Japanese abandon six nuclear reactors

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says mebbe it'll burn a hole clean through the earth to China, den it can be their problem...

New Fire in Japan’s Troubled Nuclear Power Plant
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 - A new fire has broken out at a troubled reactor of northeast Japan's quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, says the new fire started early Wednesday in the same reactor that had been on fire the day before. Japanese television showed a huge cloud of white smoke rising from the stricken plant at mid-day Wednesday. The government also reported damage to the protective container shielding another Fukushima reactor. There have been explosions at two reactor locations inside the plant since the massive earthquake and tsunami damaged the facility on Friday.

Japan's government is trying to avert a major nuclear disaster from the crippled plant. About 200,000 of people have been evacuated from the area. Authorities also are rushing doctors and emergency supplies to thousands of people left without food, water and shelter after the disaster. Japan's NHK television on Tuesday quoted government officials as saying that 3,000 are confirmed dead, but more than 10,000 are missing and feared dead.

The scale of the triple disaster is enormous. U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesperson Stephanie Bunker told VOA Tuesday she has not seen a disaster quite like this before. Television pictures from hard-hit Sendai show people lined up for water and canned food, and some stores rationing food sales to 10 items per person. In other areas, the 100,000 personnel deployed by the government are attempting to rescue survivors stranded by the flood waters and mountains of debris.

Rescue crews still are struggling through debris-blocked roads to get to hundreds of thousands of people whose towns and villages were leveled by Friday's magnitude-9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The government says 15,000 people have been rescued and 450,000 have been evacuated nationwide.

Source

 

[The Gadfly]

Look, the bottom line, is that this is a serious accident, and it's not yet under control; if anything there are indications it will at the least get worse before it gets better. If the containment structure hold, this probably, as Polar says, won't result in any large-scale radioactive release. There's a lot of conflicting information.

As far as drawing any conclusions about the safety of nuclear power from this, the fact is, we won't know, until the incident is over, and everything can be examined, to find out exactly what worked, what failed, and why and how. That's probably going to take a while. This reactor complex was subjected to conditions it was not designed to withstand; it was designed to withstand an 8.2 quake, not one several orders of magnitude larger, plus a tsunami. There will be plenty of time to cut up that corpse later.

In the meantime, let's hope they manage to get back in and get control before they simply have to let it burn itself out.

 

[Chris]

Look, the bottom line, is that this is a serious accident, and it's not yet under control; if anything there are indications it will at the least get worse before it gets better. If the containment structure hold, this probably, as Polar says, won't result in any large-scale radioactive release. There's a lot of conflicting information.

As far as drawing any conclusions about the safety of nuclear power from this, the fact is, we won't know, until the incident is over, and everything can be examined, to find out exactly what worked, what failed, and why and how. That's probably going to take a while. This reactor complex was subjected to conditions it was not designed to withstand; it was designed to withstand an 8.2 quake, not one several orders of magnitude larger, plus a tsunami. There will be plenty of time to cut up that corpse later.

In the meantime, let's hope they manage to get back in and get control before they simply have to let it burn itself out.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 have no containment vessel for the spent rods.

And nuclear power is safe.

Until something goes wrong.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Six abandoned reactors...four with partial meltdowns and three with spent fuel rods and no containment vessel. This is a disaster of the first magnitude for the people of Japan.

Unbelievable!

No containment vessels? Disaster of the first magnitude? Are you always this ridiculously over the top?

Here are a few facts for you to ponder.

All of the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi are completely shutdown. They have been shutdown since the quake first occured, and were offline before the tsunami hit the plant.

It is probable that one containment vessel is cracked, the other five are intact.

There is absolutely no way that a total meltdown can occur. The only heat left is residual heat from the reaction before the shutdown.

Even if they stopped the cooling efforts completely there would be no dangerous plume of radioactive materials.

The only danger that exists is from panic and ignorance. I want to thank you for making the world a more dangerous place. I hope your pathetic life feels a little more real as a result of your attempt to spread misinformation and fear, because it is the last time I know just how stupid you are know, and will gladly point it out to everyone. You have just succeeded in making rdean look like an intelligent, well informed, and moderate person.

If anyone wants to know what the real problem is that Japan faces I suggest you look at the photos of the devastation left by the tsunami. For those who want a reference to show that I actually know what I am talking about I would suggest that you read this essay by a Nuclear Engineer.

Anti-Nuclear Press Puts Japanese Lives at Risk - By Robert Zubrin - The Corner - National Review Online

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Look, the bottom line, is that this is a serious accident, and it's not yet under control; if anything there are indications it will at the least get worse before it gets better. If the containment structure hold, this probably, as Polar says, won't result in any large-scale radioactive release. There's a lot of conflicting information.

As far as drawing any conclusions about the safety of nuclear power from this, the fact is, we won't know, until the incident is over, and everything can be examined, to find out exactly what worked, what failed, and why and how. That's probably going to take a while. This reactor complex was subjected to conditions it was not designed to withstand; it was designed to withstand an 8.2 quake, not one several orders of magnitude larger, plus a tsunami. There will be plenty of time to cut up that corpse later.

In the meantime, let's hope they manage to get back in and get control before they simply have to let it burn itself out.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 have no containment vessel for the spent rods.

And nuclear power is safe.

Until something goes wrong.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 all have containment vessels. What they do not have is the outer building that houses the containment vessels. Your knowledge of science is matched only by your ignorance of anything past the edges of your keyboard.

 

[Chris]

Look, the bottom line, is that this is a serious accident, and it's not yet under control; if anything there are indications it will at the least get worse before it gets better. If the containment structure hold, this probably, as Polar says, won't result in any large-scale radioactive release. There's a lot of conflicting information.

As far as drawing any conclusions about the safety of nuclear power from this, the fact is, we won't know, until the incident is over, and everything can be examined, to find out exactly what worked, what failed, and why and how. That's probably going to take a while. This reactor complex was subjected to conditions it was not designed to withstand; it was designed to withstand an 8.2 quake, not one several orders of magnitude larger, plus a tsunami. There will be plenty of time to cut up that corpse later.

In the meantime, let's hope they manage to get back in and get control before they simply have to let it burn itself out.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 have no containment vessel for the spent rods.

And nuclear power is safe.

Until something goes wrong.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 all have containment vessels. What they do not have is the outer building that houses the containment vessels. Your knowledge of science is matched only by your ignorance of anything past the edges of your keyboard.

The spent rods are not in a containment vessel.

Sorry, you are the one who is ignorant.

 

[Chris]

The company said an estimated 70% of the fuel rods had been damaged at the Unit 1 reactor and 33% at the Unit 2 reactor. Nuclear safety agency spokesman Shigekatsu Omukai said the utility reported the figures to the agency Wednesday.

Spent fuel at the complex is an increasing focus of concern. Tepco had moved all of the rods from the Unit 4 reactor to the spent-fuel pool sometime after Dec. 1 as part of routine maintenance, meaning the pool contained not only all of the rods accumulated from many years of service but also all of those currently in use.

If the pool was jam-packed with rods, they would generate significant heat and, once the water stopped circulating after the tsunami, its temperature would begin rising, eventually reaching the boiling point. If the water boiled long enough without being replenished, it would expose the rods to the air.

In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report warning that a loss of cooling water or circulation could trigger a catastrophic fire in a spent-fuel pool that would result in large releases of radioactive material. If the rods become exposed to the air, their zirconium tubes begin to react with oxygen and heat up even more, a type of oxidation fire. At some point, the material inside the tubes melts and can release highly radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 and iodine-131.

Japan earthquake, nuclear crisis: Fire reignites in reactor at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant - latimes.com

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 have no containment vessel for the spent rods.

And nuclear power is safe.

Until something goes wrong.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 all have containment vessels. What they do not have is the outer building that houses the containment vessels. Your knowledge of science is matched only by your ignorance of anything past the edges of your keyboard.

The spent rods are not in a containment vessel.

Sorry, you are the one who is ignorant.

The spent rods are also not in reactors. That is why they are called spent rods, Idiot.

Want to try again?

 

[Chris]

Look, the bottom line, is that this is a serious accident, and it's not yet under control; if anything there are indications it will at the least get worse before it gets better. If the containment structure hold, this probably, as Polar says, won't result in any large-scale radioactive release. There's a lot of conflicting information.

As far as drawing any conclusions about the safety of nuclear power from this, the fact is, we won't know, until the incident is over, and everything can be examined, to find out exactly what worked, what failed, and why and how. That's probably going to take a while. This reactor complex was subjected to conditions it was not designed to withstand; it was designed to withstand an 8.2 quake, not one several orders of magnitude larger, plus a tsunami. There will be plenty of time to cut up that corpse later.

In the meantime, let's hope they manage to get back in and get control before they simply have to let it burn itself out.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 have no containment vessel for the spent rods.

And nuclear power is safe.

Until something goes wrong.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 all have containment vessels. What they do not have is the outer building that houses the containment vessels. Your knowledge of science is matched only by your ignorance of anything past the edges of your keyboard.

An explosion and fire at the pool containing spent fuel rods at the No. 4 reactor of the quake-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant Tuesday could prove more serious than explosions at two other reactors.

The fire at the pool could potentially pave the way for another explosion that could destroy the building that houses the reactor and release a large amount of highly radioactive materials into the atmosphere.

At the No. 4 reactor, the pool that contains spent fuel rods is located outside the nuclear pressure vessel and the containment vessel.

The only thing that separates the pool from the outside world is the concrete building that houses the reactor.

asahi.com¡ÊÄ«Æü¿·Ê¹¼Ò¡Ë¡§No. 4 reactor poses more danger than other reactors - English

Do you have the balls to apologize?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The company said an estimated 70% of the fuel rods had been damaged at the Unit 1 reactor and 33% at the Unit 2 reactor. Nuclear safety agency spokesman Shigekatsu Omukai said the utility reported the figures to the agency Wednesday.

Spent fuel at the complex is an increasing focus of concern. Tepco had moved all of the rods from the Unit 4 reactor to the spent-fuel pool sometime after Dec. 1 as part of routine maintenance, meaning the pool contained not only all of the rods accumulated from many years of service but also all of those currently in use.

If the pool was jam-packed with rods, they would generate significant heat and, once the water stopped circulating after the tsunami, its temperature would begin rising, eventually reaching the boiling point. If the water boiled long enough without being replenished, it would expose the rods to the air.

In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report warning that a loss of cooling water or circulation could trigger a catastrophic fire in a spent-fuel pool that would result in large releases of radioactive material. If the rods become exposed to the air, their zirconium tubes begin to react with oxygen and heat up even more, a type of oxidation fire. At some point, the material inside the tubes melts and can release highly radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 and iodine-131.

Japan earthquake, nuclear crisis: Fire reignites in reactor at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant - latimes.com

And, even if the water all evaporates, which will not happen as long as they can pump ocean water into the pools, the rods will not cause a meltdown.

 

[Chris]

The company said an estimated 70% of the fuel rods had been damaged at the Unit 1 reactor and 33% at the Unit 2 reactor. Nuclear safety agency spokesman Shigekatsu Omukai said the utility reported the figures to the agency Wednesday.

Spent fuel at the complex is an increasing focus of concern. Tepco had moved all of the rods from the Unit 4 reactor to the spent-fuel pool sometime after Dec. 1 as part of routine maintenance, meaning the pool contained not only all of the rods accumulated from many years of service but also all of those currently in use.

If the pool was jam-packed with rods, they would generate significant heat and, once the water stopped circulating after the tsunami, its temperature would begin rising, eventually reaching the boiling point. If the water boiled long enough without being replenished, it would expose the rods to the air.

In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report warning that a loss of cooling water or circulation could trigger a catastrophic fire in a spent-fuel pool that would result in large releases of radioactive material. If the rods become exposed to the air, their zirconium tubes begin to react with oxygen and heat up even more, a type of oxidation fire. At some point, the material inside the tubes melts and can release highly radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 and iodine-131.

Japan earthquake, nuclear crisis: Fire reignites in reactor at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant - latimes.com

And, even if the water all evaporates, which will not happen as long as they can pump ocean water into the pools, the rods will not cause a meltdown.

Still waiting for your apology...

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 have no containment vessel for the spent rods.

And nuclear power is safe.

Until something goes wrong.

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 all have containment vessels. What they do not have is the outer building that houses the containment vessels. Your knowledge of science is matched only by your ignorance of anything past the edges of your keyboard.

At the No. 4 reactor, the pool that contains spent fuel rods is located outside the nuclear pressure vessel and the containment vessel.

The only thing that separates the pool from the outside world is the concrete building that houses the reactor.

asahi.com¡ÊÄ«Æü¿·Ê¹¼Ò¡Ë¡§No. 4 reactor poses more danger than other reactors - English

Do you have the balls to apologize?

For what? Pointing out that your ignorance is so boundless that even when someone points out how vast it is you cling to it?

Since the reactors pose 0 danger the fact that the suppression pool poses more danger than the reactors does not really surprise me. Nor does the fact that the media prefers to over hype the danger rather than present the facts. If it becomes necessary the Japanese can bury the pool under concrete and eliminate all potential danger.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The company said an estimated 70% of the fuel rods had been damaged at the Unit 1 reactor and 33% at the Unit 2 reactor. Nuclear safety agency spokesman Shigekatsu Omukai said the utility reported the figures to the agency Wednesday.

Spent fuel at the complex is an increasing focus of concern. Tepco had moved all of the rods from the Unit 4 reactor to the spent-fuel pool sometime after Dec. 1 as part of routine maintenance, meaning the pool contained not only all of the rods accumulated from many years of service but also all of those currently in use.

If the pool was jam-packed with rods, they would generate significant heat and, once the water stopped circulating after the tsunami, its temperature would begin rising, eventually reaching the boiling point. If the water boiled long enough without being replenished, it would expose the rods to the air.

In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report warning that a loss of cooling water or circulation could trigger a catastrophic fire in a spent-fuel pool that would result in large releases of radioactive material. If the rods become exposed to the air, their zirconium tubes begin to react with oxygen and heat up even more, a type of oxidation fire. At some point, the material inside the tubes melts and can release highly radioactive isotopes such as cesium-137 and iodine-131.

Japan earthquake, nuclear crisis: Fire reignites in reactor at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant - latimes.com

And, even if the water all evaporates, which will not happen as long as they can pump ocean water into the pools, the rods will not cause a meltdown.

Still waiting for your apology...

Don't hold your breath, I see no reason to apologize for your ignorance, I had nothing to do with it.

 

[Chris]

Reactors 4, 5, and 6 all have containment vessels. What they do not have is the outer building that houses the containment vessels. Your knowledge of science is matched only by your ignorance of anything past the edges of your keyboard.

At the No. 4 reactor, the pool that contains spent fuel rods is located outside the nuclear pressure vessel and the containment vessel.

The only thing that separates the pool from the outside world is the concrete building that houses the reactor.

asahi.com¡ÊÄ«Æü¿·Ê¹¼Ò¡Ë¡§No. 4 reactor poses more danger than other reactors - English

Do you have the balls to apologize?

For what? Pointing out that your ignorance is so boundless that even when someone points out how vast it is you cling to it?

Since the reactors pose 0 danger the fact that the suppression pool poses more danger than the reactors does not really surprise me. Nor does the fact that the media prefers to over hype the danger rather than present the facts. If it becomes necessary the Japanese can bury the pool under concrete and eliminate all potential danger.

I figured as much.

The spent rods have no containment vessel as I said.

And the reactors pose "0 danger"?

That's a hot one...

 

[Chris]

Workers battling to prevent nuclear meltdown at the stricken Fukushima power plant were temporarily evacuated on Wednesday morning after radiation levels became too dangerous for them to remain.

The withdrawal hampered efforts to secure the safety of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant and avert a major radiation leak.

Its operator, Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco] said it was considering using helicopters to spray the crippled No. 4 reactor with water and boric acid – a fire retardant – in an attempt to prevent more radiation leaks.

The 50 or so engineers, working around the clock in harsh conditions, spent the morning trying to put out a fire at one reactor and to cool others at risk or overheating and reaching criticality.

The government's chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said Japan was considering seeking help from the US military.

All six of the plants reactors are experiencing problems following last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, in which an estimated 10,000 people have died.

The workers were ordered to leave the facility after the level of radiation at the plant soared to 10 millisievert per hour - above the level considered harmful to human health – possibly as a result of radioactive substances being emitted from the No. 2 reactor. The reading later fell to around 6 millisievert per hour, reports said.

The evacuation followed another day of crisis at the plant, which lies 150 miles of Tokyo and had become the focus of the world's attention, even as rescue workers sift through the damage caused by the tsunami along a vast stretch of Japan's northeast coast.

Earlier, officials from the nuclear and industrial safety agency said that 70% of fuel rods at the No. 1 reactor had been significantly damaged, as well as 33% of rods at the No. 2 reactor. The cores of both reactors are believed to have partially melted, Kyodo news agency said.

"We don't know the nature of the damage," said Minoru Ohgoda, spokesman for the country's nuclear safety agency. "It could be either melting, or there might be some holes in them."

Before they were moved to safety the workers had been trying to cool spent nuclear fuel pools at the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors, where temperatures have risen above normal levels.

To compound the workers' problems, a fire broke out at the No. 3 reactor, where a fuel storage pool has overheated and may have let off radioactive steam. Live TV footage showing a large cloud of light grey smoke rising above the plant.

Edano said that there was "a possibility that the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel is damaged".

A blaze also broke out again at the No. 4 reactor, which was already feared to be at risk of leaking radioactivity. The nuclear safety agency reported that flames and smoke were no longer visible half an hour later, but were unable to confirm that the fire had been extinguished.

The No. 4 reactor is an increasing cause for concern. Tepco believes that the storage pool may be boiling, raising the possibility that exposed rods will reach criticality. "The possibility of re-criticality is not zero," a Tepco spokesman said.

Fukushima workers evacuate after radiation spikes | World news | guardian.co.uk

 

[Quantum Windbag]

At the No. 4 reactor, the pool that contains spent fuel rods is located outside the nuclear pressure vessel and the containment vessel.

The only thing that separates the pool from the outside world is the concrete building that houses the reactor.

asahi.com¡ÊÄ«Æü¿·Ê¹¼Ò¡Ë¡§No. 4 reactor poses more danger than other reactors - English

Do you have the balls to apologize?

For what? Pointing out that your ignorance is so boundless that even when someone points out how vast it is you cling to it?

Since the reactors pose 0 danger the fact that the suppression pool poses more danger than the reactors does not really surprise me. Nor does the fact that the media prefers to over hype the danger rather than present the facts. If it becomes necessary the Japanese can bury the pool under concrete and eliminate all potential danger.

I figured as much.

The spent rods have no containment vessel as I said.

And the reactors pose "0 danger"?

That's a hot one...

I posted the informed opinion of a man with a PhD in Nuclear Engineering to back up my points, all you have done is rant and cry about the stories you get from ill informed and uneducated reporters. Why is it that you think you have any type of solid ground to stand on.

 

[Chris]

Workers battling to prevent nuclear meltdown at the stricken Fukushima power plant were temporarily evacuated on Wednesday morning after radiation levels became too dangerous for them to remain.

The withdrawal hampered efforts to secure the safety of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant and avert a major radiation leak.

Its operator, Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco] said it was considering using helicopters to spray the crippled No. 4 reactor with water and boric acid – a fire retardant – in an attempt to prevent more radiation leaks.

The 50 or so engineers, working around the clock in harsh conditions, spent the morning trying to put out a fire at one reactor and to cool others at risk or overheating and reaching criticality.

The government's chief spokesman, Yukio Edano, said Japan was considering seeking help from the US military.

All six of the plants reactors are experiencing problems following last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, in which an estimated 10,000 people have died.

The workers were ordered to leave the facility after the level of radiation at the plant soared to 10 millisievert per hour - above the level considered harmful to human health – possibly as a result of radioactive substances being emitted from the No. 2 reactor. The reading later fell to around 6 millisievert per hour, reports said.

The evacuation followed another day of crisis at the plant, which lies 150 miles of Tokyo and had become the focus of the world's attention, even as rescue workers sift through the damage caused by the tsunami along a vast stretch of Japan's northeast coast.

Earlier, officials from the nuclear and industrial safety agency said that 70% of fuel rods at the No. 1 reactor had been significantly damaged, as well as 33% of rods at the No. 2 reactor. The cores of both reactors are believed to have partially melted, Kyodo news agency said.

"We don't know the nature of the damage," said Minoru Ohgoda, spokesman for the country's nuclear safety agency. "It could be either melting, or there might be some holes in them."

Before they were moved to safety the workers had been trying to cool spent nuclear fuel pools at the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors, where temperatures have risen above normal levels.

To compound the workers' problems, a fire broke out at the No. 3 reactor, where a fuel storage pool has overheated and may have let off radioactive steam. Live TV footage showing a large cloud of light grey smoke rising above the plant.

Edano said that there was "a possibility that the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel is damaged".

A blaze also broke out again at the No. 4 reactor, which was already feared to be at risk of leaking radioactivity. The nuclear safety agency reported that flames and smoke were no longer visible half an hour later, but were unable to confirm that the fire had been extinguished.

The No. 4 reactor is an increasing cause for concern. Tepco believes that the storage pool may be boiling, raising the possibility that exposed rods will reach criticality. "The possibility of re-criticality is not zero," a Tepco spokesman said.

Fukushima workers evacuate after radiation spikes | World news | guardian.co.uk

 

[skookerasbil]

Here we are on day 6 and the environmental k00ks are still hysterical............as always. Im fascinated by the mental dynamic..........this obsession with the hysterical. Its the same as the global warming crap with all of its inherent alarmism.

Can you just picture nut cases like Chris setting his alarm to get up in the middle of the night to check some far left website to get an update on the Japan reactors? ANd what does he see?

"Fire re-erupts in 3rd reactor!!!"


Like the majority of far lefties, they need hysteria in their lives to be meaningful.

Meanwhile, if IM on the Japanese coast, Id be much more fearful of a second mega-aftershock that could create another big wave..........if an epic disaster was going to happen at the reactor, would have happened last weekend.

fAiL

 

[Old Rocks]

Let's see. We are now facing three reactors with melting cores, two of which have the possibility of having their inner containment vessel breaches. A holding area with more fuel rods than it should have in it continues to catch fire on and off, and a couple more storage areas may be at risk.

No need to worry folks, just business as ussual.

 

[skookerasbil]

Let's see. We are now facing three reactors with melting cores, two of which have the possibility of having their inner containment vessel breaches. A holding area with more fuel rods than it should have in it continues to catch fire on and off, and a couple more storage areas may be at risk.

No need to worry folks, just business as ussual.

Like I said in above post............