"We've confirmed that the reactor container was not damaged. The explosion didn't occur inside the reactor container. As such there was no large amount of radiation leakage outside"
--Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano [5]
[Russia Today/YouTube] Video of blast at Fukushima nuke plant, radiation leak reported
Developing news:
- WNA expert Ian Hore-Lacy says this was "obviously an hydrogen explosion" [1]
- TEPCO confirms 1.5 meters of fuel rod length had been exposed [2]
- "The container housing the reactor was not seriously damaged in the explosion" says Japanese nuclear safety agency NISA [3]
- But the concrete building collapsed [5] (doesn't this include the spent fuel pool?)
- Radiation levels down sharply following explosion [8]; from peak 1,015 μSv/hr
- Some civilians needed to be decontaminated [11]; so it is not only noble gas FPs being released
- WHO reports public health risks appear low [12]
- Containment will be flooded with borated seawater [5]
- Containment seawater flooding has begun [6]
- One worker is confirmed dead in crane accident [9]
- Evacuation extended to 20 km radius [2]; cars being turned back at 60 km [3]
- Nuclear "Hyper Rescue Team" being sent [4]
- What started this all? IAEA: "Diesel generators... disabled by tsunami flooding" [7]
[1] [Guardian] Japan nuclear alert and earthquake - live coverage
[2] [WSJ] Japan Officials Probe Nuclear Plant Collapse
[3] [BBC] Huge blast at Japan nuclear power plant
[4] [Guardian] Fukushima nuclear plant blast puts Japan on high alert
[5] [Reuters] Japan to fill leaking nuke reactor with sea water
[6] [WSJ] Japan Fills Damaged Reactor With Seawater
[7] [IAEA] Japan Earthquake Update (2030 CET)
[8] [WSJ]Japan Tries Using Seawater to Cool Damaged Reactor
[9] [WNA] Battle to stabilise earthquake reactors
[10] [NHK/Wikipedia] Before and after image of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1
[11] [NHK] 3 patients exposed to radiation in Fukushima
[12] [Reuters] Health risk from Japan reactor seems quite low-WHO
![[NHK/Wikipedia] Before and after image of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2011-03-12_1800_NHK_S%C5%8Dg%C5%8D_channel_news_program_screen_shot.jpg){kind=link}
I haven't read anything that indicates their progress in getting cooling restored. Probably not a good sign.
ReplyDeleteInteresting definition in one of your links:
"A meltdown refers to a heat buildup in the core of such an intensity it melts the floor of the reactor containment housing. "
Tepco are saying it was the outer building and that the containment is intact.
ReplyDeleteTepco are saying it was the external building and that containment is intact: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20110312/t10014632471000.html
ReplyDeleteThe fission products are being detected due to their pressence in the airborne releases ie venting
There is nothing on the refueling floor that would cause such an explosion. I would bet money that the explosion was caused by a hydrogen leak in the turbine building. Large generators are cooled with hydrogen. The turbine building is not built to maintain its function in a earth quake.
ReplyDeleteThe upper portion of the reactor building above refueling floor is just an industrial sheet metal construction and not designed to withstand an explosive pressure wave because it was not required at the time (late 60s).
So there has been three abnormal events for which the plant is designed: an earth quake, tsunami, and explosion. The good news is that the fuel is undamaged, the reactor coolant pressure boundary (RCPB) is intact, and the containment building is intact. Therefore, the public is protected.
Of course that was the design objective. Looking at the damage that has occurred, it is unlikely that this 439 MWe, 40 year old power plant will be operated again. Most likely it will be replaced with a 1400 MWe ABWR with an advanced containment.
Hey Kit, What about the other three reactors? It is obvious to me, that after the tremendous ground shaking, the control rods are not able to be inserted to slow down the reactor, and thus, allow it to cool. After a SCRAM event, with proper activation of the control rods, it only take three to five days to safely cool the reactor into indefinite shutdown, if everything is working proper. Since they cannot get the temperature down after four days, (and this thought occured to me 2 days ago after re-reading the Chernobyl event timeline), it is apparent the fuel bundles are blocking the control rods from full insertion into the reactor. This could take a very long time to bring under control, since, there is now no way to slow the reativity of the reactor.The Seawater will cool the reactor, but not stop it. Massive amounts of Chemicals(Boron?) and effort will be required to control these runaway reactors, just like at Chernobyl, now there is no playbook! Too bad, not one Corporate News Media Mouthpiece knows how to ask for pertinent information! Phil
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ReplyDeletePhilip: "It is obvious to me, that after the tremendous ground shaking, the control rods are not able to be inserted to slow down the reactor, and thus, allow it to cool. ... This could take a very long time to bring under control, since, there is now no way to slow the reativity of the reactor."
ReplyDeletePhilip, you're an idiot. Even if the control rods had failed to insert (of course, there was no failure), the chain reaction would end as soon as the water started to boil away, since the water is necessary as a moderator to keep the reaction going.
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