After the EMP comes Nuclear Meltdown

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After the EMP comes Nuclear Meltdown
February 22, 2014, by Ken Jorgustin

After the EMP comes Nuclear Meltdown Emp-nuclear-meltdown

An EMP (electro magnetic pulse), if strong enough (and regardless of the source – weaponized or solar), will potentially fry electronics and electronic systems within its invisible sphere of destruction. Many expert opinions and reports suggest that our electrical power grid could go down.

A large weaponized nuclear EMP detonation (or group thereof) high in the atmosphere will cause a wide ranging debilitating EMP.

A solar super flare (X-50+) and accompanying CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) will zap the surface of the earth with an even longer lasting EMP as it did during 1859 (the Carrington event).

The question is, What will happen to our nuclear reactors following an EMP event? Will we all be facing extermination from hundreds of simultaneous meltdowns?

The scenario:

An X-60 solar super-flare leaps off the sun with its coronal mass ejection (CME) heading straight towards earth. The CME (a slower moving cloud of charged particles than the X-ray burst), reaches the earth – and the solar particles interact with earth’s magnetic field to produce powerful electromagnetic fluctuations. It is these fluctuations that produce electrical currents in electrically ‘conductive’ things here on Earth, such as our criss-crossing power lines suspended above our streets.

Electrical currents build up during the lasting event, and while some grid circuit breakers trip in an effort to save itself, many transformers and their high number of internal windings of copper wire continue to heat up and overload until they burn up as they exceed their design capacity.

The result:

Electricity across the land will be gone. Lights out. Communications and cell phones – down. Gas station pumps – down. Banking and commerce – down. Food distribution networks – down. Transportation grinds to a halt.

Much of the electricity may not be restored for months or even years due to the unimaginable requirements of transformer and electronic infrastructure re-manufacture and replacement.

As if that isn’t bad enough, what happens to our nuclear reactors?

Nuclear Meltdown?

While modern civilization will rapidly deteriorate into chaos, the worst of it may be just beginning. What happens to the world’s 440 nuclear power plants (about 700 if you count all research reactors)?

Nuclear reactors while running normally, are essentially in a state of controlled meltdown as they heat water into steam which turns the turbines that produce electricity. Could it be that the only thing saving us from disaster is the constant supply of fresh cool water that keep the nuclear rods from melting down?

The thing is, the flow of water requires electricity, working pumps, and working electronic systems to control them. If these electronic systems are damaged, or the electricity is OFF, well, remember Fukushima??

The nuclear plant operators will be trying to safely shut down the reactors with whatever backup power they have available to them (a SCRAM). Following that, they will need to keep the nuclear rods cool – even when they are not ‘running’ in the reactor process. The problem though with this process is you can’t shut down all radioactivity with the flip of a switch.

For a reactor that is SCRAMed after holding a constant power level for an extended period, about 7% of the steady-state power will remain after initial shutdown due to fission product decay. A long cool down period will be necessary afterwards. The cool down from the residual heat (of the radioactive decay) requires circulating water and operating pumps. Without cooling, the fuel rods will heat up to the point where they can melt.

How long do the rods need to cool after a SCRAM?

To give you an idea, one bit of research revealed that even a week after being shut down, the heat from a reactor core boils water at a rate of nearly 60 gallons per minute; and after a month it’s still boils off 40 gallons a minute (source).

We’re talking months – years.

Separate from the scrammed rods of the reactors, there is the issue of the spent fuel rod Storage pools of the containment facility. They too need a constant supply of water.

Backup batteries will keep pumps running for a day or so.

Diesel generators (assuming they or their electronics are hardened and not damaged from the effects of the EMP) will keep pumps running as long as there is diesel fuel on hand. A question is, do the nuclear plants have enough stored diesel fuel to keep the cooling pumps operating for months and months afterwards?

The fuel (gasoline-diesel) distribution systems will be down (or mostly), so where will the fuel come from? This will obviously be a high priority for plant managers, but will they all be able to scrounge up what they need?

In conclusion:

It is a foregone conclusion that a Carrington event will happen again. When it does, will we be ready? Will the world’s arsenal of nuclear weapons (and EMP weapons) always remain silent and unused? Will the world’s ‘leaders’ always be sane? There are risks, and this article simply exposes one or two – and presents questions for you to ponder.

Subject: Re: After the EMP comes Nuclear Meltdown Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:49 pm

Many US plants will, more than likely, be able to get everything safely into dry cask storage. The cause for major concern would be any one of a number of plants operating in (take your pick) former soviet bloc states or under their sphere of influence.

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/12/07/revisiting-the-metsamor-nuclear-power-plant/

with that said (unconfirmed) 1 in 5 or 10 lightbulbs in the US are powered by nuclear fuel from a reprocessed soviet nuclear warhead. The unconfirmed would be the percentage, not the accuracy of the statement. Most Pluto-nium in MOX fuel came from the USSR...

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The thing that bothers me about these type of studies is the assumptions that are made. They assume that there will always be operators to take the necessary steps to keep the cooling pumps running. After a massive EMP, how many operators are going to show up for work each day, or stay on the job, leaving their families alone to fend for themselves?

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I agree with billetman, the studies are for a perfect situation to gain control and shut down.
You won't get that in "the Great Quake" or a nuclear war!

I posted an article some time ago which covered the inspectors of the emergency generators, and what was said in that was very very disturbing... most of the generators for backup electricity FAILED as in Broken Crankshafts and stuff.
That is not just a simple start up problem that will be fixed in minutes!
Where these intentional design flaws for this end game?? Don't put it past them... they've had plenty of planning time for Everything... question all!

To rely on external power to do anything is stupid. My biggest pet peeve.

Besides, in a big enough EMP event something electrical or electronic is going to fail and you Won't get control!!! Simple!! And we have Earth shaking events on the horizon... it will not be pretty for anyone staying...

Subject: Re: After the EMP comes Nuclear Meltdown Tue Feb 25, 2014 1:27 pm

Anyone who has read any of my posts should know I'm the last to ever defend the nuclear industry, but there are often instances where mad max style breakdown of society might not occur.

How do you explain a good portion of the workforce showing up at fukushima while the plant was melting down and or exploding, as well as those who never left in the first place? Many who lived nearby knew good and well the situation and literally went to the plant. Same thing in Chernobyl. Many of the Chernobyl liquidators said it plain and simply, if they turned and ran there would be no home and no one to go home to for them. Those places arent the 7-11

Posts : 462 Reputation : 54 Join date : 2012-01-05

Quiet: I get what you're saying, but you're comparing apples to oranges. For the most part, these workers in Japan, and to a lesser degree Russia, have a much better work ethic, and especially in the case of the Japanese, loyalty to their employer. Both of these traits are something sorely lacking in this country.
Pray that I'm wrong.

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