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To: snopercod
As you know, I don't doubt your expertise or integrity, but I don't underestimate the Japanese either. Allow me a few devil's advocate questions:

Turbines require ultra-clean water of the proper chemistry (no dissolved oxygen, neutral pH, etc.). The chemicals (like Hydrazine) and equipment (like resin beds) used to treat the water will reqire constant monitoring and maintenance.

It's just a control and material processing problem. Given that the Japanese made photo processing machinery so reliable that they could hire American kids to run them in drugstores, do you really think that it is beyond them to reduce this to automated dispensers and fuzzy logic?

Turbine lube oil requires constant monitoring, as does the electrical switchgear.

Even on the scale of this smaller unit? Perhaps somebody has run a labor v. scale optimization (a Simplex problem if there ever was one)? Given that it's small, do you think they might have the switchgear down to solid state?

They will require a large security force to keep "terrorists" away.

This I doubt. Containment vessels take a bit of talent to breach.

118 posted on 12/20/2003 7:36:32 AM PST by Carry_Okie (California: Where government is pornography every day!)
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To: Carry_Okie
Sure, improvments in auxiliary systems have no doubt been made since the last time I saw a power plant from the inside. What you say is possible, but what happens when the automatic equipment breaks down?

As for the security issue, you are dreaming if you think the NRC will allow any kind of nuclear plant to run without guards, razor wire fences, dogs, microwave intrusion alarms, CCTV cameras, etc.

And the NRC itself will demand an onsite staff.

And let's not forget that the town in Alaska will still need 100% backup power in case the Shipstone fails.

119 posted on 12/20/2003 7:49:56 AM PST by snopercod (Stranded all alone in the gas station of love, and having to use the self-service pumps.)
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