Fukushima Just Can't Catch a Break

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,616
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
The whole thing is absurd. They located those plants there because they knew they could pass the contamination around the world in case of emergency, rather than have it spill on precious Japanese soil...
 

crimsonaudio

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 9, 2002
63,414
67,193
462
crimsonaudio.net
Hey, I've got a great idea - let's build a power plant that derives its power from something we *barely* know how to control, on the coast of an island along the 'ring of fire'...

SMH
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,616
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
Hey, I've got a great idea - let's build a power plant that derives its power from something we *barely* know how to control, on the coast of an island along the 'ring of fire'...

SMH
You forgot the easy flush valve into the Pacific. That's the Japanese for you - always thinking of others first...
 

Tidewater

Hall of Fame
Mar 15, 2003
22,401
13,177
287
Hooterville, Vir.
Hey, I've got a great idea - let's build a power plant that derives its power from something we *barely* know how to control, on the coast of an island along the 'ring of fire'...

SMH
I just think if you are going to build a nuclear power plant in an area prone to earthquakes, you need to reinforce things and "ruggedize" the whole beyond the run of the mill earthquakes for that area.

Heck, the Virginia earthquake in 2011 was serious enough to shut down North Anna for a while (it tripped the auto-shut-down triggers). I can only imagine how rugged the Japanese would have had to make Fukushima to make it safe, given where it sits.
 

crimson fan man

Hall of Fame
Aug 12, 2002
5,441
344
202
Athens Al
There plants do not have the level of protection and safety systems that ours do. Even from what happened to the japanese plant the America plants are upgrading their systems to meet more problems that will probably not happen. It is called Fukushima upgrades. Their officials and engineers came and visited the brownsferry plant and was amazed at the safety systems that we have.
 

Tidewater

Hall of Fame
Mar 15, 2003
22,401
13,177
287
Hooterville, Vir.
There plants do not have the level of protection and safety systems that ours do. Even from what happened to the japanese plant the America plants are upgrading their systems to meet more problems that will probably not happen. It is called Fukushima upgrades. Their officials and engineers came and visited the brownsferry plant and was amazed at the safety systems that we have.
That probably explains a lot.
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
6,658
934
132
Hey, I've got a great idea - let's build a power plant that derives its power from something we *barely* know how to control, on the coast of an island along the 'ring of fire'...

SMH
We could build a power plant that uses as its source the hot air that is coming out of Washington, D. C. However, this may be more dangerous than Fukushima. Hey! Do I get suspended for using that word? Maybe I'm just mis-pronouncing that word.
 

Displaced Bama Fan

Hall of Fame
Jun 5, 2000
23,344
39
167
Shiner, TX
using those old designs is stupid. pebble bed reactors would be so much more safe.
Absolutely. I did a paper on pebble bed reactors back in the late 80s when researching nuclear energy. Why we haven't migrated to that is beyond me. I'm sure Westinghouse has had a say in why we haven't though.
 

twofbyc

Hall of Fame
Oct 14, 2009
12,193
3,327
187
Absolutely. I did a paper on pebble bed reactors back in the late 80s when researching nuclear energy. Why we haven't migrated to that is beyond me. I'm sure Westinghouse has had a say in why we haven't though.
Money???? I don't know if pebble beds cost more but it sounds to me like it might. The same reason we haven't upgraded our antiquated electric grid. When it costs too much to do the right thing, it will never get done, by and large, in the private sector. And trusting the government to ensure it gets done the right way has proven to be a joke. So, this is the world in which we live. :biggrin:Happy glowing!
 

TrampLineman

Hall of Fame
Jul 21, 2010
7,287
6
57
Alabama
Money???? I don't know if pebble beds cost more but it sounds to me like it might. The same reason we haven't upgraded our antiquated electric grid. When it costs too much to do the right thing, it will never get done, by and large, in the private sector. And trusting the government to ensure it gets done the right way has proven to be a joke. So, this is the world in which we live. :biggrin:Happy glowing!
The biggest thing about the power grid is $$$$ of course. Most of the Electric Cooperatives that are not under Touchstone Energy can't afford to upgrade but the ones under Touchstone are getting that government money and have upgraded, but they still get their power from the big boys in the end.

The companies like Southern Company who have the money have upgraded, but big investor owned companies and huge city owned utilities would rather save the money and not upgrade keeping profits high. It's amazing how a regular thunderstorm can hit here and typically stay under 3-4k customers out but up North where the systems are much more outdated they'll have 20k out in minutes. Most are too busy trying to bust the unions instead of using all that spent money on getting the grid to where it needs to be.

Good thing is there is a ton of new transmission jobs out. The 745kv volt line in West Virginia is fairly new and I think a 500kv is coming in out West so there is a lot of new things going on to improve the grid. If I remember correctly there is a new 230kv line coming in through Alabama as well and no telling how many I don't know about.

As for nuke power it has always scared me. Yes a small nuke plant can produce a TON of power but things like Chernobyl and Fukushima tells you what can happen these days...
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,527
39,616
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
Absolutely. I did a paper on pebble bed reactors back in the late 80s when researching nuclear energy. Why we haven't migrated to that is beyond me. I'm sure Westinghouse has had a say in why we haven't though.
I think the general backlash/moratorium which occurred against all nuclear power after Three Mile Island also had a lot to do with it...
 

Elefantman

Hall of Fame
Sep 18, 2007
5,935
3,855
187
R Can Saw
I think the general backlash/moratorium which occurred against all nuclear power after Three Mile Island also had a lot to do with it...
TMI was more of a PR disaster to NP then an environmental catastrophe. It's like blaming the entire auto industry for the Ford Pinto.
 

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.