The Three Mile Island Disaster: By:-Jash (J058) Priyam (J059) Rishit (J063)

The Three Mile Island
Disaster
By:- Jash(J058)
Priyam(J059)
Rishit (J063)
Introduction
• The Three Mile Island Unit 2
reactor, near Middletown, Pa.,
partially melted down on March
28, 1979. This was the most
serious accident in U.S.
commercial nuclear power plant
operating history, although its
small radioactive releases had
no detectable health effects on
plant workers or the public. Its
aftermath brought about
sweeping changes involving
emergency response planning,
reactor operator training, human
factors engineering, radiation
protection, and many other areas
of nuclear power plant
operations
How it Happened
• The accident to unit 2 happened at 4 am on 28 March 1979 when
the reactor was operating at 97% power. It involved a relatively
minor malfunction in the secondary cooling circuit which caused
the temperature in the primary coolant to rise. This in turn caused
the reactor to shut down automatically. Shut down took about one
second. At this point a relief valve failed to close, but
instrumentation did not reveal the fact, and so much of the primary
coolant drained away that the residual decay heat in the reactor
core was not removed. The core suffered severe damage as a
result.
• The operators were unable to diagnose or respond properly to the
unplanned automatic shutdown of the reactor. Deficient control
room instrumentation and inadequate emergency response training
proved to be root causes of the accident
Impacts
• Upgrading and strengthening of plant design and equipment requirements.
• Identifying the critical role of human performance in plant safety led to

revamping operator training and staffing requirements, followed by
improved instrumentation and controls for operating the plant.
• Enhancing emergency preparedness.

Impacts on Human Health
• Approximately 2 million people around TMI during
the accident are estimated to have received an average
radiation dose of only about 1 millirem above the usual
background dose.
• The accident's maximum dose to a person at the site

boundary would have been less than 100 millirem
above background.
• The effects included "metallic taste, erythema, nausea,

vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, deaths of pets, farm and
wild animals, and damage to plants.
Aftermath
• Disciplines in training, operations and event reporting that grew
from the lessons of the TMI-2 accident have made the nuclear
power industry demonstrably safer and more reliable.
• The reactor coolant system is fully drained and the radioactive

water decontaminated and evaporated.
• Nuclear operator companies have pooled resources to purchase key

emergency equipment that is stored in strategic locations away
from their plants. This equipment can be quickly deployed to a site
to aid in response activities.
Role of Government
• 1. Training reforms are among the most significant outcomes of the
TMI-2 accident.
• 2. Training became centred on protecting a plant's cooling capacity,

whatever the triggering problem might be.
• 3. there is a concept known as a 'symptom-based' approach for

responding to plant events.
• 4. Underlying it is a style of training that gives operators a
foundation for understanding both theoretical and practical aspects
of plant operations.
• 5.Now operators are taken through a set of 'yes-no' questions to

ensure, first, that the reactor's fuel core remains covered.
• 6. The TMI-2 accident also led to the establishment of the Atlanta-

based Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and its National
Academy for Nuclear Training.
• 7. These two industry organizations have been effective in

promoting excellence in the operation of nuclear plants and
accrediting their training programmes
• 8. The $18 million simulator permitted operators to learn and be
tested on all kinds of accident scenarios.
• 9. Disciplines in training, operations and event reporting that grew
from the lessons of the TMI-2 accident have made the nuclear
power industry demonstrably safer and more reliable.To remain in
good standing, a nuclear plant must meet the high standards set by
INPO as well as the strict regulation of the US NRC.
• 10. Other indicators for US plants tracked by INPO and its world
counterpart, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO)
are the unplanned capability loss factor, unplanned automatic
scrams, safety system performance, thermal performance, fuel
reliability, chemistry performance, collective radiation exposure,
volume of solid radioactive waste and industrial safety accident rate.
THANK YOU
• References
• https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-colle
ctions/fact-sheets/3mile-isle.html
• https://world-nuclear.org/information-librar
y/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/thre
e-mile-island-accident.aspx

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The Three Mile Island

• Identifying the critical role of human performance in plant safety led to

• Enhancing emergency preparedness.

• The accident's maximum dose to a person at the site

• The effects included "metallic taste, erythema, nausea,

• The reactor coolant system is fully drained and the radioactive

• Nuclear operator companies have pooled resources to purchase key

• 2. Training became centred on protecting a plant's cooling capacity,

• 3. there is a concept known as a 'symptom-based' approach for

• 5.Now operators are taken through a set of 'yes-no' questions to

• 6. The TMI-2 accident also led to the establishment of the Atlanta-

• 7. These two industry organizations have been effective in

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