![]() ![]() Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, was: The Senate Energy and Water Appropriations bill and Senate Report 112-75 preceded the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Conference Report 112-331–ordered the Office to prioritize the increase in funding on, "efforts to develop and qualify meltdown-resistant, accident-tolerant nuclear fuels that would enhance the safety of light water reactors." Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, and, in the accompanying Conference Report– H.R. In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012, Congress provided $59 million to the U.S. Congress directed the pursuit of advanced fuel technologies that would enhance the safety of nuclear power reactors in the United States. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012Īfter the 2011 Japanese tsunami and resultant nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the U.S. However, the associated economic, social, and environmental impacts of the accident renewed the worldwide drive to improve nuclear fuel technology that should only enhance the safety of the reactor and the public. nuclear fleet, but the report did not document any shortcomings in the nuclear fuel designs. Report by The American Nuclear Society Special Committee on FukushimaĪfter the Fukushima accident, the NRC quickly developed a lessons-learned report, "Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century" that resulted in many safety enhancements to the U.S. ![]() International Atomic Energy Agency Fukushima Accident Report.The following links are for additional information regarding the Fukushima nuclear accident: Work continues to isolate the damaged reactors and radioactive contamination from the environment. Japanese authorities eventually stabilized the damaged reactors with alternate water sources. The Japanese government has reopened limited areas for residents to return to, but many communities remain off-limits. Radioactive contamination spread over a large area of Japan, requiring the relocation of tens of thousands of people. The hydrogen exploded inside the reactor buildings of Units 1, 3 and 4, damaging the buildings and releasing more radioactive material from Units 1 and 3. The conditions in the reactors generated extreme pressure, causing leaks of radioactive gas as well as hydrogen. Those systems eventually failed and all three reactors overheated, melting their cores to some degree. ![]() Steam-driven and battery-powered safety systems at Units 1, 2 and 3 worked for several hours (and more than a day in some cases). One of Unit 6's diesel generators continued working, providing power to keep both Units 5 and 6 safely shut down. Units 4, 5 and 6 were shut down for routine refueling and maintenance. Units 1, 2 and 3 at Fukushima Dai-ichi were operating when the earthquake hit. The tsunami also damaged some of the site's battery backup systems. Four of six Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors lost all power from the generators. At that point, an estimated 45-foot-high (14 meter) tsunami hit the site, damaging many of the generators. Fukushima Dai-ichi lost all power from the electric grid, with diesel generators providing power for about 40 minutes. Eleven reactors at four sites (Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini, Onagawa, and Tokai) along the northeast coast automatically shut down after the quake. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan about 231 miles (372 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo off the Honshu Island coast. See Plugins, Viewers, and Other Tools for more information. The last time Japan had no nuclear power was for five days in May 1970, when the only two existing reactors were shut for maintenance, according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan.Origins of Accident Tolerant Fuel This page includes links to files in non-HTML format. The reactors are the first to be considered for reactivation by the government, but it faces an uphill battle to win public support. The trade minister, Yukio Edano, and three other ministers have been trying to win public backing to restart two reactors taken offline at Kansai Electric Power's Ohi nuclear plant to help ease expected power shortages of nearly 20% in the summer. They must withstand tests against earthquakes and tsunamis, and local authorities must give their consent in order for plants to restart. Until last year's earthquake and tsunami triggered radiation leaks at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Japan was the world's third-biggest user of atomic energy.Īll the reactors have been shut down for routine maintenance. Hundreds of people marched through Tokyo waving banners to celebrate what they hope will be the end of nuclear power in Japan. The unit should be shut down completely by the early hours of Sunday. ![]() Hokkaido Electric said it started lowering output from the reactor at 5pm (8am GMT). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |