Nuclear Power, When it Fails it Fails Big
It is like playing with fire, except the fire is extremely poisonous.
TOKYO — Japanese officials announced Sunday that the cooling system at a second nuclear reactor crippled by Japan’s devastating earthquake had failed completely, even as they took the extraordinary step of flooding a separate reactor with seawater in a last-ditch effort to avoid a nuclear meltdown.
Good explanation of what’s happening with the reactor in Fukushima. Based on what I’ve read, there won’t be a wide-scale release of radiation as long as the primary vessel and 3′-6′ feet of reinforced concrete hold. There has been at least some failure in the fuel rods as evidenced by release of Cesium-137 and Iodine-131, but this article explains this.
Link: http://allthingsnuclear.org/
IAEA: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html
I pray everything plays out as in this scenario.
For some reason, I keep flashing back to the firemen on the roof of Chernobyl, knowingly exposing themselves to lethal amounts of radiation while doing their jobs.
They had family and friends in a God-less country, and, I guess that was their only motivation.
Real heroes, those guys.
“They had family and friends in a God-less country, and, I guess that was their only motivation.”
Huh? Most atheists have a sound moral foundation… and one that doesn’t come from a silly list built on a pillar of sand.
Religion and morals are two very different things. It’s too bad the first often confuses the second.
Wait one Liberal Elite, I wasn’t knocking atheists. If you got that impression, I apologize truly and unequivocally.
Didn’t this happen before the break-up of the USSR? And the tearing down of the Berlin Wall?
I can’t seem to put my mind on what EXACTLY impressed me about these brave men.
Maybe you can help me.
Sorry skippertee… maybe too quick to put up that wall. I see religion as confounding morals, not as part of a moral foundation. Lying for Jesus (e.g. the ID folks), or killing for Jesus (abortion provider murders) are all clear examples of religion confounding morals. In fact, the least ethical people I know are religious. When someone posts “Why did they do that… they’re god-less?”, it’s a reasonable assumption that they’re attempting a fallacious religious argument.
Bravery, fortitude, integrity, and honor are not found in any religion. These traits are available to all humans.
As for going to work knowing that it will be the death of you… That takes true courage and good leadership. I’ll bet you that the foreman was in there too urging his men forward. It’s not really all that different from those Civil War charges into nearly certain death.
Liberal Elite, I’m with you and for you.
I’ll never understand how Bible-thumpers who CLAIM to love JESUS can have so much hate for people who don’t follow in His footsteps.
But they have corrupted His message. He spoke of LOVE for one another.
Oh, I have fallen. But I hold on to the beliefs of my youth though far-out and silly in retrospect.
But I would never presume to tell anyone that I know the true face of GOD.
Read the Journal: Frieda Berryhill our favorite nuclear watchdog is still telling the truth trying to get the word out on Salem and other reactors. Read Frieda.
Chenrnobyl was in 1986.
Fukushima Power Plant Reactor’s status, March 13th
TEPCO ^ | 13 March 2011 | Tokyo Electric Power Corporation
Press Release (Mar 13,2011) Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.
Unit 1 (Shut down) – Reactor has been shut down. However, the unit is under inspection due to the explosive sound and white smoke that was confirmed after the big quake occurred at 3:36PM. – We have been injecting sea water and boric acid which absorbs neutron into the reactor pressure vessel.
Unit 2 (Shut down) – Reactor has been shut down and Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System has been injecting water to the reactor. Current reactor water level is lower than normal level, but the water level is steady. After fully securing safety, measures to lowering the pressure of reactor containment vessel has been taken, under the instruction of the national government.
Unit 3 (Shut down) – Reactor has been shut down. However, as High Pressure Core Injection System has been automatically shut down and water injection to the reactor was interrupted, following the instruction by the government and with fully securing safety, steps to lowering the pressure of reactor containment vessel has been taken. Spraying in order to lower pressure level within the reactor containment vessel has been cancelled. – After that, safety relief valve has been opened manually, lowering the pressure level of the reactor, which was immediately followed by injection of sea water and boric acid which absorbs neutron, into the reactor pressure vessel. – Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside the reactor containment vessel.
Unit 4 (shut down due to regular inspection) – Reactor has been shut down and sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained. – Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside the reactor containment vessel.
Unit 5 (outage due to regular inspection) – Reactor has been shut down and sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained. – Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside the reactor containment vessel.
Unit 6 (outage due to regular inspection) – Reactor has been shut down and sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained. – Currently, we do not believe there is any reactor coolant leakage inside the reactor containment vessel.
Casualty – 2 workers of cooperative firm were injured at the occurrence of the earthquake, and were transported to the hospital. – 1 TEPCO employee who was not able to stand by his own with his hand holding left chest was transported to the hospital by an ambulance. – 1 subcontract worker at important earthquake-proof building was unconscious and transported to the hospital by an ambulance. – The radiation exposure of 1 TEPCO employee, who was working inside the reactor building, exceeded 100mSv and was transported to the hospital. – 4 workers were injured and transported to the hospital after explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed around the Unit 1. – Presence of 2 TEPCO employees at the site are not confirmed
Others – We measured radioactive materials inside of the nuclear power station area (outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that radioactive materials level is higher than ordinary level. Also, the level at monitoring post is higher than ordinary level. We will continue to monitor in detail the possibility of radioactive material being discharged from exhaust stack or discharge canal. The national government has instructed evacuation for those local residents within 20km radius of the periphery because it’s possible that radioactive materials are discharged.
– We will continue to take all measures to restore the security of the site and to monitor the environment of the site periphery.
Press Release (Mar 13,2011) Plant Status of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station (as of 2:00am March 13th)
There is no update from the release issued at 1:00 am
Unit 1 (shut down at 2:48pm on March 11th) – Reactor is shut down and reactor water level is stable. – Offsite power is available. – At 8:19am, there was an alarm indicating that one of the control rods was not properly inserted, however, at 10:43am the alarm was spontaneously called off. Other control rods has been confirmed that they are fully inserted (reactor is in subcritical status) – Status of main steam isolation valve: closed – Injection of water into the reactor is done by Make-up Water Condensate System. – At 6:08pm, we announced the increase in reactor containment vessel pressure, assumed to be due to leakage of reactor coolant. However, we do not believe there is leakage of reactor coolant in the containment vessel at this moment. – At 5:22am, the temperature of the suppression chamber exceeded 100 degrees. As the reactor pressure suppression function was lost, at 5:22am, it was determined that a specific incident stipulated in article 15, clause 1 has occurred. – We decided to prepare implementing measures to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessel (partial discharge of air containing radioactive materials) in order to fully secure safety. This preparation work started at around 9:43am and finished at 6:00pm. – Restoration work in reactor cooling function is in progress to achieve reactor cold shutdown.
Unit 2 (shut down at 2:48pm on March 11th) – Reactor is shut down and reactor water level is stable. – Offsite power is available. – Control rods are fully inserted (reactor is in subcritical status) – Status of main steam isolation valve: closed – Injection of water into the reactor is done by Make-up Water Condensate System. – We do not believe there is leakage of reactor coolant in the containment vessel. – At 5:32am, the temperature of the suppression chamber exceeded 100 degrees. As the reactor pressure suppression function was lost, at 5:32am, it was determined that a specific incident stipulated in article 15, clause 1 has occurred. – We decided to prepare implementing measures to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessel (partial discharge of air containing radioactive materials) in order to fully secure safety. This preparation work started at around 10:33am and finished at 10:58pm. – Restoration work in reactor cooling function is in progress to achieve reactor cold shutdown.
Unit 3 (shut down at 2:48pm on March 11th) – Reactor is shut down and reactor water level is stable. – Offsite power is available. – Control rods are fully inserted (reactor is in subcritical status) – Status of main steam isolation valve: closed – We do not believe there is leakage of reactor coolant in the containment vessel. – We decided to prepare implementing measures to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessel (partial discharge of air containing radioactive materials) in order to fully secure safety. The preparation woke started at around 12:08pm and finished at 12:13pm. – Reactor cold shutdown at 12:15pm
Unit 4 (shut down at 2:48pm on March 11th) – Reactor is shut down and reactor water level is stable. – Offsite power is available. – Control rods are fully inserted (reactor is in subcritical status) – Status of main steam isolation valve: closed – Injection of water into the reactor is done by Make-up Water Condensate System. – We do not believe there is leakage of reactor coolant in the containment vessel. – In order to cool down the reactor, injection of water into the reactor had been done by the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling System, however, At 6:07am, the temperature of the suppression chamber exceeded 100 degrees. As the reactor pressure suppression function was lost, at 6:07am, it was determined that a specific incident stipulated in article 15, clause 1 has occurred. – We decided to prepare implementing measures to reduce the pressure of the reactor containment vessel (partial discharge of air containing radioactive materials) in order to fully secure safety. The preparation woke started at around 11:44am and finished at around 11:52am. – Restoration work in reactor cooling function is in progress to achieve reactor cold shutdown.
Indication from monitoring posts installed at the site boundary did not show any difference from ordinary level. No radiation impact to the external environment has been confirmed. We will continue to monitor in detail the possibility of radioactive material being discharged from exhaust stack or discharge canal.
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That long list of press releases is supposed to show us what?
I’m hearing that there has been a hydrogen explosion on reactor #3 at Fukushima Daiichi. The northeast coast is also under a new tsunami warning.
Geezer asks, “That long list of press releases is supposed to show us what?”
That nuclear energy is not clean energy.
Fossil fuel energy is dirty energy. It’s byproducts will change the climate and the natural environments over time, cumulatively, beyond the tipping point of no return, as it is now doing.
To build a concentration of nuclear energy facilities at a faulty location, shows an extreme lack of engineering and planning, that can become immediately environmentally damaging and deadly to an area.
Nuclear power when rendered uncontrollable, had been ignored. Such concentrations of nuclear facilities, were built due to faulty engineering, safety, as well as faulty economic considerations, as nuclear proves it too, is dirty energy.
How clean is it now; how safe? How costly?
That’s my takeaway, too. But I’m not sure that’s what Avagadro’s takeaway is.
“That nuclear energy is not clean energy.”
But practically speaking, there is no other viable choice. There are “safe” (i.e. no meltdown possible) nuclear power plant designs, but safe costs more and lowers efficiency.
IT’s just timely information Geezer. Don’t let it affect your opinionating.
One more reason to “drill here — drill now”.
http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/documentlibrary/newplants/factsheet/faq—japanese-nuclear-energy-situation/?page=1
6. How many U.S. reactors use the Mark I containment design used at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1?
Six U.S. nuclear reactors (Monticello in Minnesota, Pilgrim in Massachusetts, Dresden 2 and 3 and Quad Cities 1 and 2 in Illinois) are the same base design as the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 design (BWR-3 design with Mark I containment).
Twenty-three U.S. nuclear plants are boiling water reactors (either BWR-2, BWR-3 or BWR-4) and use the Mark I containment: Browns Ferry 1, 2 and 3; Brunswick 1 and 2; Cooper; Dresden 2 and 3; Duane Arnold; Hatch 1 and 2; Fermi; Hope Creek; Fitzpatrick; Monticello; Nine Mile Point 1; Oyster Creek; Peach Bottom 2 and 3; Pilgrim; Quad Cities 1 and 2; Vermont Yankee. Although these are the same basic reactor design, specific elements of the safety systems will vary based on the requirements of the U.S. NRC.