A Fukushima Plant Worker's Blog Post

[bluecoat_fan]

Source: The Atlantic Wire

'The machine that cools the reactor is just by the ocean, and it was wrecked by the tsunami. Everyone worked desperately to try and restore it. Fighting fatigue and empty stomachs, we dragged ourselves back to work. 'There are many who haven't gotten in touch with their family members, but are facing the present situation and working hard.'


Read more: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/03/fukushima-plant-workers-blog-post/35893/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAtlanticWire+%28The+Atlantic+Wire%29

[FreakinDJ]

1. Interesting they would blog in english

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. They didn't

Singapore's the Straits Times found and translated the now-removed blog of a female worker, Michiko Otsuki, who's been writing about the unfolding events, which CNN briefly noted.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/03/fukushima-plant-workers-blog-post/35893/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAtlanticWire+%28The+Atlantic+Wire%29

[Journeyman]

4. Second paragraph of 'The Atlantic' article. . .

Singapore's "The Straits Times" found and translated the now-removed blog of a female worker. . .

[Thunderstruck]

9. Jeez...it burns.

[brooklynite]

2. Detailed story from the Straits-Times (Singapore)

(They appraenty translated her blog posts and tracked her down in Japan)

'We're not running away': Fukushima worker

ONE lone voice has emerged from the group of heroic workers at Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), which runs the quake-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, where workers are scrambling to cool the nuclear plant and avoid a meltdown.

Michiko Otsuki - a female worker at Tepco - has written on her blog, speaking up for her 'silent' colleagues who remained behind at the plant.

She had been quoted a little in some overseas English reports but The Straits Times Online tracked and translated her blog to find out her full story when she first posted on popular Japanese social networking site Mixi.

By Thursday however, her post had been taken down, but the entry had already been reproduced by several online blogs and in Japanese language forums.http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_646210.html

[wtmusic]

5. 'I am very sorry, but I have locked the post

as it was being used in a way I had not intended it to be.'

Wonder what that means.

[CLANG]

11. Freepers I'd bet

[Duer 157099]

6. Well, that's one way to get fired from that job

Maybe not a bad strategy.

[bluecoat_fan]

7. machine (pumps?) by the ocean was wrecked by the tsunami

If the machine means pumps, this is the first I heard of the pumps being damaged, I've only heard about the generators to the pumps. I guess it depends on what "wrecked" means.

[Thunderstruck]

10. If the pumps were working, would they be flying in water with helicopters?

:shrug:

[stranger81]

12. And if the pumps are damaged, then what good is turning the electricity back on

going to do?

[bluecoat_fan]

15. It may just be the feedwater pumps were initialy damaged

maybe pumping around hot water is better than nothing.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, bluecoat_fan.

[bluecoat_fan]

13. Sounds like she is talking about the feedwater pumps

TEPCO had an issue in 2007 with the feedwater pumps being tripped when restarted.

http://www2.jnes.go.jp/atom-db/en/trouble/individ/power/f/f20070213/index.html


snipit...

2) Estimated Causes

2) The estimated causes that the reactor feedwater pump (A) and (B) were tripped due to over-load was because the over-current had flowed into their motors as the flow control valve was fully open during the restart operation of the reactor feedwater pump (A).


(3) Countermeasures
As for the control circuit of the concerned pump, the circuit will be modified to avoid the pump from stopping by the effect of mis-operation of switches for controlling circuit power supply.

[lovuian]

14. could we send these HEROES some freakin FOOD

this drives me crazy

[bluecoat_fan]

16. The 2007 accident speaks of 2 feed pumps

so I assume one is for redundancy. If both feed pumps got "wrecked" by the tsunami, it looks like there is nothing to cool the inside plant water. Even if the backup generators did work, the water temp inside would rise.