French nuclear incident

Central Nuclear Incident Tricastin A World Premiere: the unexpected is not predictable!

The Scram (emergency stop) the No. 2 reactor of the nuclear power plant Tricastin this Oct. 24, 2013 is a world first which had never been included in the scenarios of an incident or accident

Les moutins enrages,

25 October, 2013

(translated from the French)

Indeed, the weakening of the flow of cooling water of nuclear reactors can be found by a total or partial blockage of water intakes or by debris, organic invasive plants, jellyfish, water shortage, a mechanical failure or power supply failure of pumps, etc. ... in this case a "physical" interventions or replacement solves the problem of the incident.

As in the case of low water flow available, the automatic emergency shutdown is executed and maintaining the source minimum required cooling the reactor is provided.

In the case of the reactor scram # 2 Tricastin, we are in a different situation, because it is very busy in mud (mud) water for cooling is no longer able to fulfill its role, which means that in absolute terms can not be any possibility to cool the reactors since the pumps can not operate in either correct rate, or they are blocked!

Consequently, the situation found in situ in the night of October 24 to 25, 2013 is consistent with this analysis: the operator is forced to evacuate in an emergency by an impressive geyser over 100 meters high "steam" the excess thermal energy from the secondary circuit which can be cooled by the normality of the primary coolant through three exchangers Steam Generators - GV controlled by the pressurizer, they no longer have the ability to perform their duties properly.

The severity and specificity of this new nuclear unusual incident will be quickly integrated into the security scenarios post-Fukushima compensating the cooling water of nuclear reactors loss.

This scenario confirms the analysis and credibility to the possibility of sudden and total loss of cooling water in the reactor 4 Tricastin compared to the impressive height gauge (+ 22 meters, the highest in Europe) of water taken from the Canal du Rhone Donzère-Mondragon located opposite the Tricastin and André Blondel dam with its giant lock located just downstream of which the accident (door broke) could impact the cooling system of the CN Tricastin

Located in Southern France, Tricastin is one of the most important nuclear technology sites in the world, along with the COGEMA La Hague site. It is spread out over 600 hectares with over 5000 employees.