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More On The Fatal Japan Nuclear Reactor Accident
From Scott D. Portzline - sdportzline@comcast.net
8-11-4
1 A 50cm (20 inch) return pipe,
last inspected in 1996 (not inspected since construction in 1976 according
to some reports) suddenly burst, scalding workers in the Mihama Unit 3
turbine hall. Four workers were killed; seven were hospitalized. One
remains in serious condition.
2 Company spokesmen said that the
failed pipe was scheduled for inspection in November. A quality control
manager said that it was due for ultra-sonic inspection on August 14th.
3 When new, the pipe walls measured
10 millimeters in thickness (.4 inches). At the time the pipe burst,
it measured just 1.4 millimeters (.056 inches, thinner than a penny,
almost as thin as a dime). High-pressure water or wet steam erodes
the interior of power plant piping, and pipes must be inspected for
wear periodically (through the industry, the phenomenon is termed
"erosion-corrosion"). A deputy plant manager said that they
"had never expected such rapid corrosion."
4 A similar fatal incident
took place in the United States in 1986 when a return line burst
at the Surry Nuclear Power Station in Virginia. Both Surry and
Mihama are pressure water reactors. Mihama started commercial
operation on December 1, 1976 and has a licensed output of 826
megawatts (electric).
5 The inescapable lesson of
the Mihama experience is that the industry does not understand
as much about erosion-corrosion and the possibility of accelerated
wear rates as it thought; therefore surveillance and wear calculations
must be made many times more conservative than what they are
today.
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EXPLOITATION
I - Quels sont les mots du texte
synonymes de / Which words in the text are synonymous with
- to examine =
- to explode =
- to stay =
- to be programmed for inspection =
- the inside of piping =
- at regular intervals =
- to be called =
- plant director =
- deadly incident =
- to happen =
- authorised =
- that is why =
II - Traduire en français /
Translate into French
- the turbine hall =
- the pipe walls =
- thickness =
- thin =
- the inescapable lesson =
III - Trouver dans le texte l'équivalent en anglais de
/ Find out in the text the English equivalents for
- un tuyau de retour =
- dans un état grave =
- eau sous haute pression =
- taux d’usure accéléré =
- calculs prudents =
IV - Vrai ou faux ? Justifier sa réponse à l'aide d'une citation /
True or false? Justify your answer with a quotation
- No worker was killed in the Mihama accident
►
- The failed pipe had just been inspected
►
- A similar accident had never happened before
►
- The nuclear industry is aware of the problem of pipe erosion-corrosion
►
V - L’ordre de traduction dans les mots surcomposés /
Translating in the right order
- dans Nuclear Reactor Accident, nuclear se rapporte-t-il à
reactor ou à accident ?
►
- dans quality control manager, quality se rapporte-t-il à
control ou à manager ?
►
- dans power plant piping, power se rapporte-t-il à plant
ou à piping ?
►
- dans pressure water reactor, pressure se rapporte-t-il à
water ou à reactor ?
►
VI - Écrire les indications chiffrées en toutes lettres en anglais /
Write out the figures at length
- a 50 cm (20 inch) return pipe =
- on August 14th =
- the pipe walls measured 10 millimeters in thickness (.4 inches) =
- it measured just 1.4 millimeters (.056 inches) =
- 1976 - 1986 - 1996 =
- 826 megawatts =
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© Christian Lassure - EFT
23 mars 2006 / March 23rd, 2006
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