European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A a. A Bast Germany probably will have to shut Down All five of its nuclear reactors for safety reasons. Over soviet technology by Marlise Simons new York times experts describe the hair raising incident at an East German nuclear Energy Plant like this 11 of the 12 Cooling pumps of a nuclear reactor were knocked out by fire and Power failure and workers scrambled to work a last remaining pump. Without that pump the Core of the reactor would overheat begin to melt Down and set in motion a near unstoppable process. The nearby town of Greif Swald would be in radioactive peril. The pump which was connected to another Power source got started just in time to prevent disaster. That incident occurred in 1975, and was revealed Only this year when the office for atomic safety informed its counterpart in Bonn. It is now regarded As the most dangerous known near disaster in Eastern Europe s nuclear history. Although the problem was caused by design fault in the soviet made Plant experts say the soviet Union never warned other countries that were building or operating similar reactors that they too were at risk. Experts from East Germany Czechoslovakia and Hungary have asserted that Moscow often withheld information needed for the Safe operation of the soviet built plants. East european scientists in recent months have gone Public with their frustration and anger about the soviet supervisors of the plants. They have cited squabbles Over who ran the plants and Over permission to run tests. Arguments arose Over computer data that Moscow refused to release. And they said that there were disagreements Over the Quality of soviet made materials. Quot we never trusted the russian components and we tested each one Quot said Jiri Becvar head of nuclear technology at the ministry of fuel and Energy in Prague. A when we corrected them it caused complications with the russian in the last two decades As the soviet Union built 23 nuclear plants in Eastern Europe regional specialists say there was virtually no useful Exchange of information on incidents or on experiments and operating experiences a considered vital in the West. Rather when they persisted in asking questions East German scientists said their soviet overseers would make them look suspect. Quot the supervisors would intimidate you and ask Are you a Friend of the soviet Union Quot a scientist said. To work at the potentially most dangerous Industrial Plant in operation another physicist said Quot being a Loyal member of the communist party was More important than technical although they were speaking of the past several scientists said their plants still depend on Moscow for information and services. Soviet supervisors continue to work at the plants by contract Only they can authorize important changes. Moscow still provides the plants with nuclear fuel collects spent fuel and stores it and other highly radioactive waste Back Home. The criticism of Moscow comes As alarm has grown in the West about the safety of More than half of the soviet designed atomic Energy plants in Eastern Europe. They Are the first generation of pressurized water reactors which Are based on a principle different from the soviet Union s ill fated chernobyl Plant. But analysts said they were comparable to chernobyl Type plants for poor workmanship and management. A multimillion Dollar safety study of the East German reactors has been ordered and financed by Bonn but West German officials have said that East Germany is almost certain to close All five of its nuclear reactors four at Greif Swald and one at Rheinsburg. The reactors safety standards Are Likely to be unacceptable under West German regulations which went into effect on july 1 in East Germany. In contrast to the past government officials in Bonn noted soviet specialists have cooperated with the West German experts in preparing the Greif Swald study. Until this year they said East Germany a nuclear plants had been All but hermetically sealed. West German suppliers of components said they were never allowed onto the Sites International inspection teams invited to soviet made plants elsewhere in the late 1980s, were also kept out Greif Swald experts now training in West Germany say they were sometimes treated As unwelcome snoopers by their soviet supervisors. To operate a reactor safely one needs computer codes a specialist said but Moscow regarded those As secret. When the East germans requested data to calculate certain actions of the system or to judge material fatigue Moscow might give a limited answer or none at All the experts said. Quot a Western Utility would not accept it if a builder would not provide such essential data Quot said a West German expert on reactor safety. Quot and to improve an old Plant you need almost 100 percent of the in Czechoslovakia Plant operators have also complained about Lack of information shoddy components and secrecy. Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes saturday july 21,1990laid-off robots quirks and costs Stal Brave new worldly Peter t. Kilborn new York times s Teve Antenen of Hamilton Ohio run biggest employment Agency in the uni states for robots. He has 70 Industrial robots for Sale o fringe of Hamilton a Riverside com Muni Between Cincinnati and Dayton. All look impeccable most having worked no met than a few thousand hours before their former own some of the nations leading companies Ash it them the door. It Wasny to supposed to be this Way robots bristle with technology but Laid off. To labor unions robots presented the Specter c automation in the extreme a motorized androids would drive real people out of their jobs. To Industry they were expected to be an uncomplaining solution to round the clock product it turns out that people Stilt work better than rot Many jobs. And where t hey do n of More. M u Dane form s o automation than robotics work better. Robots have found a place in Industry but i in arduous dangerous or monotonous jobs that workers shun anyway like wielding a 200-Pound \ on an automobile Assembly line or handling radios materials in nuclear reactors. I but the . Population of robots is not the Hun of thousands once predicted but Only 37,000, or 1 for every 500 factory workers according to the robotic industries association a robot merchants Trade group in Ann Arbor Mich the total includes 200 or 300 that owners have dispatched to used robot dealers like Antenen a indeterminate number of Graybeard that have be scrapped. Still others have moved on to colleges that team manufacturing where like cadavers in medical schools they become learning aids. Quot Here s an ultimate Puma 700,&Quot Antenen said. Quot it was in an electronics Plant in Texas. They hot a lab perfecting a process to make a certain proc they had a change in plans and decided not to m the product it has under 1,000 hours of Laboratory we be brought it in checked it out and aside Frorer minor gear adjustment its like new. Its going to i school in a a we be even got some Brand new ones a ant said As he roamed among his Idle toilers a few be times the size of a Man some half the size. Most have a Torso but Only one limb an Arm wit Elbow and a wrist. The wrist is fitted with tools to do a particular to. Drilling holes or welding or putting together parts a Assembly line. Antenen has some lumbering Quot bang bang Quot or to and place Quot robots As they Are called in the Indusi that can do nothing More than lift things move the bit and put them Down. A he has others their arms guided by sophistical computers that can do a variety of tasks and com a Way with fellow robots that work along the Sarre Assembly line. Fie said that in a clean working environment Thi need about the same care As other machines a f periodic oiling adjustments occasional replace Ems tired parts a to run for 10 or 15 years. A the average Price of a new robot is about $70,c the oldest and simplest of the robots in Antene warehouses can be had at fire Sale prices a $5,0 $10,000 a and the Best for $40,000. I r i j
