THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DISASTER



THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DISASTER

Introduction

Ever since we have started using nuclear power plants for producing electricity, there have been observed many cases of power plant failures. Among them the most notable ones are the Three Mile Island accident and Chernobyl, which took place in the United States in 1979 and Ukraine in 1986, respectively. Unlike the two, the accident which took place in Fukushima, triggered Japan by natural disasters and was considered as the most severe case of nuclear power plant failure till now (Mahr, 2012).

This study will allow us to look at engineering failures from a different perspective and enable us to comprehend all the possibilities that may occur if preventative measures are not taken. We will come to the realization of the fact that even the most professional companies can make mistakes which can result in disasters and effect society in a negative way. This study will also allow us to utilise our problem solving skills in order to determine what failed, why it failed, how to prevent it, whom to blame, and why.

Background

The disaster took place on the 11th of March 2011 when an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude struck Japan followed by a tsunami that reached 40.5 metres in height and travelled up to 10km inland. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), faced several power failures and was unable to cool 3 of its units. This failure of power plant not only expresses engineering failure but it also provides evidence of poor management and regulations by a power company and a government body involved in promoting the nuclear power industry. Direct causes of the failure and preventative measures for securing future projects must be effectively taken (Mahr, 2012).

A nuclear power plant is designed in a specific way in order to carry out its required functions. Fukushima was a Boiling Water Reactor which was designed to operate the usage of exothermic heat released from a nuclear fission reaction. In a nuclear fission reaction, Uranium-235 atoms are split into lighter atoms that are termed as fission products. This generates heat and more neutrons. Then these neutrons hit atoms and split them, therefore more heat and neutrons are generated and this process repeats itself, which is then termed as nuclear chain reaction. The radioactive fission products produced by the fission process are retained by fuel pellets which are made of uranium oxide. It is a ceramic pellet with a melting point of 2800°C and it is contained in a fuel rod made of an alloy of zircon called Zircaloy with a melting point of 1200°C. Several hundreds of these Zircaloy tubes make up the reactor core. When water is passed through the core, the exothermic heat from the nuclear fission carried inside the fuel rods boils the water and turns it into steam. The steam produced is used to turn the turbine blades in order to generate electricity. The steam is then condensed back into water, which ...