Animated Diagram of the Sequence of Events Eventually, the reactor stopped shaking and pressure began to go down.įigure 3~9. One technician then decided to turn on the pumps again refilled with water. As the reactor got hotter and hotter, the fuel rods began to melt. As too much coolant escaped, the temperature in the reactor increased rapidly and thus reactor coolant pumps pushed extra water into the reactor but ran dry immediately and started to shake violently. As a result, coolant was pouring out through this stuck-open valve. In order to control pressure, the pilot-operated relief valve opened but it became stuck open afterward. Immediately, the pressure in the primary system began to increase. This caused the plant’s turbine-generator and then the reactor itself to automatically shut down. A mechanical failure prevented the main feedwater pumps from sending water to the steam generators that remove heat from the reactor core. on March 28, 1979, in the secondary, non-nuclear section of the plant. Compared to safety, companies now put higher value on the economic costs, which has made this safety culture erode. However, Electric Deregulation in the early 1990s had a great impact on Nuclear Safety Culture. In order to appease public fear and anxiety, government’s and NRC’s regulations and oversight became broader and more robust, and management of the plants was scrutinized more carefully in the following years. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2104) established in 1975, is the core values and behaviors resulting from a collective commitment by leaders and individuals to emphasize safety over competing goals to ensure protection of people and the environment in nuke industry.Ī combination of component failures, personnel errors, regulatory laxities and design deficiencies caused the Three Mile Island accident, which permanently changed both the nuclear industry and the NRC. Nuclear Safe Culture, defined by the U.S. history but in fact it resulted in only small radioactive releases.Īfter this accident, it started to raise people’s awareness of Nuclear Safety Culture. The partial meltdown at Three Mile Island Unit 2 is considered to be the most serious nuclear accident in U.S. The 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, as a turning point, opened up the nuclear industry to broad government and public scrutiny. The Nuclear Disaster at Three Mile Islandįigure 1. This 1979 photo of Three Mile Island shows steam rising from the unit that was damaged by a near meltdown two weeks later.
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