All nuclear reactors may have structural problems

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

This just broke here this evening. By lack of an English source I ran it through Google translate and corrected it a bit. Probably missed some errors, so my apologies for bad grammar.

I wasn't sure if I'd post it here in OT or in Tech News. Nuclear topics seem to be in both, depending on their subject. Mods, feel free to move it as you see fit.

 

The problems with cracks in the nuclear reactors of Doel 3 and Tihange 2 are not isolated: all nuclear power plants in the world that risk.

Moreover, says the FANC, the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control, at Doel 3 and Tihange 2 there are a lot more cracks than previously thought.

The problems at Doel 3 and Tihange 2 are serious: today FANC tells the VRT* editors that in Doel 3 there are not 8,000 but 13,000 cracks. In Tihange 2 there are not 2,000 but 3,000. A lot more so than was originally thought.

"The scans we had made were re-interpreted with stringent methods. So they are not really new cracks," said Jan Bens of the FANC.

"The risk that cracks grow"

The cracks are located in nuclear reactors filled with water that exists for two-thirds of hydrogen. According to nuclear specialist Digby Macdonald this constitutes a danger.

"Due to the hydrogen atoms, the hydrogen pressure is building up. Steel then swells and cracks grow, "Macdonald explains. "I have calculated that the pressure may increase to a million atmospheres."

The effects of the extra pressure can be very serious. "There may be a break in a nuclear reactor and cooling water can be lost," said Macdonald.

In addition, our two reactors are not the only ones with cracks, which also emphasizes Macdonalds Belgian colleague Walter Bogaerts. "If I had to estimate, I would really be surprised if it still had occurred nowhere else."

Cracks with a diameter of up to 2.5 centimeters

Another key issue is whether the cracks are growing in our reactors. The tests in the study of nuclear power in Mol didn't reveal anything like that, but the experts have their doubts.

"The cracks are normally one to one and a half centimeter in terms of the diameter. I can see values up to 2.5 centimeters in the new reports. Are those reinterpretations of the original values or did they grow? "

"Check all the nuclear power plants in the world"

The experts and the FANC also do an urgent appeal to the entire nuclear world. "This may be a global problem for the entire nuclear industry. The solution is to implement worldwide, accurate inspections of all 430 nuclear power plants, "said Jan Bens of the FANC. "We have our international colleagues already warned and advised, but each country remains sovereign, of course."

Source (in Dutch, as I said there are no English sources yet, it's far too new) : http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/binnenland/1.2238955

My thoughts on this : If this is indeed just a logical result of the material properties of steel and those of hydrogen, every reactor is indeed affected. The question is how bad it is and where they'll draw the line in terms of safety.

No need to panic, most countries will check their reactors often enough and I doubt anyone will be taking chances if they find anything wrong.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dig a hole big enough to bury a dozen 40ft containers so I can make a fallout shelter with enough food and water to last me a lifetime.

(* : VRT is the Flemish branch of the national radio and television corporation)

[XTankSlayerX]

Oh great...

 

What happened to Chernobyl again?

[connorpiper]

Oh great...

 

What happened to Chernobyl again?

 

Stupid operators + Bad systems + Poor Quality 

[NInety]

Good, maybe the world will switch to find a cleaner primary way of getting energy.

[DevilishBooster]

YAY!!!! Nuclear Apocalypse!!!!!!

 

Wait a minute.....  :huh:

Daddy didn't think that one through....

[SeanBond]

I don't think this will be that serious. Considering how many nuclear plants there are and how many accidents have actually happened the risk is incredibly low. Especially if you have smart people working at them.

[connorpiper]

Good, maybe the world will switch to a cleaner primary way of getting energy.

 

Currently it's Nuclear, Coal, or no energy at all.

Because Solar is inefficient, wind is not powerful enough, and tidal is unreliable. 

[NInety]

Currently it's Nuclear, Coal, or no energy at all.

Because Solar is inefficient, wind is not powerful enough, and tidal is unreliable. 

I know, I meant develope new energy producing technology.

[connorpiper]

I know, I meant develope new energy producing technology.

 

Or develop new Nuclear power. (To be renewable)

[Johannes_Lazor]

Meh, I doubt anything will happen. A modern Nuclear powerplant is pretty much as safe as anything can be.

Skip to 1:30 if you dont want to hear the rant.

[NInety]

Or develop new Nuclear power. (To be renewable)

Or something like this:

 

 

I think this would be really cool but probably expensive to set up everywhere.

[DigitalHermit]

Procedural maintenance and upgrade time... please wait warmly while we replace our reactor vessels...

[connorpiper]

Or something like this:

 

 

I think this would be really cool but probably expensive to set up everywhere.

 

"Beam it" 

This is way to far into the Solar Roadway side of things.

 

Solar needs to get more efficient before we do something like this. 

[SIGSEGV]

Lol, we're all gonna die

[NInety]

"Beam it" 

This is way to far into the Solar Roadway side of things.

 

Solar needs to get more efficient before we do something like this. 

But that is being more efficient, it's not like you have to go dig up a road, replace it, run L.E.D.s to it, and then maintain it constantly. You can just apply the film to your current windows and hook it up to your batter plant thing in your basement and be good to go.

[connorpiper]

But that is being more efficient, it's not like you have to go dig up a road, replace it, run L.E.D.s to it, and then maintain it constantly. You can just apply the film to your current windows and hook it up to your batter plant thing in your basement and be good to go.

 

Solar Roadway side of things is a saying. Meaning that we have cool technology that can't possibly work because of issues that we are ignoring.

And if a new type of battery technology was invented, we would have heard of it. 

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

One thing is for sure, this means that the electricity prices will go up because running the plants just got a lot more expensive.

Electrabel (the company that runs the nuclear plants here) is considering sacrificing one of the 2 affected reactors so that it can be used for scientific research related to this matter. 

I don't think they'll have much of a choice.  Ever since they found the cracks in 2012, the 2 reactors have been down more than they've been active.  After this news, I highly doubt that the FANC will ever allow those 2 reactors to run at regular capacity again. 

[NInety]

Solar Roadway side of things is a saying. Meaning that we have cool technology that can't possibly work because of issues that we are ignoring.

And if a new type of battery technology was invented, we would have heard of it. 

That's why I'm talking about the future and not the present.

[connorpiper]

That's why I'm talking about the future and not the present.

 

In the future we won't be able to break physics.

Induction energy transfer is very dangerous for humans.

More dangerous than standing next to a spent reactor cell. 

[NInety]

In the future we won't be able to break physics.

Induction energy transfer is very dangerous for humans.

More dangerous than standing next to a spent reactor cell. 

You don't know that.

Wear a tinfoil hat.

k.

 

Nobody can predict the future. If you were alive 300 years ago and asked an average person if they think they will be able to fly in the future or drive an automobile or ride in a bullet train, then you would hear the word no.

[Lewellyn]

Good, maybe the world will switch to find a cleaner primary way of getting energy.

 

You realize that nuclear is one of the cleanest ways of creating energy right? Please don't tell me people think that nuclear energy actually pollutes the environment...

[Thorium19]

tidal is unreliable.

The machines we have to convert tidal energy are currently inefficient and unreliable, but tidal energy itself is not unreliable. It's one of the few certainties of guaranteed renewable energy, so long as we have the moon and the seas.

On topic as it appears to only be for H2O moderated reactors, that means it's not all of them, as the CO2 ones are apparently unaffected (or at least not mentioned in the article) so I think the UK based reactors amongst others are "slightly" safer than the water based plants.

[Bsmith]

Oh great...

 

What happened to Chernobyl again?

 

ehmm basicly this...

altough the option meltdown is still open for conspiricy theorists.

Stupid operators + Bad systems + Poor Quality 

 

 

 

hmm sounds not very good, altough enough check-ups might prevent it, but it wont stop it.

altouhg i find this sentence interesting.

 

Due to the hydrogen atoms, the hydrogen pressure is building up. Steel then swells and cracks grow

 

i understand it, but doesn't the hydrogen bind with oxygen out of the air? or dissipate as a gas before the presure get's to big?

im no nulcear scientist and don't know alot about the rection speed, but it doesn't really add up in my head.

 

 

In the future we won't be able to break physics.

Induction energy transfer is very dangerous for humans.

More dangerous than standing next to a spent reactor cell. 

You don't know that.

Wear a tinfoil hat.

k.

 

Nobody can predict the future. If you were alive 300 years ago and asked an average person if they think they will be able to fly in the future or drive an automobile or ride in a bullet train, then you would hear the word no.

 

the only way we can break the laws of physics is by using the quantum universe and warping the space/time fabric, both of them are possible but currently nearly impossible.

 

 

 

You realize that nuclear is one of the cleanest ways of creating energy right? Please don't tell me people think that nuclear energy actually pollutes the environment...

true, it's very clean, the only downside is the waste, altough that's getting less as reactors get more efficient.

the only cleaner thing is harnessing the magnetic field of earth, but that is deadly, since it breaks down the field slowly.

[Lewellyn]

OH FFS! Before another person makes a dumb comment. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/nuclear.html

 

(not in regards to the post above this one)

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

i understand it, but doesn't the hydrogen bind with oxygen out of the air? or dissipate as a gas before the presure get's to big?

im no nulcear scientist and don't know alot about the rection speed, but it doesn't really add up in my head.

No, the water basically breaks down into hydrogen and oxigen inside the vessel.  the hydrogen atoms are small enough to make their way through the steel's atoms, whereas the oxygen ones can't get in there. 

Once they find a spot that's a bit more open (a casting imperfection for example), they'll attach themselves to the other hydrogen atoms that make it there and start to swell up. 

Seeing as there's no oxygen in there, the hydrogen is basically a non-compressable liquid.  That can generate enough force to crack, split, blister the steel ... or even shatter it.

 

That idea sound bad enough if it's a secondary cooling system, but this is the main vessel we're talking about.  the water in there is in direct contact with the fuel rods, so it would be a major disaster if that starts to leak.