The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's excuse is that the operator, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, did make an announcement of the trouble "locally" - probably meaning the municipality where the fast breeder is located.
From Yomiuri Shinbun (1/20/2012):
もんじゅで原因不明トラブル、存廃論議に拍車も
Trouble at Monju, cause unknown. May further spur the debate whether to continue the project
経済産業省原子力安全・保安院は２０日、日本原子力研究開発機構の高速増殖原型炉「もんじゅ」（福井県敦賀市）で、制御棒の駆動機構に不具合が生じたとして、同機構に原因究明と再発防止を指示した。
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry instructed the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to investigate the cause of malfunction at the driving mechanisms for the control rods at the JAEA's fastbreeder "Monju" (in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture), and to come up with measures to prevent it from happening again.
保安院によると、不具合が生じたのは昨年１２月１２日。駆動機構１９基のうち、１基が動作確認試験で稼働せず、２日後の再試験で動いた。さらに別の１基も動かず、機構は、原因を究明できないとして工場で分解点検する方針。
According to NISA, the malfunction happened on December 12. Of the 19 driving mechanisms for the control rods, one mechanism didn't work at all when they conducted the test to verify the mechanisms were working. When tested again 2 days later, the mechanism worked. However, there is another mechanism that didn't work [and didn't work in the 2nd test]. JAEA says they will disassemble the mechanism in order to identify the cause.
公表が遅れた点について保安院は「制御棒がすべて挿入されていた上、機構側が地元で公表していた」と釈明した。もんじゅは現在、原子炉に制御棒が挿入された状態で、安全性に問題はない。しかし、東京電力福島第一原発事故を受けて政府がもんじゅの存廃を含めた原子力政策全般の見直しを進めており、不具合は議論に拍車をかけそうだ。
As to why the disclosure was so late, NISA explained that the control rods were all in, and JAEA did announce locally. The control rods are all inserted, and the Monju reactor is safe at this time. However, the government has been reviewing its nuclear policies in the aftermath of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident, including whether to continue the Monju project. The trouble this time may spur the debate.
Not just the malfunction trouble, but the fact that the regulatory agency NISA felt it was OK to wait for more than one month to announce the problem should raise alarm.
NISA's press release on January 20 states that JAEA must report back to the Agency by February 29.
30-Day free trial by following the link.
Tokyo Time
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4 comments:
This comes just handy to remember the cover-up of the 1995 Monju sodium fire and the falsification of the videographic recording of the accident.
We should be _really_ wary why we only got one minute of more than one hour video coverage of the Fuku reactor #2 intestines.
Anyway, regarding Monju:
Stuck control rods are an indication of a very deteriorated state of a nuclear installation (swelling, bending).
This risk of control rods getting stuck was one of the reasons why the British shut down the Calder Hall reactors (inaugurated 1956) after 47 years of operation.
But if this happens in a reactor that has operated for only three years, like Monju, this demonstrates the inability of the Japanese nuclear industry.
This is even more ashaming to the Japanese nuke industry if you keep in mind that the Japanese paid the Russians one billion for the blueprints of the Russian BN-600 fast breeder, double as powerful as Monju and operating since 1980 without major problems!
If the Japanese really want a fast breeder, they should scrap Monju and buy a BN-800 from Russia.
Japan wants electromagnetic bullet train right through Japan Alps, and now it wants a CERN equivalent in Tohoku. It is hell-bent on self-destruction.
Brilliant!
Higgs boson meet corium.
Makes sense to delay Monju trouble discovered on Dec. 12. After all, the planned announcement of the so-called "cold shutdown" would be Dec. 16. Just wouldn't look proper to spoil the great announcement with REAL news. And besides, the government had to make its subjects (ie. guinea pigs) believe the illusion that everything was in control before the new year. It's nicer to believe the illusion that 2012 will be a year of bliss than one of genocide in slow motion.
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