The Three Mile Island Accident Essay -- Essays Papers

The Three nautical mile Island AccidentWhen someone thinks of problems plaguing the world, thermonuclear energy is not the first thing that comes to peoples minds these days.1 thermonuclear power was once deemed the sweet energy of the future.2However, numerous nuclear power plant accidents around the world put a damper on that notion.The social united States considers itself one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, but 103 nuclear reactors currently operating within her borders, one was bound to fail sometime or another.3 Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Station is on an island that is located about 10 miles from the town of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The plant housed two nuclear reactors, Unit 1 and Unit 2.Now there is that one that is operable, Unit 1.4A week or two before the accident a movie called the China Syndrome was released.This movie was about the possible aftermath resulting from nuclear reactor meltdown.Coincidentally, Unit 2 was in trouble a l ittle while after.5Around 400 a.m. March 28, 1979, in a non-nuclear section of the Unit 2 plant, the main feed water pumps stopped running.Because of this malfunction, steam generators were not able to remove the heat.This led to complicated chain of events.First, as designed, the turbine shut down, followed by the reactor itself.This led to a rise in the pressure, so the pressurized relief valve opened, just like it was supposed to do.However, when the pressure decreased to accepted levels, the valve should have closed, kinda it remained open, it was stuck.This led to a continued decrease in the pressure of the system.6Also, in another part of the plant, the emergency feed water system failed to operate because of a human error the valve was left closed whe... ...21.2 Lavelle, Marianne.When the World Stopped.U.S. News and World Report, 29 March, 1999, p. 38.3 moot Lavelle p. 38.4 Nuclear Disasters andAccidents http//library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/nuclear_disasters/nuc lear_disasters.html (1 March 2000).5 Denton, Harold.Nightmare at Three Mile Island.George, March 1999, p. 48.6 Nuclear Disasters andAccidents http//library.thinkquest.org/17940/texts/nuclear_disasters/nuclear_disasters.html (1 March 2000).7 Nuclear Regulatory Commision. Three Mile Island 2 Accident http//www.nrc.gov/OPA/gmo/tip/tmi.htm (1 March 2000).8 See Nuclear Regulatory perpetration9 See Nuclear Regulatory Commission10 See Nuclear Regulatory Commission11 See Lavelle p. 3812 See Nuclear Regulatory Commission13 See Nuclear Regulatory Commission