"The latest ultrasonic inspections have detected a substantial number of new micro cracks in nuclear reactors at the Tihange and Doel power plants in Belgium since the last study conducted three years ago, Belgian and German media report"
"At least 70 additional cracks were uncovered at the Tihange 2 nuclear reactor during an ultrasonic inspection in April of this year, Belga news agency reports. Some 300 new flaws have also allegedly been discovered at the Doel 3 reactor tank during a check last November, according to tagesschau.de"
"The cracks do not pose any danger to operations at the nuclear plants, says operator Engie-Electrabel, which carried out the inspections under instructions from the Belgian Atomic Regulatory Authority (FANC).
The operator said the new flaws were discovered due to a ?different positioning of the ultrasound device.? Engie-Electrabel maintains that as long as cracks do not expand, they do not pose a danger to the reactor?s operations."
"In February 2015, FANC said 3,149 cracks had been found at Tihange, while 13,047 were discovered at Doel."
It's not that cracks have been discovered that matters, but how significant those cracks are in relation to the safety of the reactor. Below a certain critical size, cracks aren't important. Only when they get above the critical size do they matter. For example in 4340 steel used in airframes the critical crack size is 0.027 in. while in A533B steel used for nuclear reactor vessels it's 3.4 in.
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It's like the alarmist reports of radioactivity continuing to leak into the sea at Fukushima, when actually it's such a tiny amount it won't harm anyone.
Yes. I wasn't implying otherwise, just quoting the article, but you know how the press loves to sensationalise anything to do with matters nuclear.
Also worth mentioning that the two reactors in question are nearly 35 years old. In that time they will have experienced materials embrittlement due to radiation, something I understand is not yet fully understood but is being researched.
The articles also don't make it clear where the cracks are. I read it as being in the boiler at one (if the boiler pressure vessel let go, presumably there'd be a lot of steam but no radiation if the primary coolant didn't escape), and in the other it's the reactor pressure vessel (quote: "reactor tank") itself.
Of course, in that intervening 35 years, materials science has come on in leaps and bounds and (hopefully) pressure vessels will be constructed to a far better standard. I note that Flamanville's pressure vessel has been passed fit for use despite concerns about excessive concentrations of carbon creating potential weak spots in the steel.
En el artículo , The Natural Philosopher escribió:
So nothing. I'm merely quoting an article for intelligent comment from those interested, which kinda excludes you.
Have you emigrated yet? Perhaps you could give the Belgians the benefit of your extensive experience in the nuclear industry from the comfort of your armchair?
Worth saying that UK scientists made significant contributions to the theory of Fracture Mechanics, and its implementation and application to nuclear plant. Also to radiation embrittlement which has been a live topic for decades.
But Mr Tomlinson (just like Our Dave) doesn't do *perspective*. They have an agenda, and a narrative. Everything is grist to the mill of the narrative, and is twisted and lied about to make it fit.
Well it has to make sense that any material built from atoms has to suffer degradation when high energy particles are involved for a long time period. I think the point is that some impurities in steel for example are more adversely affected making stressed or weak points over time. I'm sure way back when I was young there were designs using double layer pressure vessels to allow the particles to dissipate their energies before they reached the structural part. Brian
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