At this time, the ’emergency diesel generator’ should produce electricity to cool the reactor, but the reactor did not work due to flooding and the reactor melting.
Emergency diesel generators are this last bulwark of nuclear safety and should work anyway.
However, it was noted that 20 emergency diesel generators out of 27 currently operating domestic nuclear power stations could become useless if a fire or fire-fighting equipment malfunctions.
This is due to the fire extinguishing system in the emergency diesel generator area where carbon dioxide is produced.
In the event of a fire, the temperature of the carbon dioxide emitted is -78.5 degrees below zero.
This causes the room temperature to drop below 50 degrees Celsius.
However, the environmental conditions in which the emergency diesel generator can operate are between 10 and 50 degrees above zero.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the generator works properly even in cryogenic conditions, but this has never been tested.
[이정윤 / 원자력 안전과 미래 대표 : (비상 디젤발전기는) 100회의 기동 및 부하 시험을 해서 한 번도 실패 없이 정상 작동해야 원자력발전소에 사용할 수 있습니다. 그런데 이산화탄소가 방출되는 극저온의 열악한 환경에서도 제대로 기기작동이 가능한지를 확인하는 시험을 한 사례는 단 한 군데도 없습니다.]
Even carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems are designed to clearly breach nuclear power plant safety regulations.
