News Release

What happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant?

New book A Study of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Process just published

Book Announcement

Springer

Michio Ishikawa, an expert in the field of nuclear power, has written a book for those who would like to know more about the nuclear disaster which occurred in Japan in March 2011. A Study of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Process explains what caused the core melt and hydrogen explosion and discusses new ideas for safety design.

Part 1 of the book studies how core melts occurred in Fukushima Daiichi units 1, 2 and 3. The analysis is based on evidence from the Three Mile Island core melt accident and fuel behavior experiments performed in the 1970s by the United States, Germany and Japan. This in-depth analysis explains the accident processes without contradicting data from Fukushima, which were published in the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reports.

Part 2 clarifies how the background radiation level of the site rose up in two steps: The first rise was just a leak from small openings in units 1 and 3 associated with fire-pump connection work. The second rise led to the release of direct radioactive material from unit 2. Evacuation dose adequacy and its timing are discussed with reference to the accident process. Furthermore, the necessity for embankments surrounding nuclear power plants to increase protection against natural disasters is examined.

New proposals for safety design and emergency preparedness are suggested based on lessons learned from the accident as well as from new experiences. Finally, a concept for decommissioning the Fukushima site and a recovery plan are introduced.

Dr. Michio Ishikawa has more than 50 years of experience in the area of nuclear power generation and nuclear safety. As a member of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Ishikawa has worked on the construction and operation of the Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR), Japan's first nuclear power plant. He also directed the eventual decommission of the JPDR. For 30 years, Ishikawa served as an advisory member of Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA). He has acted as the president of the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute (2005-2008) and was chief advisor to the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute (2008-2012).

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Michio Ishikawa
A Study of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Process
What caused the core melt and hydrogen explosion?
Springer 2015, 232 p., 39 illus., 36 in color
Softcover €99,99| £90.00 | $129.00
ISBN 978-4-431-55542-1
Also available as an eBook


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