175 replies to this topic

[Bob-C]

I agree bob,

What shocks the crap out of me is they are not reporting it! I did see a scroll by that said water leaking out of reactor and fuel rods might melt down. This should be front page news! Makes me wonder why the hush is on?

******* bless those people....

Hi opinionated, good to hear from you. Thank you for your caring and on-target comments and insights.

Best,

Bob

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Gov't Official: It is a fact that nuclear fuel melted a hole through Reactor No. 1 May 13th, 2011 at 07:33 AM." The report states:

TEPCO to review No. 1 reactor plan, NHK, May 13, 2011:

Tokyo Electric Power Company is being forced to review its strategy for stabilizing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after announcing that one of its reactors is in a state of "meltdown." [...]

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda said it is a fact that the water injected into the No.1 reactor leaked away because of a hole or holes created by the meltdown.

He said this is the main reason why TEPCO's plan needs to be reviewed.

Bob-C

[totterdell91]

If the Japanese had been using Liquid Fuel Thorium Reactors (LFTR), rather than uranium solid reactors, they would have come through the quake and tsunami just fine. A LFTR would have just shut itself down, even if the entire assembly was washed away.

a couple of recent articles

http://www.baltimore...,5978856.column

http://www.miningnew...premiumarea.asp

and the "LFTRs in 10 minutes" video

[Bob-C]

If the Japanese had been using Liquid Fuel Thorium Reactors (LFTR), rather than uranium solid reactors, they would have come through the quake and tsunami just fine. A LFTR would have just shut itself down, even if the entire assembly was washed away.

a couple of recent articles

http://www.baltimore...,5978856.column

http://www.miningnew...premiumarea.asp

and the "LFTRs in 10 minutes" video

Hi MTGP, good to hear from you, thanks very much for your analysis and insights. Thanks also for your caring and the links to the articles and the video. Note, according to the latest report from enenews.com, "Guardian: Plan to flood Fukushima reactor could cause new blast, experts warn May 13th, 2011 at 10:29 AM." the report explains:

Plan to flood Fukushima reactor could cause new blast, experts warn, Guardian, May 13, 2011:

Plant operator Tepco reveals meltdown and breach of pressure vessel, with Greenpeace warning against pumping water in

Experts have warned of a potentially dangerous radiation leak if Japan proceeds with plans to flood a damaged reactor containment vessel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. [...]

Greenpeace has urged Tepco to abandon plans to flood the container with water, given the likelihood that melted fuel has damaged it. Shaun Burnie, nuclear adviser to Greenpeace Germany, said: 'Flooding a reactor that has fuel [that has fallen] through the pressure vessel is not a good idea.'

Outlining a worst-case scenario, Burnie said very large amounts of cold water hitting the melted fuel could cause an explosion, trigger substantial damage to the reactor and create a 'high risk of atmospheric release running for days, if not weeks.' He added: 'I think [the flooding option] will now be scrapped.'

Bob-C

Edited by Bob-C, 13 May 2011 - 09:49 AM.

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews, "Off the Scale: Radiation in No. 1 reactor building exceeds 1,000 millisieverts per hour — Levels too high for Geiger counter to measure May 13th, 2011 at 07:51 PM." The report explains"

Primary 1 Fukushima: 1000 2nd Floor Unit 1 mSv, Mainichi, May 11, 2011:

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on July 11 on the second floor of Unit 1 nuclear reactor Hukushima first TEPCO announced that it has measured high levels of radioactive material exceeding 1000 mSv per hour.

EX-SKF adds a more precise translation:

Measurement was done for 5 minutes starting 12:45PM on May 10 (JST), and at 1.6 meters from the floor the Geiger counter went overscale [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone,, according to a report from enenews.com, "No. 3 — Temperature soaring in pressure vessel, up over 100°F in 24 hours even after increasing water injection May 15th, 2011 at 05:56 PM." The report explains:

Unit 3 boric acid injection, to prevent re-criticality is also the No. 1.2, Yomiuri Shinbun, May 15, 2011:

Google Translation

15 TEPCO, the world prevent the Second Coming of the Unit 3 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the reactor cooling water, on a dissolved boric acid to absorb neutrons, the same day to the reactor announced that the injection began.

Will be the No. 1 and 2, take the same measures.

Critical re-continuous fission phenomenon again. 1 – Unit 3 reactor pressure vessel was initially injected in the history of water for cooling, TEPCO was seen as the salt will absorb neutrons. The boric acid is dissolved in water cooling, since instead of fresh water from seawater cooling down because it is seen that the salinity.

Meanwhile, the pressure vessel of Unit 3 are top of the soaring temperatures. TEPCO "There is a possibility that water is leaking irrigation pipe as a" pipe from the 12th to add another 12 tonnes of water filling the pipe with two per clock. Has increased from 14 to 15 tons per clock injection volume, temperature of the top 24 in no time at 5:00 am on July 15 rose 46.5 degrees, was 297 degrees. TEPCO said, "is still not going well injection" sees.

Translation by EX-SKF

TEPCO announced on May 15 that it started to use boric acid in the reactor cooling water for the Reactor 3 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant to prevent recriticality from happening. [...]

[T]he temperature at the top of the Reactor 3 RPV has risen rapidly. TEPCO increased the amount of cooling water to 12 tons per hour on May 12 using two water feeding systems, then to 15 tons per hour on May 14. However, the temperature at the top of the RPV increased by 46.5 degrees Celsius in 24 hours to 297 degrees Celsius as of 5:00AM on May 15. TEPCO thinks there's a problem with the pipes that feed water into the RPV.

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Two other reactors have serious core damage — Indicates there are holes in bottom of vessels at No. 2 and 3 May 15th, 2011 at 01:56 PM." The report states:

Two Other Reactors Suffer Serious Damage, Wall Street Journal by Mitsuru Obe, May 15, 2011:

Substantial damage to the fuel cores at two additional reactors of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex has taken place, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday, further complicating the already daunting task of bringing them to a safe shutdown while avoiding the release of high levels of radioactivity. [...]

The pressure vessel a cylindrical steel container that holds nuclear fuel, "is likely to be damaged and leaking water at units Nos. 2 and 3," said Junichi Matsumoto, Tepco spokesman on nuclear issues, in a news briefing Sunday.

He also said there could be far less cooling water in the pressure vessels of Nos. 2 and 3, indicating there are holes at the bottom of these vessels [...]

Bob-C

[nimblebear]

As I suggested when this all first started, the northern half of Japan will become uninhabitable.

I am thoroughly confused as to why they haven't begun evacuating far more people, at a much farther out radius.

http://enenews.com/

Pray for the people of Japan, that they may have the courage to do what's necessary on their own, and simply make the decision to leave the very dangerous areas surrounding the uncontrolled meltdowns that will continue to occur for months on end.

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "Reactor No. 1 core had total meltdown and uranium fuel may be outside containment building — Nuclear reaction could have restarted May 16th, 2011 at 09:49 AM." The report states:

Meanwhile, the Disaster at Fukushima Continues, The Atlantic, May 16, 2011:

[Emphasis Added]

As Nature News’ Geoff Brumfiel reports, workers went into the unit recently “to recalibrate some of the sensors on the reactor.” Much to their surprise and dismay, they found that the core experienced a total meltdown. The zirconium alloy tubes that hold the uranium fuel pellets during normal operation all warped and the uranium is now lying at the bottom of the pressure vessel, or possibly even outside of it in the basement below or outside the concrete containment building. With all the fuel piled up at the bottom, there is some danger that the nuclear reaction could have restarted. As of now, engineers on the scene aren’t sure what happened.

Understanding the complete meltdown at Fukushima unit 1, Nature.com, May 13, 2011:

[...] Reactor restart? [...]

Some have theorized that with all the fuel at the bottom of the vessel, unit 1 may have actually restarted its nuclear reactions. If that had happened, the fuel would be pumping out some portion of its normal 1380 megawatts of thermal power—probably enough to melt through the thick steal reactor pressure vessel. It would have dropped onto a concrete slab below (the basemat), where it would have hopefully been spread out, effectively diffusing the chain reaction. [...]

[A] note from the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) quotes Banri Kaieda, the nation’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister, as saying that it is “a fact” that there were holes created by the meltdown. That would likely mean at least some of the uranium fuel is now lying on the basemat below, or perhaps even outside the concrete containment. [...]

Bob-C

[Bob-C]

Hi everyone, according to a report from enenews.com, "WSJ says 'meltdown' at Reactors No. 2 and 3 May 16th, 2011 at 03:39 PM." The report explains:

Cores Damaged at Three Reactors, Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2011 at 3:03 pm EDT:

[Emphasis Added]

Substantial damage to the fuel cores at two additional reactors of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex has taken place, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday, further complicating the already daunting task of bringing them to a safe shutdown while avoiding the release of high levels of radioactivity. The revelation followed an acknowledgment on Thursday that a similar meltdown of the core took place at unit No. 1. [...]

Bob-C