They are trying to run a new power line to the plant to power the pumps. What I do not understand is why not bring in a generator, is there not a generator anywhere in Japan or the world for that matter that cannot power at least one pump?
One big ass generator and a Chinook helo to put it in place. Or abunch of gen sets.
CH-47D Chinook = 26,000 pound lift capacity.
What am I missing?
'Ionizing radiation', I suspect.
It'd be safer to sacrifice (let's face it) one or two people to connect the far end of the cable to the pump than to sacrifice several more people on a daily basis to fuel and maintain the generator in the middle of a radiation gale.
I *guess* that particle concentration falls as the square of distance, so keeping people far away is a good idea.
--Winston
What do you think a 10, or even 5Mw(e), Diesel or gas turbine powered generator weighs???
Wolfgang
9 MW ~ 88,000 lbs. The helicopter is out!
A long cable would still be necessary.
--Winston
CH47 can't lift the kind of generators they had on site, probably in tha class of 6000 Hp each, and they had more than a few. I got a tour of our local Nuke plant years ago, just a single unit, I think the primary coolant pumps were 1000 Hp each, and there were 4 of them. Anyway, they had 6 Diesel generators, and each was at least the size of a locomotive engine, about 20 feet long and 12 or 16 cylinders.
They HAVE been running generators on some of the reactor units for days now, but it seems that some of the pump motors or something were wrecked by the tsunami. They are replacing those now.
Jon
That led to a quick search, shame the big boy is now retired as that had the capacity to lift the genset.
The US is too busy playing patty-cake with the UN in Libya.
Hope This Helps! Rich
They've also got thousands of victims of an 8.9 earthquake and
10 meter tsunami to attend to.Regards, Rich
David Billington wrote: (...)
Wow! Stunning!
--Winston
David,
Thanks for an interesting read. I learned something tonight. I *thought* the skycrane was the heaviest lift helo until tonight.
Wes
I had no idea, the news sure doesn't give you any real facts. I was thinking 100 HP pumps, not 1000.
Bring in tankers of distilled water to wash off all the pump motors?
Wes,
I was surprised and I thought the odd looking helicopter, the Sikorsky CH-54, was the heaviest lift and Soviet but turns out to be nowhere near the heaviest lift, that featured in a Hollywood movie lifting a bus IIRC. Must have been embarrassing for the Chinook to be picked up by the Soviet MI-26 but what the hell Sikorsky was Russian to start with.
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