are restarted by then, Yagi said.

Four of the 11 reactors operated by Kansai Electric, the biggest utility in western Japan, are currently shut for planned maintenance. Two more are due to shut for regular repair work in the coming months.

Similarly, another western utility, Kyushu Electric Power Co , this week warned of power shortages for its service area due to prolonged shutdowns of two reactors under regular maintenance.

Yagi also said regional power companies agreed on the importance of a compensation scheme they had been ordered to join to help those affected by the radiation crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima Daiichi plant.
But he said the government should explain to the public more fully that the scheme is aimed at having nuclear plant operators help each other financially in case of a similar incident in the future and that the government itself is responsible for payments as it has promoted nuclear power.

The government last week approved a plan to help Tokyo Electric, known as Tepco, compensate those affected by the Fukushima crisis.

The plan, designed to prevent the troubled utility from immediately going into default or bankruptcy while meeting a flood of compensation claims, includes a fund to which other nuclear plant operators will contribute.

Trade Minister Banri Kaieda told a news conference on Friday it was unclear how much the government will ask other utilities to contribute to the compensation fund. (Reporting by Risa Maeda; Editing by Michael Watson and Jane Baird)

Just to be clear, this is not about Daiichi, or even Daini or Hamaoka. It's about other reactors in Japan

 

[dorispulaski]

And TEPCO has had some problems with its website, so its status for 4 PM JST May 22 was illegible until just now:

- At 3:33 pm, on May 22nd, we began spraying freshwater to the Spent Fuel
Pool of Unit 1 by a concrete pumping vehicle.

- At approx. 2:00 pm, May 21st, nitrogen injection to the vessel was
stopped (The compressor stopped due to "High temperature".) The back-up
supply facility was started up (approx. 20m3/h) at 5:00pm, May 21st. The
amount of nitrogen was increased to approx. 26 m3/h at 8:31pm. At 10:56
am, on May 22nd, we stopped the back-up supply facility. At 11:23 am, we
started the nitrogen gas compressor we planned to use for Units 2 and 3
(increased to approx. 28m3/h).

- From 0:30 pm to 1:50 pm, on May 22nd, we sampled, on a trial basis,
radioactive materials in the ambient air at the opening of the Reactor
Building, Unit 1. We will analyze and evaluate.

- At 1:02 pm on May 22nd, we started injecting freshwater to the spent
fuel pool of Unit 2 by Fuel Pool Cooling and Filtering (Clean up) System
(We added hydrazine from 1:04pm to 2:03pm). We finished injection at
2:40 pm on the same day.

No huge news, but I'm posting it for completeness sake.

 

[dorispulaski]

Here's the morning NHK reports.

By the way, TEPCO posted another radiation survey map of the site, to show the location of the very radioactive piece of junk near unit 3.

TEPCO measures radiation above reactor buildings
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is attempting to measure radiation levels directly above the Number 1 and 4 reactors. Tokyo Electric Power Company wants to see how much radioactive material is still being released from the reactors 2 months after the disaster.

To take the measurements, it is using a small instrument attached to the arm of a crane pump that's about 50 meters tall. On Sunday afternoon, for about 20 minutes, the instrument measured radioactive substances in the air about 5 to 10 meters above the Number 1 reactor building. TEPCO will disclose the results of the analysis as early as Tuesday.

The area above the Number 4 reactor will be measured on Monday afternoon.

As part of TEPCO's timetable to stabilize the situation at the plant, it plans to cover the reactor buildings with a type of polyester sheet to stop diffusion of radioactive substances into the air. It will use the latest measurement data to check the feasibility of the plan.
Monday, May 23, 2011 09:52 +0900 (JST)

People are not evacuating the high radiation areas outside the 20 km zone as the government demanded. It is interesting that the demand to evacuate is not legally binding. It makes me wonder whether the evacuations from inside the 20km zone is legally binding or not.

Many residents still remain in Iitate, Kawamata
About half the residents living in parts of Fukushima Prefecture where an evacuation order is in place have still not left one week before the government-set deadline runs out.

On April 22nd, the government ordered people in Iitate Village and a part of Kawamata Town to leave by the end of this month because of radiation exposure from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Officials have been placing priority on evacuating households with infants and small children.

But only about half of the 7,800 residents have followed the order one month after it was issued. Some residents remaining in the areas say emergency shelters are far from their work places and their children's schools. Others say they will lose their jobs if they move away.

People in areas with relatively low levels of radiation hope to delay their evacuation until temporary housing is completed in the summer. The officials say they will continue to urge the remaining residents to leave. But meeting the deadline will be difficult, as the evacuation order is not legally binding.

The 2 communities are located outside the 20 kilometer radius around the crippled nuclear plant. The central government earlier instructed residents living inside the 20 kilometer zone to evacuate.
Monday, May 23, 2011 11:46 +0900 (JST)

Quake caused no major damage to reactors
Tokyo Electric Power Company has found from its data that the March 11th earthquake caused no safety abnormalities at the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant until the tsunami came. The plant operator is expected to submit its analysis of data following the quake in a report to the government on Monday.

TEPCO's data was intact from the time the quake hit until the tsunami arrived and destroyed all power sources. But afterward, data was only gathered at times when batteries and other power sources were used. TEPCO undertook its analysis using the available data and interviews with plant workers. The plant operator concluded the quake caused no major damage to the main piping and other parts of the reactors. TEPCO found no safety abnormalities at any of the reactors until the tsunami hit.

At the No.1 reactor, where a meltdown is suspected, workers may have manually shut down the reactor's emergency cooling system immediately after the quake. It is said that the operation subsequently caused problems for cooling the reactor. TEPCO has gone through a manual on the operation of the reactor cooling system and investigated why it took nearly 3 hours to restore the system. The findings are expected to be included in the report.
Monday, May 23, 2011 08:15 +0900 (JST

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/23_10.html
Click on the video to view it.
New video shows tsunami damage at nuclear plant

New video footage from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant gives a clearer look at the external damage from the March 11th tsunami and subsequent hydrogen explosions.

It was filmed from a vehicle by a plant worker over the weekend.

In the footage, the collapsed No.4 reactor building appears first. To the north is the No.3 reactor building, which also collapsed, and the No.1 reactor building, whose steel frame is exposed near its roof.

The ground around the No.4 turbine building is littered with twisted steel frames and other debris. A smashed vehicle is embedded front-first in the ground.

The footage also shows newly built prefabricated structures, heavy machinery and workers in protective clothing.

The tsunami in March severely damaged a facility that pumps in seawater for the plant's cooling system.

Near the No.1 reactor, an oil tank swept away by the tsunami is blocking a road.
Monday, May 23, 2011 09:50 +0900 (JST)

IAEA nuclear experts head for Japan
Experts from the UN nuclear watchdog have left for Japan to investigate the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant that was caused by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. Six experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency left Vienna on Sunday.

One of them said he is looking forward to learning a lot and the team will see as much as it can. They will meet 14 other specialists from 10 member nations in Tokyo and begin a 10-day mission on Tuesday. The United States and France are among the nations sending experts on nuclear power and earthquakes.

The team is due to collect and analyze information at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and Tokyo Electric Power Company before visiting the plant.

They will draw up a report on the impact of the disaster at the nuclear plant and the responses to the accident.

The team will present the report at IAEA ministerial talks in Vienna that will begin on June 20th.
Monday, May 23, 2011 11:46 +0900 (JST)

and while some boats have been found drifting and brought ashore, here's a boat that has been returned to the sea:
Boat washed ashore by tsunami moved back to sea

A fishing boat washed ashore by the March 11th tsunami has been moved by a floating crane to waters off Miyagi Prefecture. The 800-ton tuna fishing boat had been on a road near Kesennuma port since the tsunami struck more than 2 months ago.

The floating crane docked about 50 meters away lifted the ship 3 meters above the ground on Monday morning. Nearly 100 people watched the boat being moved.
The ship's owner, Noriyuki Suzuki, says he became emotional when he saw the symbol of devastation being returned to the sea. Suzuki says he will repair the ship and go fishing again.

The floating crane will be used to move other vessels that were washed ashore near the port.
Monday, May 23, 2011 14:36 +0900 (JST)

 

[dorispulaski]

And looking at the daily radiation levels, I thought it would be interesting to see how they have changed at Daiichi. Some of this change is due to the rapid decay of the shortest half life isotopes, but some is also due to the cleanup TEPCO has been doing:

May 23rd, 2:00 PM JST
Daiichi
Eight peripheral points ( 6, 25, 17, 16, 20, 42, 128, 108 ) microSieverts per hour
Main Office Building 379 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 15 microSieverts per hour
Mobile Cart near West Gate 16.1 microSieverts per hour

By contrast, this is what the measurements were on April 9th:

Eight peripheral points ( 12, 40, 40, 39, 77, 121, 246, 204 ) microSieverts per hour
Main Office Building 620 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 40 microSieverts per hour

 

[let`s talk]

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/24/134828205/a-country-divided-japans-electric-bottleneck

Tokyo and northern Japan use 50Hz/ 100 to 127 V. Power
The rest of Japan uses 60 Hz / 100 to 127 V. Power

Because of TEPCO's & Tohoku's troubles, there are rolling blackouts in northern/eastern Japan. And manufacturers in northern Japan can't just get power from southern/western Japan because of the frequency difference.

A Country Divided: Japan's Electric Bottleneck

Blackouts That Could Continue For Years

The article is dated on March 24. Since then many things have been changed. Blackouts were never popular among the population, naturally. Most of them were cancelled. In my place we in total had three, but we had been promised to have way more. Most of things resumed their usual operations: trains, advertising signs, etc. Still not 100%. I would say in Greater Tokyo it's about 90-95%. Have no details about the rest of Japan. One of my neighbor is obsessed with Disney and keeps illumination in her garden all year, she just changes the topic. After the quake she hasn't switched the stuff on yet. Now she is kidding that since she could save the money on electricity bills, she can buy some extra Disney stuff but she has no idea when she will be able to use it. What I am saying is that people are waiting when the government finally says "yes, we now all can use electricity as before 100%," but nobody knows when it will happen.

 

[dorispulaski]

let's talk--the reason that I was interested in that article was because it documented the fact that Japan has two different electrical systems and that there are only some 3 places where there are transformers so that power can be transferred from one to the other. This is very unusual in the world (that one country has 2 different frequences of power), and I had no idea that Japan was that way.

And it may make things more difficult, going forward. From what I've read, which may be wrong, Japan's greatest need for electricity is during the hot summer months, and if there are to be additional blackouts, that's when they will be.

I have also read NHK articles in the last week from manufacturers' associations who want to be assured of a stable, consistent source of electricity, and they also worry about summer.

In fact, I posted one from Reuters:

Japan needs reactor restarts for summer -utilities

Fri May 20, 2011 11:40am GMT

Things are in enough flux that I don't feel confident making any predictions of how the summer will go. If the coming Japanese summer is like our spring here in CT is this year, it will be so cold that air conditioning will not be needed at all, and there will be no problems.

I hope your Disney loving friend will be able to light her displays again some time soon.

However, long term, this might be the time to add more links and transformers between the two grids, and if energy policy is being rethought, this issue is something to consider.

 

[mot]

let's talk--the reason that I was interested in that article was because it documented the fact that Japan has two different electrical systems and that there are only some 3 places where there are transformers so that power can be transferred from one to the other. This is very unusual in the world (that one country has 2 different frequences of power), and I had no idea that Japan was that way.

According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_frequency, and other Japanese source I found on the net;

It was because the commercial generation of electricity in Japan started completely privately. There were two private utility companies set up, the one in Tokyo and the other in Osaka. The company, which is now TEPCO, imported the generator from Germany and the company in Osaka, which is now Kansai Electric Power Corporation, imported one from the US (made by GE). The former produced 50Hz and the latter 60Hz. And for some reasons, they never tried to unify the systems. It was perhaps because the boundary between those regional electricity suppliers were so finite and clearly drawn that they did not need to standardise? I remember, back in the days, when I bought a mains-powered clock, there was a little switch at the back to set either to 60Hz or to 50 Hz. If you didn't set it correctly, the clock was pretty useless.


Also according to this article (sorry in Japanese) it was not until the 1900s, after introduction of transformers, when the utility companies across the world started to unify the system at least within their own country. Before that there used to be about 8 different frequencies, anything between 16Hz to 133.3Hz, were generated according to the specific use and the designer / engineer's specification for generators. The US decided on 60Hz and Germany on 50Hz.

Typically though, in the UK, the chaos continued until the end of the WWI - 40Hz in Newcastle and 25Hz in Glasgow, and so on. They finally realised that the chaos was not working for them and decided on 50Hz.


BTW, Doris, I seriously thought about returning to be of help, then I remembered that having been trained in the UK, the country NOT prone to the earthquake at all, I critically lack in the knowledge and experience in earthquake engineering, which renders me utterly useless as a practising architect over there, especially considering the current situations. :disapp:

 

[Olympia]

Mot, that's fascinating about the different frequencies. I know of two other things that were once not standardized: time and railroad track gauges. You can see how inconvenient those would have been for travel outside a certain area. In fact, I think that "railroad time" was what started the march toward standard time zones. The idea of building tracks to a standard gauge seems to have originated in England. Apparently the gauge is roughly the same as the wheelspan for ancient Roman chariots, though probably not on purpose.

I'm willing to bet that the U.S. standardization came about for the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed in about 1869. Though I could be wrong, of course. Maybe it was standardized earlier when factories started manufacturing rail cars and selling them to different railroad lines.

 

[dorispulaski]

mot, Thanks for sharing about the reasons for the two frequencies. Not only is it interesting (I knew the bare facts, but not the history.)

I'm sorry to hear that earthquake proof building is not taught in the UK, for your sake, and that you would not be able to go and help. That is sad.

Olympia,
http://www.snopes.com/history/american/gauge.asp

Snopes does a really long run-down on railroad gauges (skip the initial false email, and go straight to the goods) to debunk an email. The US has one gauge because the North won the Civil War, and rebuilt the Southern railways to match. And the size of railways got determined by where the engines and cars were purchased (rather like the Japanese electrical generators).

But when you think about it, both electricity and railways demonstrate that private enterprise is not always a plus when building something that must serve a whole nation. Government and standardization have something to say for themselves as well.

The other thing that is interesting about both the rail gauge and electricity frequency stories is that they are about how standards come about, which feeds into a radiation story that I will get to later.

Yesterday's NHK stories:

Nice to see TEPCO doing some of the stuff that is on their recovery plan:

Work to reinforce No.4 reactor building begins

Work began on Monday at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to reinforce the structure supporting the No.4 reactor's spent fuel pool.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, the plant's operator, says the work is necessary to install a cooling system for the stored spent fuel.

An explosion that occurred 4 days after the March 11 earthquake damaged the spent fuel pool inside the building housing the No.4 reactor.

TEPCO's plan calls for building a new concrete structure under the pool to prevent its bottom from falling out. 30 steel columns will be set up on the second floor of the building to support the new structure.

Workers entered the building on Monday. They shielded the heat exchanger to prevent high levels of radiation from affecting workers. They also removed walls that might hinder their activity, and erected a scaffold.

TEPCO says it hopes to erect the columns next month and complete the reinforcement by the end of July.

The utility's latest plan for putting the reactors under control has an end-of-July deadline for the installation of a water recycling system for cooling the No.4 reactor's spent fuel pool.

The water inside the pool remains hot, at around 80 degrees Celsius.
Monday, May 23, 2011 12:59 +0900 (JST)

And this is an example of what happens when realities, fears, standards, and financial considerations all collide. Frankly, the human race is quite risk-averse, and does not "boldly go where no man has gone before" without very good reasons. Chernobyl was like this, but less so. Ukraine/Russia/Belarus have lots of land compared to their populations, and can lock the door in an area the size of Rhode Island and ignore what's in there...at least for the most part. Perhaps Japan cannot. It's one of the interesting parts of this ongoing story to me.

This is IMO, a sane way to cut the balance between real risk and feared risk versus cost.

[/B]Companies in no-go zone begin radiation checks[/B]

Companies in a village near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that have been granted permission to continue operations have begun daily monitoring of their workplace radiation levels. The government expanded the 20-kilometer evacuation zone around the plant last month, due to the risks associated with long-term radiation exposure. Residents of Iitate Village, 30 kilometers northwest of the plant, must evacuate by the end of May.

But the government has allowed 9 companies in the village to continue operations on the condition that they monitor and report their workers' exposure to radiation. A local precision equipment maker began conducting worker radiation checks on Monday.

Some 60 employees received instructions on how to use a radiation dosimeter. They then measured and recorded their radiation levels. The company's workers are to take exposure readings on a daily basis before going home from work.

The company says it is also using various strategies to reduce the amount of radioactive matter that enters the factory, such as keeping windows closed and moving outdoor air conditioning units above the ground.
Monday, May 23, 2011 18:09 +0900 (JST)

Take precautions where you can (like moving the air conditioner air intake) and measure the results. Sounds good to me, and should provide maximum protection at a minimum of expense. Only thing I'd do differently is to have the workers wear the dosimeters all the time. If their total dose matters, it matters all the time. And the results of knowing those doses would add to knowledge of effects of low dose radiation, experiments we sorely need to have done.

The next one is not a complete story. Just because there is a gap in time between when the Areva water conditioning system is complete (scheduled for June) and when the 2 tank buildings are full doesn't mean that TEPCO is just going to throw up its hands and watch the water rise indefinitely. There are several options:

1. The Mega barge just docked, and can be used.
2. There are other on site buildings that can be sealed and used as tanks, just as the last 2 buildings were used.
3. Since it is for a short time, in a pinch, built on site tanks, like those used for Unit 6's water, can be used.

It's just that at this point, TEPCO hasn't said what they are going to do.

Contaminated water removal to be suspended soon

The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant is continuing the transfer of highly radioactive water from 2 reactor buildings to storage facilities within the compound, but the facilities are expected to become full within 3 or 4 days.

About 47,000 tons of contaminated water has accumulated in the turbine buildings and utility tunnels, hampering Tokyo Electric Power Company's efforts to bring the plant under control.

TEPCO is pumping a total of 14,000 tons of such water from the Numbers 2 and 3 reactors to the storage facilities. But one of the facilities is expected to reach its capacity in 3 days and the other in 4 days, forcing the transfer to be suspended.
TEPCO says it is studying whether it is possible for the storing facilities to accept additional radioactive water for the time being, until it starts operating a new facility.

The new facility is designed to lower the radiation level of the contaminated water on a full-fledged basis, and then use the water to cool the reactors. The facility is expected to be completed by mid-June.

The utility says the levels of the remaining contaminated water at the 2 reactors remain almost unchanged and that there is no immediate risk that the radioactive water will leak into the ground or the sea. TEPCO says it is monitoring operations closely to prevent any leaks.

TEPCO reported that it had discovered contaminated water leaking into the sea in April, and again earlier this month. The utility has since taken measures to prevent further leaks.
Monday, May 23, 2011 19:25 +0900 (JST)

 

[dorispulaski]

TEPCO stuff from May 23rd

-On May 23rd, we changed the rate of water injection to Unit 3 through the fire extinction system piping arrangement from approximately 6 m3/h to approximately 5 m3/h at 11:31 am and from approximately 5 m3/h to approximately 4 m3/h at 2:08 pm.

-On May 23rd, we improved the working environment around a monitoring post (No.3) out of 8 posts located at the border of the plant site by decontaminating the detectors and installing shields to the lower half of detectors.

-On May 23rd, we sprayed dust inhibitor areas including nearby Noninflammales Treatment Facility, using the conventional method.

-At approximately 10:20 am on May 23rd, a partner company's worker who was unloading a tank for the treatment water at the carry-in gate for large stuff, the 1st floor of On-site Bunker Building, had his left hand injured. After having diagnoses at the medical room of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and at J village, he was transferred to Iwaki Kyouritsu Hospital by an ambulance. No contamination to his body was confirmed.

The cleanup around monitoring post 3 didn't change its readings particularly. On the other hand, the cleanup around the last monitoring post they did made a big change. In each case, they moved the monitoring cart that is usually near the west gate to the cleaned up space to be sure that any changes from the cleanup were real and not an artifact of a damaged monitoring point.

I like that.

 

[dorispulaski]

Today's TEPCO info so far:


May 24th, 9:00 PM JST
Wind southeast

Daiichi
Eight peripheral points ( 6, 25, 16, 16, 20, 41, 128, 107 ) microSieverts per hour
Main Building 383 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 15 microSieverts per hour
Cart near West Gate 15.8 microSieverts per hour

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11052402-e.html

TEPCO has written a huge report, answering questions from the government and NISA about

Thereafter we put together the contents in a report on the result of investigation of causes that brought about damage situation of power facilities inside and outside of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and those why protective devices of transmission lines worked and electric transmission was suspended (Countermeasures in the future are included in the result). We announce we submitted the report to NISA yesterday on May 23.

The report, being huge, will take a while before it is available in English.

On May 24th they have reported so far:

- On May 23rd, we changed the rate of water injection to Unit 3 through the fire extinction system piping arrangement from approximately 4 m3/h to approximately 3 m3/h at 5:19 pm. The current rate of water injection is approximately 3 m3/h through the fire extinction system piping arrangement and approximately 12 m3/h through the reactor feed water system piping arrangement.

As mentioned before, hydrazine is a corrosion inhibiter. I presume its going into spent fuel pools, prepatory to installing the heat exchanger system, where corrosion would be a bad idea. If you remember, there was a lot of salt water dumped into the spent fuel pools, and as a result, the water in the pools is likely prone to cause corrosion.


They are continuing to lower the rate of water injection into Unit 3. The rate was raised because Unit 3 had heated up quite a bit. Now it is cooler. They are changing the rate gradually to hit the balance between low temperature and excessive water weight, not to mention likely increased contaminated water to deal with later.
The temperature at the water nozzle is below 110 C, less than the other two reactors now.

- On May 23rd, from 4:00pm to 7:09pm we sprayed water to the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 by the concrete pumping vehicle (from 2:17 pm to 2:37 pm, we sampled, on a trial basis, radioactive materials in the ambient air at the opening of the Reactor Building. We added hydrazine from 4:08pm to 6:30pm). - We will

More spraying of dust inhibitor

- On May 24th, we are spraying dust inhibitor on the east side of the turbine buildings of Units 2 and 3 using an unmanned crawler dump truck in order to prevent diffusion of radioactive materials on the ground. - On May 24th, we are spraying dust inhibitor to areas including nearby Solid Waste Storing Facility in a conventional method.

What's interesting is that you can now actually see the effects of the dust inhibiter:
Here's the graph of radioactive dust at Daini
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110524e6.pdf

and here's the graph of radioactive dust at Daiichi
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110524e5.pdf

There is actually more Cesium 137 in the air at Daini than Daiichi.

Concentration of radioactive materials in seawater, outside the inner harbor, continues to decrease and is below reporting limits for Cs 134, Cs 137, and I 131 at all points, including the Daiichi north and south discharge channels.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110524e12.pdf

As do the concentration of materials in the subdrains. There has been no radioactive material found in the deep well for over a month.

In the inner harbor, all measurements except for the one near the units 1 to 4 intake have returned to the level they were at before the Unit 3 spill. Yesterday's measurement for the one exception spiked up from the day before. This may be simply due to some large random particle in the sample, or may be a sign of things to come.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110524e8.pdf

 

[dorispulaski]

Today's NHK articles

Actually, this data has been analyzed by a number of people a number of times, and the conclusions have been different. Last week, you would have thought the bottom of the primary containments of Unit One and Unit Three were indistinguishable form sieves. Today, the temperatures are down, and the Unit Three leak appears to have been another pipe chase leak, and relatively easy to stop. Everybody says the fuel melted down, but there have been disagreements as to what percent melted down.

Actually, the best news overall would be if there were 3 complete nuclear plant meltdowns with no one killed or severely sickened due to radiation.

It isn't exactly the picture of a nuclear disaster that people were sold by Greenpeace & so forth. One meltdown was supposed to cause the end of life as we know it. They were wrong.

On the other hand, it occurred. If NPP operators in Japan were selling that accidents never occurred, they have been proved wrong, too.

What is clear is that if 3 plants melt down, there will be an expensive cleanup that is very disruptive to people's lives. In fact, the expense is the thing that will most go toward keeping power companies who own nuclear plants being very, very careful, if they weren't already



Meltdowns also at No.2 and No.3 reactors

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says fuel meltdowns are believed to have occurred at the No.2 and No.3 reactors within a few days after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami Tokyo Electric Power Company said earlier this month that fuel rods at the plant's No.1 reactor had melted.

The utility said on Tuesday that data analysis shows the No.2 reactor may have lost its cooling system shortly after 1:00 PM on March 14th, 3 days after the quake. If all the fuel rods were exposed, they would have started melting at around 8:00 PM that day. By 8:00 PM on March 15th --- some 101 hours after the quake --- much of the fuel would have melted and collected at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel.

The No.3 reactor likely lost its cooling system at around 2:00 AM on March 13th. Fuel would have begun melting at around 9:00 AM that day, and most of it would have dropped to the bottom of the vessel by 3:00 AM on March 14th --- about 60 hours after the quake. The possibility of a meltdown would have been the same even if the rods were partially submerged in water. Nearly half the fuel rods at the 2 reactors would have melted down within a week of the March 11th disaster.

Tokyo Electric says it had assumed from the start that the fuel roads were damaged, but had focused on cooling the reactors rather than assessing the extent of damage. Goshi Hosono, who serves as advisor to the prime minister, said the delay in publicizing the extent of damage may have been inevitable.But he expressed remorse over the government's overly optimistic response to the crisis. Masanori Naito of the Institute of Applied Energy says analysis of data on the reactors' conditions is easy, and could have been completed in a day. He says the analysis should have been done much earlier, as it would have provided important clues to long-term cooling and other measures.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 19:12 +0900 (JST)

TEPCO still looking into emergency cooling system
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is still unable to determine how long an emergency cooling system at the Number 1 reactor remained off after the March 11 earthquake.
Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Company spoke to reporters on Tuesday about the system, which can function without external sources of power.

Operating records at the plant show that the system turned on automatically 6 minutes after the earthquake, at 2:52 PM, and halted 11 minutes later, at 3:03 PM. The system was back on more than 3 hours later, at 6:18 PM.

TEPCO says that based on hearing from workers, it has confirmed that the system was manually shut down at 3:03 PM.. It said this step was made based on a manual, in order to prevent damage to the reactor, because the temperature of the water to cool the No.1 reactor had dropped sharply.

TEPCO says the system may have been turned on in the 3 hours until 6:18, but that it cannot clearly determine the course of events based on studies of circuits and interviews with workers.

The utility firm says at this point it cannot determine to what extent the emergency system was functioning, and that it will continue investigating. The firm also said that data taken in the 30 minutes after the earthquake show no irregularities in all safety features of the Number 1 to 3 reactors such as emergency power sources and in major facilities of the plant.On May 16th, TEPCO disclosed the plant's operating records from immediately after the earthquake. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has instructed the firm to submit a report after analyzing them further and assessing their effects on nuclear safety.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 14:00 +0900 (JST)

Cow are sometimes treated better than people.

Cattle moved out of evacuation area
Residents in an evacuation area near the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have started moving their cattle to a neighboring city.Katsurao village is helping livestock farmers move their animals as it aims to complete the evacuation by the end of May. More than 400 cows are still in the village.

The transfer of about 170 cows from the village to neighboring Tamura City started on Tuesday. Earlier this month, small amount of radioactive cesium was detected in beef processed from cows carried from Katsurao Village to Aomori Prefecture.

The cattle transfer from the village to Tamura City is to continue through this week. Many livestock farmers in other communities under evacuation orders have stayed on their farms, as they have animals to take care of.

Fukushima prefectural government is trying to evacuate them, by seeking places to move their animals, or urging them to sell the livestock.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 19:11 +0900 (JST)

And NISA wants another report. Despite public unhappiness, TEPCO has not done a bad job with seawater. Clearly, they learned a lot between leak one and leak two.
100x the yearly limit is a lot better than 20,000x the yearly limit.

NISA wants measures to stop seawater contamination
Japan's nuclear regulatory agency has instructed the operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to take additional measures to prevent further leakage of radioactive water into the sea.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, found on May 11th that highly radioactive water was flowing into the sea through a pit near a water intake for the plant's No. 3 reactor.

TEPCO estimates that 250 tons of contaminated water was discharged in 41 hours, and that it contained 20 terabecquerels of radioactivity -- about 100 times more than permitted annually at the plant.

In April, contaminated water with about 4,700 terabecquerels -- 20,000 times more than the annual limit -- was discharged into the sea from the No. 2 reactor.

TEPCO is trying to plug pits at the plant with concrete and studying the feasibility of building a system for purifying seawater near the water intake.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency ordered TEPCO to also survey other places at risk of radioactive leakage and take preventive action.

The agency has also asked TEPCO to wrap up a plan for storing and treating radioactively contaminated water at the plant by June 1st.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 20:52 +0900 (JST)

Hint: TEPCO already submitted this plan as part of its post unit 3 report.
and the government is setting up a study panel. Clearly this is winding down, then.

Govt to set up panel to probe Fukushima accident
The Japanese government has decided to set up a panel to investigate the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku announced that the investigation and verification committee will be headed by Yotaro Hatamura, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo.

The 70-year-old Hatamura has been involved in probing serious accidents, including a 2005 train derailment where 106 passengers and driver were killed. He advocates "failure science" -- learning from past failures to prevent recurrences.

Sengoku added that as many panel members as possible will be chosen among people who have not worked in atomic power related fields, in order to carry out an impartial investigation.

The panel is to compile an interim report by the end of the year.

Sengoku says Tokyo Electric Power Company, related administrative organizations, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and other cabinet members will be subject to investigation without exemption.]/b\Tuesday, May 24, 2011 14:00 +0900 (JST)

ahh. Definitely it is punish the innocent and reward the non-participants time. It is report writing season.

Kaieda holds talks with IAEA investigating team
A team of experts from the UN's nuclear watchdog group has arrived in Japan to investigate the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and has met with Japan's industry minister Banri Kaieda.

Kaieda met the team from the International Atomic Energy Agency in Tokyo on Tuesday evening. The team of nuclear experts from Britain, France and other nations arrived in Japan earlier in the day.

Kaieda said his government will fully cooperate with the team's investigations.

Team leader Mike Weightman said his agency wants to make use of lessons from the accident to improve the safety of nuclear power plants across the globe.

Weightman later told reporters that his team will investigate how the accident occurred, the management and administration of the plant and what measures have been taken after the accident.

The team will carry out its investigation until the beginning of June and will present a report at a ministerial conference of IAEA member states that will begin on June 20th in Vienna.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 20:52 +0900 (JST)

It should be remembered that Weightman also was the guy who firmly OK'd the British plan to expand and keep nuclear power plants because Britain is not prone to earthquakes or tsunamis, and has no nearby subduction fault.
and UNSCEAR will be studying any radiation effects from Daiichi. This is the UN group that has been doing the post-Chernobyl studies.

UN to investigate Fukushima radiation effect
A UN body says it will study the effect of radiation from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant using data provided by the Japanese government.

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, or UNSCEAR, made the decision at a regular meeting at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on Monday.

The organization says it will spend one year analyzing radiation data from the Japanese government to discern the effect on humans and the environment. It will report interim results to the UN General Assembly by May next year.

UNSCEAR, comprised of scientists from 21 countries, has conducted long-term studies on survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is also monitoring the impact on human health of the Chernobyl accident in 1986.

UNSCEAR Chairperson Wolfgang Weiss told reporters that, based on the obtained data, he does not think the Fukushima accident has affected residents' health so far.

But he emphasized that people around the plant must be monitored for a long time.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 07:05 +0900 (JST)

Govt concerned over nuke crisis impact on economy
Japan's government has left its basic economic assessment unchanged, while expressing concern over the negative impacts of the ongoing Fukushima nuclear accident on the domestic economy.

In its monthly economic report for May, released on Tuesday, the Cabinet Office lowered its evaluation of corporate earnings, capital investment and housing construction.

The report says corporate production is falling due partly to disrupted supplies of industrial parts, which is leading to a decline in exports.

The report concluded that the economy is showing continuing signs of weakness, and maintained its April assessment, which was downgraded for the first time in 6 months following the disaster in March.

The government says the ongoing nuclear accident could further increase consumer reluctance to spend and hurt Japan's tourism and retail industries. It adds that overseas fears of radiation may also undermine exports of Japanese farm and industrial products.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 17:52 +0900 (JST

However, Toyota is coming back!

Toyota's output to be 90% of pre-disaster level
Toyota Motor plans to raise its domestic output next month to about 90 percent of the pre-disaster level, moving up the maker's production recovery timetable.

Industry sources say Toyota will increase its daily production level to 11,000 units.

Toyota's output is now around half of what it was before the March disaster. The firm initially forecast that its output would return to about 70 percent by June.

The faster-than-expected recovery has been helped by a restoration of suppliers of key components such as microcontrollers. Toyota has also found alternative supply sources.

The maker had planned to return to full production in November or December, but this schedule is now expected to be moved up as well.

Toyota is expected to run its factories even on holidays to increase output.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 16:36 +0900 (JST)

There is one other story I need to cover, but I'm not finished with it yet.

 

[Olympia]

Doris, thanks for the info about railroad gauges, as well as all the regular updates. I had always read that the North had an advantage to begin with in the war largely because they had so many more railroad lines and trains than the South, and this article confirms that and adds more detail.

Your point about the role of government in many industries is an excellent one. It's a good pathway for imposing standards, not just of quality, but also of uniformity, so that everything works well together.

Your image of the Soviet Union, rich in land, just "closing the door" on a huge area, is so vivid. That difference between the USSR and constricted little Japan--not even an entire contiguous land area, just a collection of islands--has stood out starkly for me as well. They can't just leave that area behind and move on. They have to try to protect and reclaim it. That factor makes it even more puzzling to me that Japan seems to have been so cavalier about regulation and preparation. They will indeed have to learn from failure, alas.

 

[dorispulaski]

Well, yes, we all have to learn from failure. Mostly, we learn that we, too, can make mistakes.

It is worth remembering that if they hadn't underestimated the size a tsunami could be at Daiichi, that there might have been a significantly smaller problem, and perhaps no problem at all. At most, there would have been a problem with Unit 1.

And as to TEPCO's 3:00 PM JST March 25th status

Daini 9:00 PM JST March 25th
Six peripheral points ( 1.8, 1.4, 1.9, 1.6, 1.6, 1.6 ) microSieverts per hour
Manual 9:00 AM 1.1 microSieverts per hour

Daiichi May 25th, mostly 2:00 PM JST
Data on measure points 7 & 8 were done by monitoring car, due to power switchover
Eight peripheral measure points (6,25, 17,16, 20, 42) microSieverts per hour
Main Office Building 374 microSieverts per hour
Cart near West Gate at 8 am JST 15.9 microSieverts per hour
Measure point 7 by Cart at 1:30 PM JST 107.3 microSieverts per hour
Measure point 8 by Cart at 1:45 PM JST 109.7 microSieverts per hour



http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110525e3.pdf
All the seawater charts for the inner harbor are down today. It seems yesterday's spike at the 1-4 intake was just a big, nasty particle in the sample.

- Due to the change of onsite power source structure after the restoration of Okuma No. 2 line, power source to electromagnetic valve in Unit 1 nitrogen injection line was switched. Due to the switch, nitrogen injection was temporarily suspended at 9:14 am May 25th and was resumed at 9:18 am May 25th.

- Due to the stoppage of temporary power panel associated with the above structure change, transfer of water from vertical shaft of Unit 2 turbine building to centralized radiation waste treatment facility was suspended at 9:05am May 25th.

- Transfer of accumulated water from Unit 3 turbine building to centralized radiation waste treatment facility (miscellaneous solid waste volume reduction treatment building) was suspended at 9:10am May 25th in order to check the transfer lines and buildings. - On May 25th, we have sprayed dust inhibitor to areas including nearby Solid Waste Storing Facility.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11052507-e.html
Invocation of Article 27 of Electricity Business Act

TEPCO is worrying about meeting summer electricity demands, particularly if it is a hot summer.
And if you look at their analysis of soil, the only relatively long lived isotope in it is Cesium 137 at 30 years. They aren't finding any significant amount of plutonium. The next longest lived is Cesium 134 at a half life of 2 years. However, they need to do some more measurement of Strontium, which has the same half life as Cesium 137, approximately.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110525e11.pdf
Update on the worker who was injured:

Injured -We announced on May 23 that a worker who was unloading a tank had his left hand injured and was transferred to Iwaki Kyouritsu Hospital, On May 24, he was diagnosed as "crushed wound on his left thumb " with the prospect of one-month hospital visit

JAIF has some more info on core status of the 3 reactors, adding something to yesterday's NHK report:

TEPCO has been working to create a system to decontaminate and circulate water back into the reactors to cool them down since the discovery that water level in reactor No1 is very low.
TEPCO announced the results of the core damage analyses, which showed the fuel pellets have melted and fallen to the bottom of the reactor vessel at Unit 1 while at Unit 2 and 3 the core had been stayed at the fuel area in the vessel, without damaging the vessel, even though the part of the core had melted (5/15, 23). Another analysis, which was performed assuming that the reactor water level had not recovered after dropping below the bottom of the fuel at Unit 2 and 3, showed that the most of the core had melted and fallen to the bottom of the reactor, causing a limited damage to the vessel. TEPCO also predicts that an event associated with large amount of radioactive material release is not likely to happen in the future since the reactors have been cooled by means of water injection.*2

 

[dorispulaski]

This morning's new NHK articles:

Kan discusses nuclear safety with Sarkozy

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris to exchange views on the safety of nuclear power plants. Kan is in Paris to attend the Group of Eight summit, which opens in Deauville, northwestern France, on Thursday. At the bilateral summit on Wednesday, Kan is expected to express his gratitude for France's support in the aftermath of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

He is also expected to outline Japan's contribution to nuclear power generation safety efforts by offering all the information his government has on the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. Kan and Sarkozy are expected to affirm continued bilateral cooperation to resolve the crisis, and work to have the G8 summit agree on safety standards for nuclear power plants.

Along with nuclear safety, the G8 summit is expected to focus on negotiations for an economic partnership between Japan and the European Union. The leaders are also expected to discuss the Middle East and North Africa, where tension has continued in the wake of public protests demanding the democratization of their nations.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 21:38 +0900 (JST)

This is a sane, sensible thing to do. The results of the study will definitely be valuable.

DPJ calls to keep Fukushima cattle for research
Japan's governing Democratic Party has proposed that livestock left near the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant be kept for research purposes rather than culled as planned by the government. DPJ deputy policy chief Koriki Jojima said at a news conference on Wednesday that his party hopes to negotiate with the government on the proposal.

The government has already instructed the Fukushima prefectural government to cull livestock left in a 20-kilometer exclusion zone, with their owners' consent. The DPJ says its proposal is for animals whose owners have rejected the government plan.

Veterinary scientists at Wednesday's news conference told reporters that the proposed research would be very valuable since almost no studies have been conducted on livestock continually exposed to low levels of radiation.

The party says it will look for fields in the exclusion zone that can be made available for keeping the animals.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 19:48 +0900 (JST)

Part of the cows should be pastured in a non-contaminated area.
They have been behaving as though radioactivity were somehow contagious by touch.
Japan pledges full cooperation with IAEA

Japan has pledged full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in its investigation into the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano made the pledge when he met IAEA team leader Michael Weightman in Tokyo on Wednesday. Edano said it is extremely regrettable that the accident has caused worry and trouble around the world. He added that Japan is doing all it can to bring the plant under control, and that it has made efforts to disclose information with maximum transparency.

Edano said the IAEA's study will be crucial to secure transparency, and he asked the team to conduct a full, professional investigation. He added that the government has instructed relevant offices to provide utmost cooperation.

Weightman said the fact-finding mission provides an important opportunity for the world to learn lessons from the accident. He said the team will submit its findings to an IAEA ministerial meeting scheduled for the end of June. After the meeting, the chief British nuclear regulator told reporters that his team expects to find out what's happened and what is happening at the Fukushima plant, and the conditions of the sites. He said the team wants to find lessons to learn because high standards in nuclear safety are based on continued improvement.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 19:44 +0900 (JST)

[ b]Quake may have damaged key piping at No.3 reactor[/b]

Tokyo Electric Power Company has released data which suggests the March 11th earthquake damaged a critical piping system in the No. 3 reactor at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The utility said that analysis of pressure and temperature data from the days after the quake shows that the No.3 reactor lost its cooling system on March 13th. Much of its nuclear fuel likely melted down and collected at the bottom of the pressure vessel over the next 24 hours.

The analysis also shows that piping in an emergency cooling mechanism, known as a high-pressure coolant injection system, may have been damaged by the earthquake. The system is designed to maintain the water level inside the reactor vessel during an emergency.

The system is known to have automatically switched on shortly after noon on March 12th.

Pressure inside the reactor, which was 75 atmospheric pressure, plunged to about 10 atmospheric pressure over the next six hours.

Tokyo Electric says the drop in pressure is consistent with analysis which assumes the piping system had been damaged.

The piping system is one of the plant's most important structures in terms of safety, and must be damage-proof.

Tokyo Electric refuses to confirm, however, that the key piping system was damaged by the quake, and suggests that it is possible a gauge malfunction may be to blame for the data fluctuation.

Experts note that extensive investigation is needed to examine whether the massive earthquake damaged the cooling system.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 18:46 +0900 (JST)

Either explanation would work.
You may recall that TEPCO reported they were checking air quality over the reactors the other day, and would report the analysis. This is the report.
High levels of cesium detected above No.1 reactor

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says the density of radioactive cesium above the No.1 reactor is 18 times the permissible level for the edge of the plant's compound.

Large amounts of radioactive substances have been released into the air since reactor cores and buildings were damaged, but measurements were not available.

On Sunday, Tokyo Electric Power Company began measuring the density of radioactive elements above the No.1 and No.4 reactors.

The firm used instruments attached to the crane pumps that are injecting water into the reactors.

TEPCO detected 360 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic meter above the No.1 reactor, where most of the fuel rods are believed to have melted. The amount is 18 times the allowable limit for the plant's perimeter.

The firm also discovered 7.5 times the limit of cesium-134 above the No.4 reactor, which has no fuel in its core. The substance is believed to have come from the fuel storage pool and the neighboring No.3 reactor.

TEPCO says it will measure the levels of radioactive elements above the No.2 and No.3 reactors. It also plans to cover the reactor buildings with polyester sheets to prevent the further dispersal of radioactive materials into the air.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 07:48 +0900 (JST)

OK, there are 1,000,000 cubic centimeters in a cubic meter.
TEPCO just measured the Cesium 134 at the West Gate of Daiichi and at Measure point 1 at Daini:
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110525e6.pdf
DAINI
Cesium 134 at West Gate 8.8 Becquerels per cubic meter
Cesium 134 at Daini 13 Becquerels per cubic meter.
Cesium 134 at Unit 4 Daiichi 150 Becquerels per cubic meter
Cesium 134 at Unit 1 Daiichi 360 Becquerels per cubic meter
Typically, there should be a similar amount of Cesium 137, which has a much more important long term effect, however, it's release limit is higher: net result is that the news report would be slightly less shocking.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu11_e/images/110525e7.pdf
If you will check the Daiichi trend chart, you will note the release levels for allowing workers to work on the right hand side. Cesium 137 limit is higher than Cesium 134.
And this is all speculation, pretty much, and will be until someone can take the reactors apart and actually look at them. I still find it hard to believe that Unit 1 can maintain the level of pressure it has with a hole in the pressure vessel.

TEPCO: reactor damage includes holes
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says data analyses suggest damage to its reactors may have caused cracks and openings in the reactor containment vessels equivalent to a 10-centimeter hole.

Reactors 1 through 3 at the plant suffered nuclear fuel meltdowns after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. This is likely to have created holes and cracks at the bottom of the pressure vessels protecting the reactor cores and damaged the containment vessels.

Massive amounts of highly radioactive water also leaked from the structures.

Tokyo Electric Power Company analyzed the changes in pressure levels inside the pressure and containment vessels to gauge the scope of the damage.

TEPCO said the analyses show that holes in the Number 1 reactor containment vessel amounting to 3 centimeters in total may have formed 18 hours after the quake. It said that may have expanded to 7 centimeters at least 50 hours after the quake.

The utility said holes and cracks equivalent to 10 centimeters in diameter may have formed in the Number 2 reactor's containment vessel about 21 hours after the quake. It said a similar amount of holes could have been created in the suppression pool chamber by an explosion heard coming from there on March 15th.

TEPCO said these results were obtained through data calculations, and that it has yet to confirm whether such holes actually exist.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 12:56 +0900 (JST)

 

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NEI posted its weekly update 2 days early:

UPDATE AS OF 4 P.M. EDT, TUESDAY, MAY 24:
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said today that fuel damage likely occurred in reactors 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility in the first few days after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Both reactors are now reported to be stable and at relatively low temperatures. The extent of the fuel damage is unknown. If the water gauges inside the two reactors are accurate, there was sufficient water in the reactors to prevent damage to all the fuel, the company said.

Most of the fuel damage that occurred in reactor 2 is believed to have taken place within 100 hours of the earthquake. TEPCO believes fuel was damaged in reactor 3 within 60 hours. The company previously confirmed that fuel was damaged in reactor 1.

TEPCO plans to install two heat exchangers today to lower the temperature of the used reactor fuel at reactor 2.


UPDATE AS OF 1:30 P.M. EDT, FRIDAY, MAY 20:
Below is a round-up of noteworthy news that happened this week with regard to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the U.S. nuclear industry's response.


Plant Status
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) workers entered reactor buildings 2 and 3 Wednesday for the first time since explosions at the facility. Radiation levels in building 2 peaked at 5 rem per hour. Facing high heat and humidity, the workers remained in the building for only 15 minutes. In reactor 3, radiation peaked at 17 rem per hour near a pipe connected to the reactor. TEPCO employees first entered the reactor 1 building on May 5.

TEPCO is looking at how to begin nitrogen injection into reactors 2 and 3 to further stabilize them. The company has been injecting nitrogen into reactor 1 for several weeks. High humidity in building 2 is hampering operations. In building 3, high radiation levels must be reduced before workers can begin efforts to inject nitrogen. TEPCO announced plans to install new cooling systems for fuel pools in four of the six reactors at the site. It is believed the new systems will reduce the high humidity in the reactor buildings.

TEPCO provided a new timeline for recovery of the damaged reactors, recognizing challenges the company has encountered are slowing progress on certain activities. The company reaffirmed that the target timeframe for stabilizing the plant-between October and January-remains unchanged.

Radiation levels in the ocean near the Fukushima Daiichi facility increased again on Thursday, but overall radiation is decreasing in seawater and other areas around the facility.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has created two radiation-proof forklifts to assist TEPCO workers in removing debris from the Fukushima Daiichi site. TEPCO has been using robotic and remote-controlled equipment for clean-up activities. The forklifts, with cabins sealed by 10 centimeter-thick steel plates and more than 20 centimeter-thick lead-glass, have filters that keep out radioactive dust.

Industry/Regulatory/Political Issues

Industry consultant Lake Barrett told the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on May 13 that the tsunami, not the earthquake, caused most of the damage at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

A blue ribbon commission studying U.S. used fuel policies heard briefings May 13 on the Fukushima Daiichi accident from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Energy Department. The NRC representative summarized agency activities since the earthquake and tsunami damaged the facility. The DOE spokesman also discussed his agency's activities, including a workshop scheduled for June 6-7 that will bring the nuclear energy community together to discuss lessons learned from the Japan event and potential actions that could further enhance nuclear safety.

Media Highlights

TEPCO had a net loss of $15.4 billion for the fiscal year that ended March 31, and the company's president has announced his resignation, CNN reports.

Japan will continue to use nuclear power plants "that are deemed safe," Prime Minister Naoto Kan said in a Reuters report, but "we need to fully consider what needs to be done to enhance the safety of nuclear power."

TEPCO said the earthquake that struck Fukushima Daiichi March 11 exceeded design specifications at three of the site's six reactors, Reuters reported. "This was clearly a larger earthquake than we had forecast," said Junichi Matsumoto, a TEPCO spokesman. "It would have been hard to anticipate this."

Operators of nuclear energy facilities have fixed or scheduled for correction all the issues NRC inspections found in post-Fukushima inspections, The New York Times reports.

Five tons of seawater may have flooded a reactor at the Hamaoka nuclear energy site, Japan Today reports. The site closed last week at the request of Japan's prime minister for fears of a possible earthquake.

Japan's utilities could have trouble meeting summer electricity demand, unless nuclear reactors-including those unaffected by the earthquake and tsunami but were shut down for maintenance at the time-are restarted, Reuters reports.

The Week Ahead
The Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the National Academy of Sciences will discuss the aftermath of Fukushima, beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT May 26 at the Keck Center, 500 5th St., NW, Washington, D.C.

The NRC's Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards will review events at Fukushima, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT May 26 at NRC headquarters, Room T-2B1, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.

 

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From NEI's blog by Mark Flanagan, this gem about Justin Bieber's crew being fearful about going to Japan, and then deciding to go:
http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/beliebing-in-japan.html

It's kind of depressing that the E! OnLine Answer ***** should have better info on radiation than most of our newspapers here in the states. And she actually asked someone who really knows about it, even better.

...
That comes from Gossip Cop. Now, let’s let E! Online answer the important question:

What's this about Justin Bieber's crew refusing to tour Japan? Are their fears about radiation justified?
—Clara, Switzerland, via the inbox

The Answer ***** answers thusly:

No, at least, not on the radiation front.

In Tokyo and other major cities, "the radiation exposure is no different from where it was a year ago," says Dr. David Brenner, professor of radiation biophysics at the Center for Radiological Research at the Columbia University Medical Center. "There was an increase in radiation in March, but now it's down to normal levels again."

And that goes for water and air. As for food, "the government every day is modifying their list of what can be sold and where it can be sold, and contaminated food is not being sold. It's being monitored pretty intensively."

She gets some even better information:

In fact, says Dr. Peter Caracappa, clinical assistant professor of nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:

"They'd actually receive a lot more of a radiation dose on the flight to Japan because of exposure to cosmic rays. So if they decide to go to Amsterdam instead of Tokyo they have not saved themselves.

Dr. Caracappa is being a bit tongue in cheek, but he is talking to E! Online.

So what will Justin and crew do?

But Bieber's manager Scooter Braun told the hesitant travelers on his team to "Man the **** up and do the right thing by these kids" during a recent staff meeting, according to TMZ.com.

Braun continued by saying Bieber would not disappoint his Japanese "Beliebers" by failing to show for his May 17 performance in Osaka and his Tokyo concert two days later -- adding that Maroon 5 is moving forward with its May tour in Japan.

Well, if Maroon 5 is going over! This bit suggests that Bieber is being led into something he may not want to do himself. But no. If I wasn’t before (hint: I wasn’t), I’m a Belieber now, that’s for sure. Especially because:

First he made the ballsy move of following through with his tour dates in Japan despite radiation concerns. Now Justin Bieber has taken it a step further. The tween pop star took time out of his hectic schedule to meet with children who had been affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Good for him. This is fan service and good publicity for him, but nothing demanded he do it and he did do it. So, excellent.

 

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And the IAEA reports on its team's first day of investigations. It's not much of a report, but it does document whom they talked to:

UPDATE: Fact-Finding Mission in Ministerial Meetings (25 May 2011)


The IAEA's Fact-Finding mission in Tokyo completed on 25 May 2011 its first full day of work to identify lessons from the Japanese nuclear accident that could improve global nuclear safety.

The 18-member team, including experts from 12 nations, held three hours of technical meetings at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), as well as three ministerial meetings. The team met Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Yoshiaki Takaki.

"We had interesting discussions and very open discussions, and we have had full cooperation while we've been here. We look forward to more interesting discussions as we go forward," said team leader Mike Weightman, the United Kingdom's chief nuclear inspector.