Update on Kurion's Cesium Removal System: Valve Doesn't Open

Diposkan oleh Pengetahuan dan Pengalaman on Sunday, June 12, 2011

So, it looks like one of the 4 subsystems is not functioning. From yesterday's earlier information, it sounded as if not enough water was going through one of the 4 subsystems, but it turns out that no water was going through at all.

From Mainichi Shinbun Japanese (10:50PM JST 6/12/2011):

....問題が見つかったのは、汚染水中の放射性セシウムを吸着する装置(米キュリオン社製)。11日夜、海水を使って通水試験をしたところ、4系統のうち1系統に水が流れないことが分かった。

A problem was found in the cesium absorption system by the US company Kurion. During the test using seawater on June 11 evening, TEPCO found out that the water did not flow through one of the 4 subsystems.

 12日の調査で、自動開閉する弁の不具合が原因と判明した。このため東電は、制御プログラムに問題などがないか調べている。....

Upon investigation on June 12, TEPCO found the valve that was supposed to open and close automatically was not working. The company is looking into the software program that controls the valve.

The system was hastily assembled, for sure. I hope it was not hastily tested before it reached Fukushima. Even the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's spokesman Nishiyama is not too happy.

Somehow, I get this feeling that the snafu is not over with the contaminated water treatment complex. I don't know whether Kurion and France's Areva have worked together in the past to assemble a system that incorporates their individual systems. The next process after the Kurion's cesium absorption tower is the Areva's decontamination system.

I don't want to hear the fundamental engineering error again, but wouldn't be surprised to hear it: units of measurement. By now, all engineering companies use the metric system, I hope. Japan and France use the metric system. Does Kurion?

(I don't remember reading about how much the Kurion's system costs...)