Any Nuclear Accident Experts on POTUS?

[Roger Perry]

Japan tries flooding damaged core;
new emergency at another reactor

This does not sound good either.

Breaking news update:
Partial meltdown at 2nd reactor reported as Japan's crisis grows

[Bubba]

Roger- MSNBC is allright as a source of information on the latest LiLO scandal but for this type of information you really need to look beyond your normal tabloid existence.

I'm no expert. I am an ex-Navy Nuc and worked in a bunch of civilian nuclear plants as well. The news reports are pretty sketchy so far but here is a relatively educated guess.

While it is true that you don't just shut off a reactor the heat produced by the decay of fission produced isotopes is pretty small in comparison to the total that the reactor can produce. Problem is that even that relatively small amount of energy needs to be dissipated or the heat will cause the water in the reactor to expand and eventually the pressure will rise to the point where the safety valves lift. This would release lots of steam (they are typically located on the top of the pressurizer in the steam space) into the reactor compartment. There would be significant contamination but none released to outside world barring damage to the containment building. Normally they would just bleed steam off from the secondary side of the steam generators and natural circulation would carry the cooler water to the reactor. Problem is that this only works until you run out of water in the steam generators. It appears that the damage to the conventional side of the plant means that their ability to pump anything is limited. Additionally if the reactor pressure valves lift it releases water that must be somehow replaced. Normally they have biggo deisel generators that power up the emergency cooling stuff but it appears these have been damaged as well.
So now you have a reactor that is very hot and no way to cool it down. If they are talking introducing sea water and Boron that likely means that they bleed the pressure down to atmospheric (or close to it) and then gravity feed in the cooling water. This water would then have to be drained to the reactor compartment. So the radiation levels inside the containment dome are sure to be way higher than normal and they may have had to vent the building to releive the steam pressure which would release small amounts of radioactivity to the atmosphere. Is it enough to be dangerous- probably not. Is it enough to get the bunny huggers MoJo running- safe bet.
So bottom line they have a massive cleanup job and given the age of the plant it will likely never return to operation (probably not a bad choice given the location). My guess is that if there are releases it will be dissipated before anyone gets seriously contaminated and little if any long term exposure risks.

The smoke and visible damage to the plant appears to be limited to the secondary portion of the plant which is nearly identical to the equipment you would find in any coal fired utility boiler. The generators are cooled with hydrogen and it doesn't take much imagination to envision a scenario where that might get exciting. Lots of BIG machinery and hot pipes everywhere. That in combination with structural damage and bunches of oil- wallah big mess. Again- a big expensive cleanup but no long term exposure risk.


I did find this article that has better information http://www.rttnews.com/Content/Canad...mRec=1&Node=B1

This could actually go either way. One could make the case that this was a worst case scenario and the reactor survived as designed or that we narrowly averted a disaster. Any comparisons to 3 Mile Island or Chernobyl merely expose the ignorance of the author.

We return you now to your regular programming

Bubba

[huntinman]

Good post Bubba. The libs are all running in circles screaming "The sky is falling"!

[Roger Perry]

Good post Bubba. The libs are all running in circles screaming "The sky is falling"!

If the Japaneese government is anything like the Bush administration, the disaster with the nuclear power plants could be alot worse than what they are saying.

[BrianW]

If the PM was like PBO he'd either be leaving for vacation or out playing golf!

[Roger Perry]

KORIYAMA, Japan — Japanese officials warned of a possible second explosion at a nuclear plant crippled by an earthquake and tsunami as they raced to stave off multiple reactor meltdowns, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress. More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Operators have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Daiichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after Friday's massive quake knocked out power and the ensuing tsunami swamped backup generators.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Sunday that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Daiichi's Unit 3, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. That would follow a hydrogen blast Saturday in the plant's Unit 1.

By the way Brian, care to put the number of days Obama has been on vacation against the previous office holder---- Didn't think so.

[huntinman]

KORIYAMA, Japan — Japanese officials warned of a possible second explosion at a nuclear plant crippled by an earthquake and tsunami as they raced to stave off multiple reactor meltdowns, but they provided few details about whether they were making progress. More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area, and up to 160 may have been exposed to radiation.
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage, but the danger appeared to be greatest at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, where one explosion occurred Saturday and a second was feared. Operators have lost the ability to cool three reactors at Daiichi and three more at another nearby complex using usual procedures, after Friday's massive quake knocked out power and the ensuing tsunami swamped backup generators.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Sunday that a hydrogen explosion could occur at Daiichi's Unit 3, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. That would follow a hydrogen blast Saturday in the plant's Unit 1.

By the way Brian, care to put the number of days Obama has been on vacation against the previous office holder---- Didn't think so.

No, but he will be on permanent vacation soon Roger. We have had enough. Nov 2012... Can't come soon enough.

[BrianW]

Stay relative. Care to track the number of days PBO was on vacation or playing golf during the BP emergency vs what the Japanese PM does during their crisis?

[Roger Perry]

Stay relative. Care to track the number of days PBO was on vacation or playing golf during the BP emergency vs what the Japanese PM does during their crisis?

There is no comparison between the gulf oil spill and what is occuring in Japan.

Hydrogen explosion just happened at nucular plant-----

[M&K's Retrievers]

Maybe Obama and Momma can load up a bunch of jets and go lend a hand. At least it would get them out of here for a while.