Research reactor Halden. Image: Finnwikino / IFE / CC BY-SA-3.0
The cause of a radioactive cloud over Europe, known in January seems to be no interest
At the end of January, the public has been informed with various reports on a radioactive cloud. It contains JOD 131 at low concentration and distribute themselves throughout Europe, such as radiation volumes in Finland, then in France, Spain and finally also shown in Germany.
Note no. 1: Last in Germany.
The cloud is a patient, strolled it, and “mysterious”, because your cause remained unknown. After all, the US militar sent a special plane equipped with measuring instruments to go to the bottom. If the J131 traces perhaps betrayed a nuclear experiment of Russians, possibly even an atomic test?
Note no. 2: The EU states did not take any recognizable own efforts to explore the cause of phannant.
At 3. Marz published the Norwegian NGO Bellona a report on a dog in the research reactor Halden near the border with Sweden. He already occurred on the 24. October 2016, was reported by a handful of English-speaking media and soon forgot.
Note no. 3: No knowing in the German media.
Bellona now clarifies that this sense was quite questionable. He had occurred when handling the staff with damaged fuel elements. Uber the supply system this underground research reactor built in a mountain chamber had been released radioactivity. The next day the Norwegian nuclear supervision has had to lock the delivery into the outdoor air. This had further serious problems with the reactor, namely an interruption of the cooling water circulation, temperature fluctuations and an increase in neutron flow in the core with the risk of formation of hydrogen bubbles.
Note no. 4: Fluctuation is an euphemist concept for temperature increases; Increased neutron flow indicates increased reactivity.
Given this “very special situation” If the nuclear supervision then consented to turn on the supply system again, even though thereby further radioactivity was blown into the environment. This allowed the secret of the ray cloud allowed and her origin has been found.
Note no. 5: No benefit resonance for the Bellona report (Energy News website alone provided for its distribution). Allegedly everything has remained within the limits.
Lack of safety culture
Bellona criticizes the incident way on a crooked safety culture. The Institute for Energy Technology has informed the Norwegian nuclear supervision as an operator of Halden and insufficiently informed the Norwegian nuclear supervision and just one week later the seriousness of the situation – the standard procedure of the nuclear industry.
Of course, the lack of safety culture is also reflected in the disinterest of the coarse media, at its influence of recognizing the relevance of seemingly everyday disruption in nuclear operation and on the disease of the environmental problems. The Berlin Ministry of the Environment, who likes to work out on border-near nuclear power plants, does not explore the beam cloud in his topic. At the same time, Ms. Hendricks was roughly rough when Chernobyl happened. Note no. 6: Even in the geographically closely located Kiel, Mr. Daheck apparently could not recognize a need for action.
The drawing of an almost accident giving up the Bellona report with the risk of hydrogen formation and an explosion, as in Fukushima. But what could lead to that in fact very special situation?
Under a fuel damage, as the operator calls, make sure that, for example, a fuel rod starts up at one point and loses some uranium pellets. That should not be a coarse problem and is often noticed only during fueling elements during the next maintenance. The damage present here must have had a completely different exhaust. The further determined accompanying poles, in particular the venting (prere relief) by the operators, indicate a starting melting melt. Of course, this is the word which may be contained in the messages of the reactor operators under no circumstances.
In Halen, experiments for the use of thorium are carried out as a trap in reactors. Thorium is used at high temperature reactor as well as futuristic concepts of a liquid salt reactor. The European prerized water reactor (EPR) should be operated later once with thorium shares. Of NuclearPopulists these dewishes are likely to be called completely harmless. Whether the Thorium Project of Halden has played a role in the accident, however, we do not learn. The Office probably has no right.