Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
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Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#2Queue the onslaught of articles expounding upon the problem with 20/20 hindsight. Couple of points that the article fails to mention:
* BWR reactors use less substantial construction because pressures are much lower than PWR. Intense pressure is used to prevent the water inside a PWR from boiling. Pressure in a PWR can reach 22.064 MPa (3200 PSIA). Contrast this with the 7.6 MPa (1000–1100 psi) present in a BWR. PWR has its own set of risks, and the discussion of PWR vs BWR in the nuclear community would seem familiar to many in the tech community. cough Emacs vs Vim cough.
* Mark I reactors are Mark I for a reason. They were initial designs succeeded by Mark II, III. No one questions that we can do better because we have. We can all sit around and pontificate on the shortcomings of Mark I BWR units, but what is the solution? The solution is to pursue decommissioning and replacement with newer, safer technology.
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#3Random HN comment, when there are a bunch of cases that are on on the same topic, courts will often consolidate them to save resources. Is there an equivalent in HN? Sort of a meta-topic aggregation so that folks could see all the links that have been posted (and all the reference links) Etc?
I'm looking for the ability to tweet a wiki page into existence :-)
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#4In the Gulf of Mexico alone, two oil drilling operations have resulted in nearly apocalyptic disasters in the last thirty years and it's nuclear power that's the problem?
Nuclear power is far from flawless, but it does have a better track record.
Japan's reactors have, so far, survived the worst earthquake in recorded history and a tsunami that's wiped out a good chunk of the coast. That's a spectacular success.
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#5"Mr. Tetuan said there are currently 32 Mark 1 boiling water reactors operating safely around the globe. “There has never been a breach of a Mark 1 containment system,” he said."
As the containment system is stressed only in case of failure of all other systems, it didn't happen before. His 0 defect statistic is not really accurate.
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#6In the Gulf of Mexico alone, two oil drilling operations have resulted in nearly apocalyptic disasters in the last thirty years and it's nuclear power that's the problem? Nuclear power is far from flawless, but it does have a better track record. Japan's reactors have, so far, survived the worst earthquake in recorded history and a tsunami that's wiped out a good chunk of the coast. That's a spectacular success.
one point..
Survived as a non functioning power plant cutting back Japan's electric supply by 20% is not exactly an ideal or wining solution..its like laws once one is passed it is very hard to 'decommission' not useful ones..
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#7Queue the onslaught of articles expounding upon the problem with 20/20 hindsight. Couple of points that the article fails to mention: * BWR reactors use less substantial construction because pressures are much lower than PWR. Intense pressure is used to prevent the water inside a PWR from boiling. Pressure in a PWR can reach 22.064 MPa (3200 PSIA). Contrast this with the 7.6 MPa (1000–1100 psi) present in a BWR. PWR…
I think you have BWR/PWR he wrong way round in the first point
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#8Queue the onslaught of articles expounding upon the problem with 20/20 hindsight. Couple of points that the article fails to mention: * BWR reactors use less substantial construction because pressures are much lower than PWR. Intense pressure is used to prevent the water inside a PWR from boiling. Pressure in a PWR can reach 22.064 MPa (3200 PSIA). Contrast this with the 7.6 MPa (1000–1100 psi) present in a BWR. PWR…
Re: Mark I,
An important perspective that's missing from this discussion is the fact that the fear of nuclear power has kept older reactors in operation longer than they should/would have been, due to lack of replacement by newer designs.
Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#9Queue the onslaught of articles expounding upon the problem with 20/20 hindsight. Couple of points that the article fails to mention: * BWR reactors use less substantial construction because pressures are much lower than PWR. Intense pressure is used to prevent the water inside a PWR from boiling. Pressure in a PWR can reach 22.064 MPa (3200 PSIA). Contrast this with the 7.6 MPa (1000–1100 psi) present in a BWR. PWR…
I think you have BWR/PWR he wrong way round in the first point
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Re: Reactor Design in Japan Has Long Been Questioned
#10Queue the onslaught of articles expounding upon the problem with 20/20 hindsight. Couple of points that the article fails to mention: * BWR reactors use less substantial construction because pressures are much lower than PWR. Intense pressure is used to prevent the water inside a PWR from boiling. Pressure in a PWR can reach 22.064 MPa (3200 PSIA). Contrast this with the 7.6 MPa (1000–1100 psi) present in a BWR. PWR…
I think you have BWR/PWR he wrong way round in the first point
Thanks for the catch. I had BWR/PWR reversed in the first sentence, which ended up contradicting the rest :)