Quake risk to reactors far higher than realized

WASHINGTON?? The risk that an earthquake would cause a severe accident at a U.S. nuclear plant is greater than previously thought, 24 times as high in one case, according to an AP analysis of preliminary government data.

The nation's nuclear regulator believes a quarter of America's reactors may need modifications to make them safer.

The threat came into sharp focus last week, when shaking from the largest earthquake to hit Virginia in 117 years appeared to exceed what the North Anna nuclear power plant northwest of Richmond was built to sustain.

The two North Anna reactors are among 27 in the eastern and central U.S. that a preliminary Nuclear Regulatory Commission review has said may need upgrades.

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That's because those plants are more likely to get hit with an earthquake larger than the one their design was based on.

Just how many nuclear power plants are more vulnerable won't be determined until all operators recalculate their own seismic risk based on new assessments by geologists, something the agency plans to request later this year.

Story: Quake shakes East Coast, causes evacuations

The NRC on Thursday issued a draft of that request for public comment.

The review, launched well before the East Coast quake and the Japan nuclear disaster in March, marks the first complete update to seismic risk in years for the nation's 104 existing reactors, despite research showing greater hazards.

Video: Cracks found in Washington Monument after quake (on this page)

The NRC and the industry say reactors are safe as they are, for now.

But emails obtained in a more than 11,000-page records request by The Associated Press show that NRC experts were worried privately this year that plants needed stronger safeguards to account for the higher risk assessments.

The nuclear industry says last week's quake proved reactors are robust.

When the rumbling knocked out off-site power to the North Anna plant in Mineral, Va., the reactors shut down and cooled successfully, and the plant's four locomotive-sized diesel generators turned on.

Story: 27 nuclear reactors more vulnerable to quakes

Spent fuel containers shifted
The quake also shifted about two dozen spent fuel containers, but Dominion Virginia Power said Thursday that all were intact.

Still, based on the AP analysis of NRC data, the plant is 38 percent more likely to suffer core damage from a rare, massive earthquake than it appeared in an analysis 20 years ago.

That increased risk is based on an even bigger earthquake than the one last week. Richard Zuercher, a spokesman for Dominion, the plant operator, says the earlier estimate "remains sound because additional safety margin was built into the design when the station was built."

The safety cushion would shrink, though, if the plant's risk is found to be greater.

Story: Safety rules loosened for aging nuclear reactors?

Federal scientists update seismic assessments every five to six years to revise building codes for some structures.

But no similar system is in place for all but two of the nation's 104 reactors ? even though improving earthquake science has revealed greater risks than previously realized.

The exception is Diablo Canyon in earthquake-prone California, which has been required to review the risk of an earthquake routinely since 1985.

The NRC does not require plants to re-examine their seismic risks to renew operating licenses for 20 years.

After the March earthquake in Japan that caused the biggest nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, NRC staffers fretted in emails that the agency's understanding of earthquake risk for existing reactors was out of date.

In a March 15 email, for example, an NRC earthquake expert questioned releasing data to the public showing how strong an earthquake each plant was designed to withstand.

The seismologist, Annie Kammerer, acknowledged that recent science showed stronger quakes could happen. "Frankly, it is not a good story for us," she wrote to agency colleagues.

Kammerer's boss, Brian Sheron, who heads the NRC's Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, wrote in a March 14 email that updated numbers showed the government "didn't know everything about the seismicity" in the central and the eastern part of the country.

"And isn't there a prediction that the West Coast is likely to get hit with some huge earthquake in the next 30 years or so? Yet we relicense their plants," he wrote.

Interactive: Aging nuclear plants (on this page)

The NRC flagged the 27 plants for possible upgrades by calculating the likelihood of a severe accident based on 2008 hazard maps from the U.S. Geological Survey and comparing it to the seismic risk estimated in 1989 or 1994.

Those data were used the last time existing reactors evaluated their earthquake hazards.

The NRC identified the 27 reactors with the greatest risk increase but did not provide the risk numbers. The AP used the NRC's data and methodology to calculate the risk increase for each reactor.

US nuke industry not ready?
The Perry 1 reactor in Ohio tops the list with the steepest rise in the chance of core damage: 24 times as high as thought in 1989.

The four other plants with the largest increases include River Bend 1 in Louisiana, up nine times; Dresden 2-3 in Illinois, eight times; Farley 1-2 in Alabama, seven times, and Wolf Creek 1 in Kansas, also seven times. The smallest increase was the 38 percent at North Anna.

Story: Radioactive tritium leaks found at 48 US nuke sites

Todd Schneider, a spokesman for First Energy Corp., which operates the Perry plant, said the increase in its seismic risk estimated by the NRC is misleading. He said Perry is capable of withstanding an even larger earthquake than is typical for the region.

Personnel at a handful of other plants, including Indian Point outside New York City and Oconee in South Carolina, have already redone the NRC's calculations, and they show a much lower risk of core damage from earthquakes.

Those calculations have not yet been reviewed by the agency, which along with other federal agencies is developing a baseline earthquake risk for every nuclear power plant to use.

The average risk to U.S. reactors of core damage from a quake remains low, at one accident every 500 years, according to the AP analysis of NRC data.

But predicting earthquake probability and damage is dicey; the Japanese nuclear industry was taken by surprise in March when a quake-driven tsunami far surpassed predictions and swamped the Fukushima Dai-ichi site.

The U.S. nuclear industry may not be fully ready, either. Current regulations don't require the NRC to make sure nuclear reactors are still capable of dealing with a new understanding of the threats.

It's not just earthquakes. It is all types of events, including floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, said an NRC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the agency's recent seismic work.

The worry about earthquakes is not so much direct damage to the reactor vessel, the hardened enclosure where the nuclear reaction takes place, but to water tanks and mechanical and electrical equipment needed when disaster strikes. The failure of those systems could disable cooling needed to prevent meltdowns of radioactive fuel.

Interactive: Population within 10 and 50 miles of nuclear power (on this page)

In some of the emails obtained by the AP, NRC staffers worried that U.S. reactors had not thoroughly evaluated the effects of aftershocks and the combined impact of a tsunami and earthquake.

They suggested plants might need more durable piping as well as better flood barriers and waterproof storage of essential equipment.

Staffers talked of a need for bigger supplies of fuel and batteries for extended losses of all electrical power. One email expressed concern about some key pumps at Dresden that might fail in an earthquake.

In a separate problem reported last month, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy acknowledged that its older control rods could get stuck if an earthquake struck when reactors were running at low power.

Control rods are needed to stop the nuclear reaction. The manufacturer has alerted the operators of 35 U.S. reactors at 24 sites, who are checking whether replacements are needed.

The AP documented scores of instances of such wear and tear in a range of equipment in a June investigative series showing that safety standards have been relaxed to keep aging reactors within the rules.

Story: What are the odds? US nuke plants ranked by quake risk

'We had no idea'
When the NRC ran preliminary calculations of quake risk last year, it was the first time the agency had reassessed the threat since most plants were built.

"The plants were more vulnerable than they realized, but they weren't unsafe. We look at rare, rare events," said Kammerer, the NRC seismologist.

Plants built a generation ago were designed to withstand an earthquake larger than any known to have occurred in the area.

But since then, scientists have been able to better estimate the earthquakes that are possible. And in some cases, those rare quakes could be larger and more frequent than those the plants were designed for.

"If they met a certain level, they didn't look any further," Gregory Hardy, an industry consultant at Simpson, Gumpertz and Hegger in Newport Beach, Calif., said of some of the industry's earlier assessments. "Forty years ago, when some of these plants were started, the hazard ? we had no idea. No one did."

Story: Senators demand congressional probe on nuke safety

Seismologists inside the agency didn't recognize that increasing earthquake risk was an issue until operators started applying to build new reactors at existing plant sites in the central and eastern United States in 2003.

Those applications included a thorough analysis of the risk posed by earthquakes, which is required for all new nuclear power plants.

In some cases, the result was much higher than risk calculations performed by the industry in the early 1990s as part of a broader assessment of worst-case disasters.

"We did have some idea that the hazard was going up" in the period between the late 1990s analysis and the applications for new reactors, said Clifford Munson, a senior technical adviser in the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactors. But Munson said some of the research indicated that there was disagreement on whether the ground motion predicted would damage nuclear power plants.

Kamal Manoly, another NRC senior technical adviser, said, "There was nothing alarming (enough) for us to take quick action."

But a task force requested by President Barack Obama to make U.S. safety recommendations after the Japanese accident has questioned that. Its three-month review concluded that existing reactors should re-examine their earthquake risk more often.

Some operators are expressing caution about the NRC's initial analysis, and say their own early calculations show that their facilities are at much lower risk. The differences between the calculations of government and industry have prompted some to call for a third-party review.

Story: US nuclear evacuation plans haven't kept up with population

"It sort of defies logic to ask the regulated entity to do the seismic analysis to determine whether upgrades are necessary or relicensing is appropriate," said California Sen. Sam Blakeslee, a geophysicist who pushed a bill through the Legislature giving the California Energy Commission a role in assessing seismic risk, particularly at Diablo Canyon. "There needs to be a more arm's length relationship in getting this technical information."

There will always be uncertainties, experts say.

"If all these plants were subjected to large earthquakes, that's the only way anybody can say for sure. But the only ones we know of are in Japan," said Hardy, referring to the quake that struck in March and another in 2007 that damaged the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant.

"There is a pretty good technical feeling that U.S. plants are going to be safe," Hardy said, "but there is just a question of how much work it will take to show it."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44369172/ns/us_news-environment/

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New Glasses-Free 3-D Approach Could Work on Thin, Flexible Displays

AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC 3-D DISPLAY: This schematic illustration shows the concept of an autostereoscopic display with the lucius prism array. When the prism side of the lucius prism array is placed on a mixed image in good alignment, two distinctively different images are seen by the left and right eyes. (b) Pictures taken from the positions of the left (SNUlogo) and right eye (smiley face). (c) Transformation of the printed picture when the flexible lucius prism sheet is bent backward (SNUlogo) and forward (smiley face) while holding the left-hand side firm. The slit area was 4 centimeters by 4 centimeters. Image: Courtesy of the researchers and Nature Communications

Three-dimensional television and the like got a major marketing push nearly two years ago from the consumer electronics and entertainment industries, yet the technology still has major limitations. Whereas glasses-free 3-D on television screens and computer monitors is seen as crucial to generating widespread interest in new consumer electronics, for the most part, viewers still need to wear glasses to experience stereoscopic 3-D images, although glasses-free TVs are starting to hit in Japan.

The use of 3-D sans specs has been much more successful in smaller screens such as smartphones and portable gaming devices. But these LCDs must be backlit to work properly?which can be a big battery drain and limits how small the gadgets can be made.

Now a team of researchers in South Korea is developing an approach to autostereoscopic 3-D using tiny prisms that would enable viewers to see three-dimensional images without glasses on organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) screens. Because OLEDs do not need to be backlit?they get their lighting from organic compounds that emit light in response to electric current?they can be thinner, lighter and more flexible than LCDs. The innovation is detailed in a paper published in the August 30 issue of Nature Communications. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.)

The researchers?from Seoul National University, Act Company and Minuta Technology?used an array of microscale prisms placed on a screen to create a filter that guides light directionally. Using such a prism array?which the researchers refer to as a lucius prism after the Latin word meaning "shining and bright"?they were able to display an object on the screen that could be seen only when viewed from a particular angle. They were also able to manipulate light intensity such that two distinctly different images could be shown from the same screen?one to a viewer's left eye and a second image to the right eye. Seeing the two images together creates a sense of depth that the brain perceives as 3-D, without the help of special eyeglass lenses. (Click here to see an interactive graphic illustrating the principle of autostereoscopic display created by New York University computer science professor Ken Perlin.)

The lucius prism array described in the paper is a four-centimeter square, yet the researchers estimate the size could be enlarged to that of a smartphone screen or even a video monitor. The prism array was made from photocurable polyurethane acrylate (PUA), although any kind of transparent polymer could be used, says Hyunsik Yoon, a professor at Seoul National University's School of Chemical and Biological Engineering in South Korea and a researcher on the project.

Another approach to glasses-free 3-D has been to generate 3-D holograms. Researchers at the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences (OSC) in Tucson, Ariz., last year reported developing technology that can write and rewrite such holograms onto a photorefractive polymer every two seconds using a laser. Whereas fluid motion via such holographic images remains elusive, OSC's pulsed laser can write information into an array of holographic pixels, or hogels, that convey three-dimensional depth by showing different sides of the object depending on the viewer's angle to the hologram. It can be used to provide full parallax?viewers can move not only from side to side but also up and down to see different perspectives, according to Nasser Peyghambarian, chair of photonics and lasers at OSC.

Yoon notes the distinction between his work and that of OSC: "The work done by Peyghambarian is about the hologram-type autostereoscopic 3-D display. Although it could be the ultimate goal of 3-D displays, our optical film can be used and is applicable for commercialized LCD and OLED devices by just putting the film on?the display panel." The 3-D display's resolution can be improved by shadow mask technology already developed in the OLED industry to deposit materials on selective areas, Yoon adds. One criticism of shadow mask evaporation, however, is that it does not scale well to large-size screens and is not conducive to high-volume manufacturing, although this is not likely an issue yet for Yoon and his colleagues (pdf).

In addition to research done by Yoon and OSC, 3M's Optical Systems Division announced in 2009 that it had developed a 3-D optical film for handheld devices that enabled autostereoscopic 3-D viewing on mobile phone, gaming and other handheld devices without the need for glasses. Seoul National University's work differs from 3M's in that the 3M film cannot be used for OLED devices, which have no backlight unit, Yoon says.

Smartphone makers are already bringing 3-D handsets to market worldwide. The HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D feature 11-centimeter displays that use parallax barrier screens to provide a 3-D effect. Such a screen is made with precision slits that allow each eye to see a different set of pixels. When placed in front of an LCD, the screen creates a sense of depth using the parallax effect (each eye views an object from a slightly different angle). Unfortunately, this approach requires the viewer to look at the screen at a very specific angle in order to experience the 3-D effect.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=21e6a6527529ec73d2123d009362864f

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HTC pushes a Windows Phone through FCC, Mango launch close at hand?

Phones approved by the FCC are seldom so upfront about the OS they run on, but HTC decided to go against the status quo in its latest filing to the government agency. A quick perusal of the FCC filings show a handset tested for 850 / 1900 GSM -- standard 2G bands for AT&T and T-Mobile -- and no WCDMA frequencies in the US. There's one detail in the docs, however, that stands out like a sore thumb: this device, the HTC PI39110, is listed as a Windows Phone. What's more, the paperwork also mentions the inclusion of a "WiFi hotspot," which likely is the mobile hotspot feature confirmed to be supported by Mango. HTC hasn't announced any devices that run on the updated OS yet, but this particular gem could very well be the long-rumored Eternity. While it probably won't make its way to the US, this is at least a solid indicator that Windows Phone 7.5 is coming soon to more parts of the globe.

HTC pushes a Windows Phone through FCC, Mango launch close at hand? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hair Extensions for Fine Hair ? Beauty, Health and Fitness

30 Aug 2011 o 16:14 | Hair
Autor: admin |

Hair extensions aren?t very hard to come by, however if it?s quality you want then you have to be prepared to search and wait. When it?s fine hair you?re dealing with, patience may not be easy to come by, especially if you want to boost volume and thickness fast, but if you want some quality, you?re going to need to go over your options and read up on some information on hair extensions.

Not all hair extensions are made of the same stuff, and there are different types. First you have to determine what your needs are exactly before you choose hair extensions, and with fine hair this is even more necessary since not all hair extensions are suited to this hair type. If you want high quality results for your fine hair, including volume and lush thickness, you have to be prepared to spend more on the hair extensions you?re going to choose.

A lot of hair extensions need to be applied in the salon with professional help, such as weaves and glue in extensions. These last a long time but you must think about the work that you have to put in maintaining them and tolerating them since they are attached to your scalp and can get irritating.

For fine hair, the type of hair extensions that most suits its needs are clip in hair extensions. Why clip ins? First and foremost, they are known to be the easiest type of hair extensions to apply, since they don?t require a stylist?s help and can be attached by yourself in the comfort of your own home.? Depending on the results you want, you can find different kinds of clip in hair extensions, like human hair ones or synthetic ones. With human hair extensions you get more quality of course, and better results than with synthetic extensions. Try Easy Clips hair extensions if you want top results and high grade 100 percent human hair to complement your styles.

Here?s a tip when you?re attaching the clip ins, when your hair is fine, you may need to tease some sections before clipping the extensions in to obtain a firmer hold. This is optional though, but the clips will have an improved hold once the hair has been teased. With fine hair, some clip in extensions can start to slip and maybe even fall out so teasing is a simple preventive measure.?

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Source: http://www.akcesoria-kosmetyczne.pl/hair/hair-extensions-for-fine-hair/

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Major Ten Muscle Building Diet Plans ? Health & Fitness

Carbo loading ? The greatest of all the muscle building guidelines would be to obtain as much nutritious weight as you possibly can. If you?re not attaining the type of final results you need, take a step back and assess your approach to building muscle and strength.

The extra calories is going to be utilized to repair damaged tissue and build new muscle. Your calorie intake target needs to be 20 occasions the body weight. Researchers have found solid proof that fat and testosterone production are undoubtedly related. More fat signifies higher testosterone ranges. Considering that your muscle is increasing you need to also contemplate taking in more calcium due to the fact muscle weighs over fat.

It?s unbelievable that some try to use dense weights using all the strength they have but nevertheless they may be unable to retain a full round of push ups, squat and chin up. Don?t mistake me for an additional factor; there exists time for external lifting making use of intense weight. . Skilled athletes like football players and wrestlers really like to embark on high protein diet plan which consists of lots and lots of red meat plus gallons of milk a day.

You?ll need to get weight by muscle and not fat. A very good source of power on the other hand is carbohydrates this kind of as corn, rice and bread. Drink plenty of water, approximately eight glasses of water daily to make sure the body stays hydrated in the course of hard training sessions.

Have you been employing heavy sufficient weights and low number of reps to deliver the stimulus essential for building muscle and strength? Performing a high number of reps with a light weight or even moderate amount of weight will not do much for building muscle, and performing excessive number of sets will just result in over training. Increased protein intake will improve metabolic waste which indicates toxins will build up substantially In your bloodstream, kidneys and liver.

When you are very much interested in building muscles in a healthy way,in order to do that you can try force factor diet supplements. To know more about the comments given by different people using it Read Force Factor Reviews Given By Famous Personalities.

Source: http://health.blogmeout.net/2011/08/major-ten-muscle-building-diet-plans/

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Commercial Property Maintenance

August 31st, 2011 by admin | Filed under Business & Finance.

Telecommunication and Technology are the two main factors high for globalization. Today persons across the world are connected and can perform exchange of goods, services and advice plain delicate and rapidly. When approximating international exchange takes corner between mortals or groups from mismated countries, foreign currency plays a coal-and-ice role. Due to worldwide trade advancement, the foreign currency exchange mart ( and called Forex ) has grow into the largest and the fastest growing cash marketplace in the microcosm. An special to mammoth scale banks, governments, corporation companies, etc. are involved in foreign currency trading. The daily turnover of foreign currency exchange is in trillions, making corporal the biggest wholesale market in terms of liquidity. Smart way to making money with Foreign currency trading

Contract us tolerate the basics on how the forex mart works and how intrinsic gives an relief to engender smart money:

Foreign currency trading market is a volume setting currencies are traded round the clock, miss on weekends. The basic idea on how an capitalist can mold profit is to buy a currency at low rate and sell embodied at a alpine percentage. This currency charge silver takes lay multifarious times in a day which depends on multiplied factors including mart conditions or events happening around the terrene. These fluctuations in the foreign currency values can sublet you earn or loss money and whence the the call of buying or selling the foreign currency requisite represent well evaluated.

Smart way to making money with Foreign currency trading, A indepth considerate of Forex bazaar is model crucial before you step into intrinsic. Just like a market where goods are traded, similarly Forex is a market where currencies are traded. Let me take an example of perishable goods let?s say milk. Now there can be many factors which decide the price of the product. If there is major flood in the country it can destroy the milk stocks which will result in the shortage of supply and increase in demand, which ultimately will cause a roaring price hike. There also possible factors where the supply can be more or normal but demand is decreased, in such cases the price of the product will be reduced. Similarly in foreign currency trading market the supply and demand principal comes in picture where the products are different currencies such as Euro, US dollars, Pound Sterling, Canadian dollars, Japanese Yens, and many more. The daily rapid fluctuations in these currency rates will let you make profit over your investments.

How to get started? Well that is a simple process, as Forex trading can be performed online so all you need is a computer with internet connection. There are many foreign currency exchange companies who provide online trading facilities, online international payments and transfer money abroad facilities. The online Forex websites are the best source of information. They have listed currency value chart which shows the real time foreign currency rates. Most of the Forex services providers do offer free registration and assistance for the beginners, so it is advisable to start with a practice account till you are confident about the Forex trends and ready to invest money. Smart way to making money with Foreign currency trading

Tags: Business & finance, Business Opportunities, Trading Forex

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Source: http://twinqu.com/smart-way-to-making-money-with-foreign-currency-trading/

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