Israeli group announces technology to contain radioactive substances

Making Cities Impervious to Nuclear Fallout

And Containment of Nuclear Disasters

Jerusalem, Israel – March 16, 2011 – Strategic Solutions today announced new technologies to contain radioactive substances released by nuclear power plant disasters.

The Fukushima Diiachi plant explosion may cause a complete melt down, similar to that which occurred in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.

Following the Chernobyl incident large sections of the Ukraine, where the plant was located, had to be evacuated. And even now, more than 25 years later, some areas still have radiation levels too high for human habitation. Meanwhile the site is in need of a new protective shield.

A similar tragedy occurring in a large area surrounding the damaged Japanese nuclear facilities could cause governmental authorities there to seriously reconsider nuclear energy for making electricity. But Japan simply cannot afford to give up nuclear power: The plants are there for a reason- Japan’s energy security demands reliable baseload power that cannot be interrupted by shipping problems.

The effect of a nuclear power plant meltdown is a radioactive, dust-laden wind, which becomes a perhaps impossible cleanup project because toxic dust and wind, rain, and plume drift carries the radiation everywhere. The worst aspect is the panic- because it cannot be felt or tasted, radioactive contamination is very suggestive and without Geiger counters everywhere people will feel unsafe and panic buy and flee. Ordinary life in Central Japan cannot continue in an economic sense without a feeling of stability that the crisis is over.

The Answer Is Containment Domes

Prof. Alexander Bolonkin proposed a parsimonious, novel idea that works. He proposed a low cost pressurized AB-Dome suspension system that can contain radiation in case of an upwind nuclear disaster involving temporary poisoning of the local atmosphere around the plant. The toxins would never touch surrounding cities. The dome is made of plastic film held up by fan-driven air overpressure. (equivalent to a slight breeze, 1% atmospheric pressure).

The roughly hemispherical
AB-Dome converts the nuclear power plant into a closed-loop air system. In effect, an outer containment dome.  Unique modifications would have to be made to hold the contaminants within. These would be discussed during the construction phase.

Such a Dome would protect surrounding cities in case of Chernobyl type nuclear disaster involving poisoning the local atmosphere by radioactive dust. These domes should be a required fail safe for nuclear power plants worldwide. In Israel, there should be a dome over the Dimona reactor and the Nahal Sorek reactor to avoid Chernobyl like fallout plumes. All these can be done and implemented immediately, for this requires no exotic engineering and materials, just ordinary industrial products under no great stress.

For a very small additional amount the reactors can be made safe from armor piercing missile strikes from without (speculatively, North Korea) as well as meltdowns from within. (Bolonkin has also worked on passive missile defenses easily supported by the structure of the dome)

Dimona 600 Meter Line for Scale                    Israel’s 2 Nuclear Reactors require securing                                               against attack and Radioactive Fallout

Fukushima Dai-ichi Complex Dome

The current nuclear disaster at the Japanese Fukushima Dai-ichi Complex threatens Tokyo. In the case of constructing the dome over a “hot zone” such as Fukushima Dai-ichi Complex, after the nuclear facility has already begun to emit radioactive substances, the approach to construction of the dome has to be somewhat different. In the case of Fukushima Dai-ichi complex, it fortunately has access to the sea to overcome the biggest hurdle of how we can set up a dome without harming the workers.

[1]

Strategic Solutions Technology Group is prepared to assist the Japanese Government’s emergency response to this event by directing the emergency construction of a dome within one month the avert the panic. This is an interim emergency structure, quickly buildable, but with a limited lifetime. There will need to be a follow on structure and the infrastructure to build it.  This will be larger than the initial structure and enclose it and much of the site.

If a chemical yield of 10 tons is produced within the dome by a new reactor explosion, the dome will be big enough to withstand it as long as a vent is left open on the sea side.  Conventional explosives factories use this tactic as they traditionally have a weak roof or wall to vent blasts. Though thin plastic, if beyond the stagnation point it will withstand the blast. Shrapnel will open small holes, but these can be patched and in any case will only release a few millionths of total radiation yield.

This interim structure will open at seaside for ship entry/exit. But when the wind is going toward Tokyo it can be sealed.  Any leak from a reactor within the initial dome would probably be more than 95% contained even with an open ship corridor. This can be promptly sealed in case of problems.

The 2^nd stage dome structure will have an air lock for ships and be a permanent structure, designed to contain the Krypton and Xenon isotopes difficult to contain in the initial structure. In the Stage 2 Bolonkin Dome; Initial dome is the inner one. Note that many small details are omitted for clarity, nor is the scaling exact (unique site considerations would apply).  If all six reactors had (impossible) complete vaporization of the fuel within during a strong wind directly bound for Tokyo, and the radiation level 1 meter within the dome were fatal in minutes, it would be completely safe to walk around in regular clothing less than 2 km from the dome edge.

Similar structures should then be placed around all other Japanese reactors (the infrastructure will have been created to build the first one) BEFORE anything happens, including possible North Korean missile attack on reactor vessels, or another Great Kanto Earthquake.  This will have the effect of restoring Japanese civilian confidence in nuclear power for Japan.

The key thing is keeping long-lived isotopes away from Central Japan and stopping the panic that can destroy the Japanese economy and undermine her confidence in nuclear power.  This panic can be over within a month if prompt action is taken. We are available to direct this prompt action.

For technical details please contact us.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Strategic Solutions Technology Group

PO Box 34217

Jerusalem, Israel

Contact information:

General Inquiries                                             Chief Scientist

Shmuel Neumann                                            Prof. Alexander Bolonkin

Office Phone: 02-654-2407                               abolonkin@juno.com

Cell Phone: 0523444890

Email: domemountain@gmail.com Technical Inquiries

Joseph Friedlander

jjfriedlander@gmail.com