Fears increase over possible Nuclear disaster

[dazdillinjah]

The Japanese government has sought to play down fears of a radiation leak at the Fukushima plant.

But the plant's Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) said radiation levels around the plant had now risen above permissible limits.

And government spokesman Yukio Edano acknowledged it was possible that a meltdown had occurred at reactor 3.

The BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo says a meltdown at reactor 3 would be potentially more serious than at the other reactors, because it is fuelled by plutonium and uranium, unlike the other units which carry only uranium.

Experts say as long as the authorities can keep the fuel rods in the core covered with water, they should be able to avoid a major disaster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12724953

[Benz]

i could be wrong here but if the temp keeps rising wouldn't it just turn the seawater into steam? thus making the exposure 1000 times worse

[aquatus1]

Not using seawater will allow the core to melt. Worse case scenario (and extremely unlikely, as long as they don't run out of ocean) there is a breach at the core and enough material leaks out to form a critical mass. Steam may be bad, but it can be contained. Nothing is going to contain a nuclear explosion.

[Benz]

wonder when we will find out how bad the damage is, our news stopped updating us about it like 8 hours ago

[aquatus1]

Yeah, they really can't say anything until they get a look at the reactor, which is still being cooled. They can only exaggerate what they have so much before they get called on it.

[ships-cat]

Not using seawater will allow the core to melt. Worse case scenario (and extremely unlikely, as long as they don't run out of ocean) there is a breach at the core and enough material leaks out to form a critical mass. Steam may be bad, but it can be contained. Nothing is going to contain a nuclear explosion.

There is no possibility of a nuclear explosion, thank goodness. A sudden steam buildup (by the reactor being exposed to cold water in an uncontrolled manner), however, could cause the core to "explode", in the sense of shattering into small pieces and being dispersed over a wide area. This would be highly undesirable, as it would be very hard work to decontaminate the area afterwards.

It may have been steam that caused the 'explosion' we all saw on TV. Hopefully this was part of the reactor building "bursting" under pressure, (itself produced by emergency steam venting of the core) and not necessarily the core itself.

Indeed, it is conceivable (though purely speculation at this stage) that the managers deliberately sacrificed the integrity of the containment building in order to preserve the integrity of the core. If so, this would be a truly desperate decision, and a very brave one.

meow purr

[dazdillinjah]

The BBC Live link ...continuing to provide latest updates & information regarding the disaster

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

Truly the magnitude & extent of this is heart wrenching & almost unbelievable

[+susieice]

Fox News is reporting another plant has released some radiation but is under control. I'm linking to another site that says there are now three different plants involved. This is so tragic.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/03/13/134506947/partial-meltdown-feared-at-japanese-nuclear-plant

Also, a second explosion is feared at Fukushima.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110313/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake_nuclear_crisis

Edited March 13, 2011 by susieice

[dazdillinjah]

A second explosion has occurred at Fukushima in Reactor 3 ..also the Government has announced a third reactor at Fukushima has lost its cooling system

Meanwhile the US military has announced one of its Aircraft Carriers has detected low level radiation from 100 miles offshore

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12729138

[dazdillinjah]

Another thing I cannot figure ..is 'how ???' is seawater at seawater temperature going to ever be able to cool down an overheating nuclear reactor

[+susieice]

It's so hard to tell what's going on over there and who to believe. At least the tsunami didn't strike again but reports are that reactor #2 is now failing and the rods have been exposed.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/14/japanese-official-damaged-reactor-fuel-rods-temporarily-exposed/

The US is pulling it's Navy vessels to another location after some helicopter personnel tested positive for minor exposure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake_nuclear_crisis

Edited March 14, 2011 by susieice

[jesspy]

third explosion

linky

[Setton]

Another thing I cannot figure ..is 'how ???' is seawater at seawater temperature going to ever be able to cool down an overheating nuclear reactor

It's colder than the reactor. Simple exchange of energy means water heats up, reactor cools down. That's why they continuously need more water to cool the reactor. I'm no expert on this but that's how I understand it.

[dazdillinjah]

It's colder than the reactor. Simple exchange of energy means water heats up, reactor cools down. That's why they continuously need more water to cool the reactor. I'm no expert on this but that's how I understand it.

All I see from lei-mans terms is the seawater will continue to corrode the containment chamber then evaporate and do nothing at all apart from slow down the inevitable

[aquatus1]

Evaporation means that heat which used to be in the rods is now being dispersed by the water. That means that heat is being removed from the rods, which in layman's terms means it is being cooled.

[+susieice]

Now they're saying a fourth one is on fire and leaks have been detected from the second.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake_nuclear_crisis

[dazdillinjah]

third explosion

linky

Tyvm for the link ..it definately doesnt take an expert to realize that seawater (at seawater temperature) is never going to be able to cool an over-heating nuclear reactor

[dazdillinjah]

Now they're saying a fourth one is on fire and leaks have been detected from the second.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake_nuclear_crisis

Tyvm for the link & update ..I have just got back & still yet to catch up on what is happening

[Eldorado]

Here's a good Q&A about those fears.... "How great a danger do these problems pose for people in Japan and further afield?

Has there been a leakage of radioactive material?

Yes. Local government officials in Fukushima say 190 people have been exposed to some radiation. An American warship, the USS Ronald Reagan, has detected low levels of radiation at a distance of 100 miles (161km) from the Fukushima plant."

Full article at link below...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12732015

[dazdillinjah]

Again tyvm Susieice & all who have continued to keep an eye on the Nuclear reactor situation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12740843

Its obvious that alot of us are able to see the important factors being released & that the playing down of any fears regarding Fukushima were simply Government manipulated media reports to avoid over-reactions ....but at what cost ?!!!

Anyone who could read English was able to deduct that when the US Ronald Reagan detected low-level radiation from 100 miles off-shore that something is really contradicting the "everythings sweet" statements being released via mass-media

Any 'human alive' could also figure that seawater (no matter what season - lets say winter) is at no way or no capability going to cool an over-heating nuclear react

Lets pay attention to these latest updates and pray for the safety of any affected

[jesspy]

Tyvm for the link ..it definately doesnt take an expert to realize that seawater (at seawater temperature) is never going to be able to cool an over-heating nuclear reactor

would liquid nitrogen work? Is there anything colder then that?

[dazdillinjah]

would liquid nitrogen work? Is there anything colder then that?

To me Jesspy that would be a whole lot more effective than seawater but how much of it would be needed ? I have no idea (& Im thinking it would need a sh**-load to the power of 10)

[Fluffybunny]

Tyvm for the link ..it definately doesnt take an expert to realize that seawater (at seawater temperature) is never going to be able to cool an over-heating nuclear reactor

Well, it isn't like they are trying to get the core to freezing temperatures...think of it like putting sea water in a cars radiator; it will keep the car from overhearing but the salt in the water will be very hard on the parts and will not be something that can work forever. Here is an image that shows how a plant is laid out and how the water travels through the system similarly to a car radiator:

One of the stories I read said something about the fact that the sea water will work and if they can keep enough sea water in there they will be ok. Problem is that just by putting the sea water in the chamber they are causing corrosive damage that will basically shut the plant down for good and the core would need to be replaced. Of course that is better than having a meltdown or an explosion of some sort. Basically the best of a very very bad situation.

Edited March 15, 2011 by Fluffybunny

[jesspy]

To me Jesspy that would be a whole lot more effective than seawater but how much of it would be needed ? I have no idea (& Im thinking it would need a sh**-load to the power of 10)

lol true

covering it up in concrete? I dunno its bad. But yeah you would need alot of liquid nitrogen and it only comes in small vats.

[The Silver Thong]

slow down the inevitable

Slow down yes, prevent the inevitable? What inevitable? a Chernobyl? Not likely. These plants have been built to prevent another Chernobyl not saying it can't end up as a cluster %$#& building 50 of these things on a known fault line but ya really, what was the expected outcome. Asinine morons aka the nuclear over sight that allows these plants not Japan.

I have to ask, who approved these sights? It wasn't Japan.