What Would the Second Korean War Look Like?

The Diplomat ^ | April 19, 2017 | Franz-Stefan Gady

[palmer]

Would it be possible for ONE POWER STATION to be the official "match' to get the grid up and running in the event of an EMP attack? That station would have very large transformers on site - wrapped in chicken wire... and they'd have the means to start up their generators?

Nuclear blasts have E1, E2 and E3 components. They will vary depending on the device. The high frequency E1 pulses can damage the electronics including the power control systems. E2 are not really relevant. E3 are low frequency, less than 1 Hz, and picked up by long power lines like those from a solar storm. The protection of, and replacement of components from the E1 pulse is relatively simple, some shielding, some surge protection and lots of available replacements with a week or so of work.

The E3 is really the only thing to worry about since the blown transformers can't be quickly replaced. They can't be shielded, not by chicken wire or anything else because it is essentially DC and shields only work on AC.

The good news is that the E3 component will be small because the Nork bombs are small. E3 is created by the ionized fireball displacing the magnetic field. The ionized fireball won't be very large in the Nork's 30 kt bomb. Russia's 300 kt test 184 (1300 nT/min) was the best example, with some major grid damage but localized. A blast producing 5000 nT/min would leave 40% of the US without electrical power for 4-10 years, see http://www.futurescience.com/emp/test184.html

The Norks would need 30 times the yield and perfect device design to do that.

[hal ogen]

The tunnels aren’t “into Seoul”.

[uncbob]

Good ting Truman canned MacArthur otherwise we wouldn’t be having all this fun

[uncbob]

Good thing Truman canned MacArthur otherwise we wouldn’t be having all this fun

[Farmer Dean]

That is why I urge everyone to buy an EMP proof generator and 500-1000 gallons o diesel fuel.I did,it cost me about 5K to do it.Look on Ebay for MEP-802a Generator or MEP-002A if you prefer an air cooled version.

[TXnMA]

Most of their operational aircraft are underground. There are several mountains with wide roads (runways) running to, but not past them -- unless they run straight through. But, there is seldom any vehicular traffic at all on those "roads"...

They use other air force subterfuges, as well. Their Kalma Interntional Airport", for example, has two jetways that are never moved, exactly 100 parking spaces that are never occupied, and a pristine, white concrete runway and apron with zero airliner landing and taxiing tire marks. IOW, the "public airport" is fake -- and the facility is a poorly-disguised air force base.

It 's extra (unpaved) runway is also used as a temporary launch site for mobile-launcher missiles...

But, yeah -- some of those planes parked out in the open may well be dummies...

[Paal Gulli]

This couldn’t be the second Korean War because the first one hasn’t yet ended. There was never any surrender or peace treaty, only a cease fire. There’s just been a 64-year lull in the hostilities.

[damper99]

A lot worse than 1950-53. We don’t have enough infantry to fight there in the kind of combat we would face. DPRK infantry would cover the hillsides and their special operations troops would infiltrate all over the south.

[right way right]

N Korea will finally get to glow at night.

[maxwellsmart_agent]

Would not be necessary to speculate if Truman had not fired Macarthur!

[RinaseaofDs]

I have seen some substations in the US, generally in the midwest, with a transformer installed next to an operating transformer connected to distribution, but the spare is not connected at all.

[Vermont Lt]

The only reason I disagree is that the NORK troops are fed better than the average peasant. They are also brainwashed. They have had no exposure to the west. In essence they are brainwashed robots.

Saddam’s troops were not THAT motivated.

[GOPJ]

A core damage accident is caused by the loss of sufficient cooling for the nuclear fuel within the reactor core. The reason may be one of several factors, including a loss-of-pressure-control accident, a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), an uncontrolled power excursion or, in reactors without a pressure vessel, a fire within the reactor core. Failures in control systems may cause a series of events resulting in loss of cooling. Contemporary safety principles of defense in depth ensure that multiple layers of safety systems are always present to make such accidents unlikely.

In a loss-of-coolant accident, either the physical loss of coolant (which is typically deionized water, an inert gas, NaK, or liquid sodium) or the loss of a method to ensure a sufficient flow rate of the coolant occurs. A loss-of-coolant accident and a loss-of-pressure-control accident are closely related in some reactors.

Failure of the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_meltdown

First question: without power to run 'cooling systems' how long until Nuclear Power Plants go into meltdown? (Generators will work for what? 90 days?) -------------------------------------

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/test184.html

In the city of Karaganda, the EMP started a fire in the city's electrical power plant, which was connected to the long underground power line. The shielded electrical cable was buried 3 feet (90 cm.) underground. The geomagnetic-storm-like E3 component of the EMP (also called MHD-EMP) can easily penetrate into the ground. The E3 component of the Test It is likely that, as in most industrialized countries of the era, the rails were 20-meter long sections connected by fishplates (also called joint bars). This type of rail connection would have limited the current levels that would have been induced by the EMP, since the fishplates, and especially the attachments to the fishplates, would not be very good electrical conductors for high currents (as compared to the rails). Modern welded rails would provide much better long conductors of large electrical currents. The voltages on long conductors generated by severe solar storms or the E3 component of nuclear EMP is generally in the range of 5 to 30 volts per mile, so extremely large currents could be induced in welded rails that are hundreds of miles long.

Would maglev trains be electrified?

Scientific reports have stated that currents of several hundred amperes can be induced in long underground or above-ground metal pipelines.

Would underground pipelines catch on fire?

Just curious Palmer - thought you might know... Thanks.

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the suggestion... here’s something to consider:

http://www.futurescience.com/emp/generators.html

“Complete shielding of the electronics in a home generator system is rather difficult, but it is doable if you are persistent. Rather than worrying too much about complete shielding and total surge protection, it is usually a very good idea to just keep spare circuit boards and electronics modules on hand.

This is what I referred to earlier as PLAN B.

If your modules and circuit boards are plug-in or use any kind of quick-disconnect connectors, then you are in good shape regarding installation of replacement circuits. If you need to solder any part of the electronics circuit board in place, be sure to have a power source for the necessary soldering iron. This can be done with an inverter (for DC to AC conversion) and an adequately sized battery. Even the most experienced generator technician or electrician cannot change a soldered-in circuit board without an adequately powered soldering iron.”

Above from link:

[AFreeBird]