Business

Japanese Reactor Is Said to Stand on a Fault Line

By HIROKO TABUCHI

Published: May 15, 2013

 

TOKYO — Seismologists said Wednesday that a nuclear reactor in Tsuruga, in western Japan, stands above an active seismic fault, a finding that could lead to the first permanent shutdown of a reactor since the Fukushima crisis two years ago.

 

Japan’s newly installed Nuclear Regulation Authority also said Wednesday that it would issue an order that would effectively keep a separate unit, the Monju experimental fast breeder reactor, closed until its operator overhauled safety measures at the site.

 

Any move to decommission the Tsuruga commercial reactor would deal a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to get the country’s nuclear program back online. So would yet another delay in restarting the troubled Monju experimental reactor, which is a major part of Japan’s longstanding goal of creating a system to recycle nuclear fuel.

 

But those steps would show that the country’s new nuclear regulator, put in place to bolster oversight of the nuclear industry after the 2011 disaster, has teeth. Its predecessor was criticized as having a lax approach to safety and close industry ties.

 

“It is really just a matter of luck that there hasn’t been an accident” at Tsuruga, said Kunihiko Shimazaki, the head of a panel of seismologists assessing the fault that runs beneath it, according to Reuters.

 

Still, both the Tsuruga and Monju plants in Fukui Prefecture, even if not operative, could continue to face risks from a possible earthquake along the active fault.

 

Almost 3,000 spent uranium fuel rods are stored at the Tsuruga plant, while the Monju site stores plutonium fuel. Some experts suspect that Monju also sits atop an active fault.

 

All of Japan’s 50 commercial reactors were closed for inspections after the multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi station, which forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people. Since then, only two have been restarted.

 

The fate of the country’s reactors depends on safety assessments being carried out by the new regulator agency, which has been studying the safety risks at those reactors.

 

The agency faces considerable pressure from Japan’s power industry, businesses and pro-nuclear politicians in Mr. Abe’s governing party to allow more reactors to restart.

 

Keeping them closed has led to significant financial losses for power companies, which have been forced to make up for the power shortfall with expensive fossil fuel imports. The blow of a permanent closing could make some power companies insolvent.

 

Several power companies have said that they intend to restart their nuclear reactors this year, providing that they pass safety checks.

 

The Japan Atomic Power Company, which operates the two-reactor Tsuruga station, has contended that the fault is not active. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.

 

Dozens of governing party lawmakers formed a group on Tuesday to push for the resumption of idled nuclear reactors, saying that the economic recovery depended on a stable power supply.

 

Large manufacturers in Japan have warned that rising energy costs will hurt business.

 

In Wednesday’s announcement, seismologists directed by the regulatory authority to study a known fault that runs under the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor said that the fault showed signs of being geologically active, suggesting a high earthquake risk.

 

The authority’s chairman, Shunichi Tanaka, said last year that he would not allow the reactor to go back online if the fault was found to be active. But the authority does not have legal power to order a permanent shutdown, a situation that could leave the reactor in limbo.

 

It was not clear how the other reactor at the Tsuruga site, and two more under construction, would be affected by the authority’s decision on the No. 2 reactor.

 

The authority is also assessing faults under five other reactors across Japan, and the results are expected in coming weeks.

 

In a separate report released Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said it was barring the operator of the Monju experimental reactor from beginning work to restart the unit until it overhauled its approach to safety. The authority said it believed that Monju’s operator, the government-backed Japan Atomic Energy Agency, “could not sufficiently secure the safety of Monju,” and added that it saw “a deterioration in its safety culture.”

 

Kyodo News quoted an unidentified official at the agency as saying that additional inspections at the plant would take at least until next January.

 

Monju’s operator revealed last year that it had not properly inspected more than 10,000 devices at the experimental reactor, including those deemed important to safety.

 

The Monju reactor forms the cornerstone of a national project by Japan to reuse and eventually produce nuclear fuel. But the plant, a $12 billion project, has a history of safety lapses. It was closed for 14 years after a devastating fire in 1995, one of Japan’s most serious nuclear accidents before the one at Fukushima.

(A Pressure Vessel)

 

Monju was reopened in May 2010, but just three months later, a 3.3-ton fuel relay device fell into the reactor’s pressure vessel, forcing it to close again. In the two decades since the reactor started tests in 1991, the atomic energy agency has managed to generate electricity at the reactor for only one full hour.

 

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

 

Correction: May 15, 2013

 

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misidentified the nuclear reactor that Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said it would effectively keep closed while the plant’s operator overhauled safety measures. It is the Monju experimental fast breeder reactor, not the Tsuruga reactor.

Source : http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/16/world/asia/japanese-reactor-is-said-to-sit-above-fault-line.html?_r=0

How Hitch Locks Work?

 

There are a wide variety of hitch accessories available to keep your trailer secure. They come in different shapes and sizes and can be placed on different parts of the trailer and receiver hitch, but their function is the same: to keep your stuff from being stolen.

Receiver hitch locks fit crosswise into a hole on the receiver connected to your towing vehicle. They're used to lock whatever you're towing into the hitch so they can't be separated without a key or number combination. These are usually metal pins with locks on the ends. Some have two locks on either side, and some have a crooked end that prevents them from being pulled out.

You'll want to make sure the hitch lock you purchase fits your trailer, hitch receiver and other towing equipment. The most common trailer locks are half-inch and five-eighths of an inch in diameter. Class II receiver hitches use half-inch pins. Class III, IV and V receiver hitches use five-eighths inch pins. You must make sure your lock matches up with what you're towing.

What happens when your trailer is unhitched from your vehicle? What if someone were to try and tow it away while it's sitting in your driveway? For that, you'd want a coupler lock. These U-shaped locks fit over the coupler on the trailer's tongue and prevents someone else from hooking up his vehicle to your trailer. Many have ball-shaped tops to go where the ball unit on your vehicle would normally go into the coupler. In short, this prevents another vehicle from hitching up to your trailer.

In addition, there are locks that fit over the wheels of your trailer that prevent them from being moved. These work on the same principle as the "boots" that get placed on the wheels of your when you get traffic tickets - with a big hunk of metal sitting on the tire, that trailer won't be going anywhere

 

 

To read more: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/equipment/hitch-accessories/hitch-locks1.htm

Idle air control motor (IAC) Cleaning

In order to adjust the idle RPM of an engine, the cars need an idle air control motor (IAC) to control the speed of the electrically-operated valve, which is functioned as the manager of throttle body. In other words, IAC regulates the idle speed of engines.

 

Hence, the cleaning works of idle air control motor (IAC) is quite significant to maintain your automobile. 

 

Firstly, Check the vacuum hose for dry-rot or cracks and make sure that it is clamped down tightly. If all looks good with that, you can move on to the idle air motor or valve.

Secondly, find the idle air, which is generally near the throttle body. Unplug the wiring harness connector. You may have to use the flat-head screwdriver to pry open the snaps. The idle air will have either screws or bolts holding it in. There are usually only two. Using the proper tool, unscrew the idle air from the block.

Thirdly, using the carburetor cleaner, spray only the needle and wipe it clean. Do not get carb cleaner on any of the electrical parts of the motor. You may not be able to get the idle air motor perfectly clean, but that is all right. Allow the idle air motor to completely dry before reinstalling it into your car.

 

Then, insert the idle air motor back into the block. Tighten the two screws down, going back and forth until they are snug. Do not overtighten them, as they could break off in the block. They just need to be snug. Plug the connector back in. Look to make sure you did not dislodge any other wires or the vacuum hose near the idle air motor.

 

Lastly, start the car is the last step. You may have to drive your car a bit to see whether cleaning the idle air motor or valve worked. In fact, cleaning the idle air does not work on all cars or all types of idle air control motors and valves, but it's worth a try, as it is not a time-consuming job.

 

Dangerous of Using an Ignition Coil

Even though an ignition coil produces about 10,000 volts, it is actually less dangerous than the 110 volt that comes out of a wall socket. This is because the ignition coil does not produce enough current to do a lot of harm. Also, the ignition coil will only produce high output voltages in transients on the input current. So if you are just firing it by stroking the wires across the battery terminals, you only get short bursts of voltage, not the continuous electricity coming out of a wall socket. So if safety is your concern, the safety that is to be gained by being able to fire your cannon from a safe distance outweighs the perceived danger of the high voltage.

 

However, a faulty or failing ignition coil can lead to permanent damage or failure. Potential problems from a faulty or failing ignition coil are: startup issues, loud engine cranks, backfires, stalling, engine hesitation, decreased fuel economy, increased emissions or engine fires! Engine problems are always dangerous and can leave driver's in a vulnerable position.

 

To prevent the situation, you’d better to diagnose and test your ignition coil.

Here are some articles for the information.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/ignition_coils.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_5982869_diagnose-faulty-ignition-coil.html

http://www.ehow.com/list_7428316_faulty-ignition-coil-symptoms.html

Caution! Strong Magnet

Beware - you must think ahead when moving strong magnets.

 

The first question, what is strong magnet?

In fact it is vary form the kind of magnet you are referring to.

A very strong permanent magnet would be a Neodymium Iron Boron magnet (NdFeB). These are extremely powerful magnets, where they are capable of lifting many times their own weight. However, stronger magnets can be created via the use of electromagnets and super-conduction.

 

If carrying one into another room, plan the route you will be taking with care. Computers and monitors will be impacted in a whole room. Loose metallic objects and other magnets may become airborne and fly considerable distances - and at great speed - to attach themselves to this magnet. If you get caught in between the two, you can get injured.

Two of these strong magnets close together can create an almost unbelievable magnetic field that can be very dangerous. This is no joke that you must be extremely careful. And you shold know what you're doing with these magnets. 

Columbia Recalls Heated Jackets Due To Cell Defect

Columbia is urgently recalling 7 models of heated jackets sold worldwide by major retailers, sporting or outdoor stores, ecommerce sites, and Columbia retail stores and ecommerce sites between May 2012 and January 2013. The Li-Ion batteries have a cell defect which can cause overheating, posing a fire hazard. A small number of the 2012 Columbia heated jackets may contain a heated inner wrist cuff component with a manufacturing flaw that may cause an electrical short to occur, giving rise to a potential burn risk. No incidents of the jackets overheating have been reported in the US, however, there has been reports of one incident in Europe and one in Canada.

 

This recall involves battery packs that power heating systems in jackets. The batteries, which are rechargeable by the accompanying AC adapter or any USB port, are thicker than an iPhone but a little bit smaller in size. These batteries are the power source for the heat in the jacket, but they do not actually heat up at all.

 

If you purchased these models of Columbia electric jackets, you should immediately disconnect the battery pack from the jacket and contact the firm for instructions to return both battery packs to Columbia for a full refund or free replacements.

Fire safety tips for indoor electric fireplaces

As temperatures begin to drop and people turn to alternative heating sources to stay warm. Electric fireplace has come a long way over the last few years. You can now get an electric fireplace with a long linear look instead of the square box with the traditional log and you can just plug it in. Although they are very easy to use, you can not neglect the danger it may bring. Fireplaces and chimneys are involved in 42% of all home-heating fires. Make sure safety is a priority when heating your home during the winter days. The following are some useful tips to keep your home safe.

First, have the electric fireplace inspected and cleaned annually by removing all the soot and ashes that have increased in your fireplace. A dirty fireplace can also lead to air pollution. Second, don’t burn trash, waste paper, newspapers, charcoal, plastic or other stuff in the fireplace. Third, always open the chimney flue or damper wide to allow smoke to get out. This also allows enough air to get to your fire so that it continues to burn brightly. Fourth, besides cleaning, a chimney sweep should inspect the chimney structure for cracks, loose bricks or missing mortar. Chimney liners should also be checked for cracking or deterioration.

 

Getting familiar with your machine may save your life

Nowadays, there is a great deal of news about occupational injury of workers. Hand injuries account for a considerable proportion of factory accident. Most of the accidents occurred in factory while operating a machine. 

There was a horrible factory accident in Changhua last year. A woman was crushed to death by a narrow fabric needle loom. The cause of the tragedy was improper operation. The woman, 59 years old, she was working with the machine alone. In the accident, the woman’s hand was fully separated from her arm. There was no witness in the factory and she was pronounced dead on the scene after ambulance arrived. If she was fully familiar with the machine, the tragedy may not occur. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the structure of a machine before you intend to use it.

 Narrow fabric needle loom is a piece of equipment designed to make thread or yarn into cloth. They are wildly applied in the textile industry. The fundamental parts of all looms contain the warp beam, a cylinder, heddles, reed, and cloth beam. The machine features an automatic stop motion device, which is used to stop the machine when yarns are broken or something went wrong. And they also equip with a roller or double rollers fitted to keep cloth stretched.

The importance of hydraulic fitting for equipment driven by pressure

        The machine could be driven in different power source such as electric generator, pneumatic device and etc. For the industry with specific requirement of huge working force to move, lift or process, the application of pressure is one common choice, the excellent performance and less risky in operation are both the reason why it is popular.

        For example, the hydraulic pressure could be generated via compressor with harmless liquid such as water and oil; you only need to check the pressure gauge periodically and choose the hydraulic fitting with high durability for safety issue.

        Since the pressure is generated from the compressed liquid, the passage for transmission must be firm enough to ensure the equipment works well. Therefore, different kinds of hydraulic hose fittings are produced and adopted for specific situation; so it would be even important to pay more attention on the basic accessories to compose the production line with quality and safety.

The importance of temperature meter in preventing overheat

        There are many factors that might affect the performance of machine and electronic products, and one of the most common is the heat; it would generate due to the operation, after it raised to the temperature in certain range, you would face the problem of overheat and the damage it might cause.

        Therefore, to prevent this situation, the professional temperature meter would be necessary to assembled in the right position for technician to do periodical check or monitor and record the data via combining with analysis software or system.

        This data would be important to estimate how the machine operates, so the reading of digital temperature meter must be precise. The result of overheat can be nothing or disaster, for safety concern, all the users should be careful enough to prevent the damage to yourself and someone else.