External Events: how safe a nuclear reactor can be?

The development of nuclear technology has allowed unprecedented progress for mankind. Modern medicine could not be the same without the numerous diagnosis protocols involving the application of concepts and products directly (and indirectly) derived from nuclear engineering.

On nuclear reactors, it is unquestionably how cost-competitive, clean, environmentally-friendly and powerful electricity can be generated by using these thermo-hydraulic nucleo-powered human-made machines.

However, no matter how safe a nuclear reactor can be in terms of accident mitigation and prevention, they can happen. That was happened in Fukushima, Japan in 2011 as a result of the fourth greatest earthquake of all time: the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake. This nuclear accident has been explored in this blog before, so I will move on to the specific points of this short post.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has several publications whose serve as either regulatory guides and recommendations for countries who already have established nuclear reactor technology or for those who are pursuing it. Such publications can be found here.

The IAEA publication after the Fukushima Daiichi Accident include recommendations for the design of nuclear reactors [2].

Such external events, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, have to be addressed during the design and licensing stages of a new nuclear reactor whose obviously have a deep impact in the choice of materials and safety systems that will compose the proposed nuclear installation.

Any discussion involving citizens and its government with respect to the construction of new nuclear reactors should include the points related to the occurrence of external events (and others too such as human factors, technical issues etc.) and the strategies selected by the national competent body that will be implemented to mitigate their occurrence.

Although nuclear energy can be considered safe and reliable, it is of paramount importance that we continue to improve such technology via research & development and, of course, people should be part of this development. When correct and honest information is transmitted to the people,  political decisions can be made without ignoring people’s fear on nuclear technology. The only way to overcome such fears is through knowledge and information.

References:

[1] United States Geological Survey: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official20110311054624120_30/executive

[2] IAEA Publications, Vienna. https://www.iaea.org/publications