Generator trucks proved useless at Fukushima plant

[FBaggins]

The operator of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says dozens of power-generating trucks brought to the plant just after the March 11th disaster mostly proved to be useless. About 70 generator trucks from the Self-Defense Forces and other entities headed to the plant after the quake knocked out external power and the tsunami disabled the facility's backup generators.

But plant operator TEPCO says debris strewn across the compound and flooded switchboards hampered the trucks' set up. The utility says a switchboard for the No.2 reactor was finally wired to one of the generator trucks about 24 hours after the disaster. But moments later, a hydrogen explosion at the neighboring No.1 reactor fried the wiring and cut off the power supply from the truck.

Another hydrogen explosion 2 days later at the No.3 reactor damaged generator vehicles with chunks of flying concrete.

Electricity was finally restored to the plant through the regular power grid on March 21st --- 10 days after the quake and tsunami.



http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/17_11.html

[Old and In the Way]

1. Given their location on coast and threats of a tsunami,

I still don't know why they didn't site the back-up generators on top of the buildings. I suppose that would a cost a few more million in profits, though.

[FBaggins]

2. Hindsight is always 20/20 or better.

Things that appear obvious after they happen are usually less obvious when they've never happened before.

[Someguyinjapan]

4. Yes, because massive tsunamis that kill tens or ever hundreds of thousands of people

Never, ever happen in Asia. Amirite?

[FBaggins]

5. No... because they've never done this before.

As I said... lots of armchair monday-morning quarterbacks.

The earthquake was the largest in Japan's recorded history... the tsunami was off the charts from what was reasonably expected.

[Throckmorton]

6. Big Seismic Issue too

These generators are huge, 3 or 4 hundred tons, and not only have to survive an earthquake, they have to run for days or weeks after wards. The higher they are above ground level, the harder it is to insure they will not sustain damage.

The fuel supply is another issue as well, and is the reason why at least one of the EDG's failed at Fukushima, as it apparently didn't flood, but lost its fuel supply. Damage to vital switchgear also seems to have played a role.

Seismic issues are also why you cannot locate the diesels very far from the plant, as the cables and duct banks required would also be very vulnerable to ground displacement in an earthquake of this size.

Better water tight compartments for switchgear and generators, large local day tanks for fuel, and offsite mobile power supply trucks, with the means to quickly connect to vital AC busses, all seem to be areas ti be assessed and re-mediated.

Getting your spent fuel out of the pool, and into dry casks as soon as it is safe to do so also sounds like a winner to me.

[Someguyinjapan]

3. A lot of things were proved useless at Fukushima

Namely TEPCO. What"s to be gained by talking about generator trucks at this point?

That's right, nothing.