Nuclear accident follows Japanese earthqauke

raspberry-blower · Post by **raspberry-blower** » 14 Mar 2011, 17:28

Kyodo news reports that fuel rods in reactor No 2 fully exposed - melting is feared:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/77870.html

Another explosion imminent?

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 14 Mar 2011, 20:02

Is this a good time to say, "I told you so"?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 14 Mar 2011, 20:05

Assuming that the reactor vessels stay intact, it's the existence of spent fuel rods and their position in the explosions that we should worry about. A tweet a few minutes ago said:

#JapanNuclearQs Mioko Smith: Fukushima Unit 1: 50 tons spent fuel. Unit 2: 81 tons. Unit 3: 88 tons.

Without coolant it might catch fire, in an explosion it might get scattered about.

And all that sea-water they are using as coolant - where's that going? The normal coolant is de-ionised pure water. It doesn't become radioactive. But sea water does.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 14 Mar 2011, 21:12

This article says

there were 3450 fuel assemblies in the pool at the number three reactor.

before going off into the territory of the f-word.

http://www.dcbureau.org/201103141303/Na ... shima.html

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 14 Mar 2011, 21:53

That last link is terrifying. Not only does it say that large quantities of spent fuel rods were stored in ponds inside the reactor building above the reactor - with the possible (probable) result that many tonnes of highly radioactive waste was ejected when reactor No3 blew the building apart - it also says that the waste was stored sufficiently densely for it to need boron salts in its cooling water to act as a moderator to prevent the waste from going critical - perhaps explosively critical. If the waste remained in the tank, but it cracked and lost its cooling water, the waste could go critical in the open air.

I cannot believe that such dangerous practices were carried out in such a vulnerable location.

I do not know if this report is accurate. However I do remember a criticality accident a few years ago when a couple of workers blatently disregarded procedure and perfomed bucket chemistry whilst preparing fuel rods. They died of their radiation dose.

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 14 Mar 2011, 22:06

Surely not? I was recently led to believe that no-one (outside Russia) has ever died in a nuclear accident?

sam_uk · Post by **sam_uk** » 14 Mar 2011, 23:00

This is the output of a amateur geiger counter located to the west of Tokyo here http://bit.ly/f6RglQ

Here is his website
http://park18.wakwak.com/~weather/geiger_index.html

I'm no expert but if the wind is indeed taking the steam/ ash/ radiation Eastwards, then to see that increase to the West is a bit worrying.

They seem to have turned off the official online radiation readings: http://www.bousai.ne.jp/eng/

Ominous..

<edit> Found another Geiger counter, this one in Tokyo. Reading 19.80 cpm currently http://bit.ly/e2EBIR </edit>

phobos · Post by **phobos** » 14 Mar 2011, 23:25

Erik · Post by **Erik** » 14 Mar 2011, 23:26

New blast being reported around the main news sites, this time in reactor 2.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12740843

And from The Guardian:

A rupture may have occurred inside the containment vessel at Fukushima's number two reactor, Japan's NHK public broadcaster is reporting.

Although details are only slowly emerging about the explosion that was heard there a short time ago, technicians have been told to evacuate the area

A nuclear expert told the broadcaster that there may have been a radioactive leak as a result of the explosion at the vessel, which is supposed to prevent radiation from leaking out.

The explosion appears to be related to a fault with the suppression pool at the very bottom of the containment vessel. Steam is brought down to the pool and is used to cool the reactor.

Post by **adam2** » 15 Mar 2011, 03:11

Update here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12740843
Looks potentialy more serious than the other 2, though detail is rather limited.

and 30km from the site should remain in ... sickness

Presuming that the figures are correct, the maximum permitted annual dose would be received in only about 7 minutes.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 15 Mar 2011, 04:21

SLT - 15/03/11

Radiation leaked from a crippled nuclear plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan after a third reactor was rocked by an explosion Tuesday and a fourth caught fire in a dramatic escalation of the 4-day-old catastrophe. The government warned anyone nearby to stay indoors to avoid exposure.

In a nationally televised statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation has spread from four reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima province, one of the hardest-hit in Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that has killed more than 10,000 people.

"The level seems very high, and there is still a very high risk of more radiation coming out," Kan said. "We are making utmost efforts to prevent further explosions and radiation leaks."

Original Article

WSJ - 15/03/11

An early decline in Japanese shares picked up speed early afternoon on Tuesday with the main index skidding 11.1%% as the country's prime minister warned of a high risk of elevated levels of radiation from a reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant after another explosion earlier in the day.

Article continues ...

..... and the headline in The Sun?

The Sun - 15/03/11

Triple Nuke Meltdown

Article continues ...

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 15 Mar 2011, 04:29

The Guardian - 14/03/11

Japan radiation leaks feared as nuclear experts point to possible cover-up

Article continues ...

Lots of interesting comments.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 15 Mar 2011, 04:35

Live update from BBC Asia Pacific

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

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 15 Mar 2011, 05:06

The Guardian @ 04.55am - 15/03/11

Radiation has leaked from a crippled nuclear plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan after a third reactor was rocked by an explosion and a fourth caught fire in a dramatic escalation of the four-day-old catastrophe. The government warned anyone nearby to stay indoors to avoid exposure.

In a nationally televised statement, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said radiation has spread from four reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Fukushima province, one of the hardest-hit in Friday's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that has killed more than 10,000 people.

"The level seems very high, and there is still a very high risk of more radiation coming out," Kan said. "We are making utmost efforts to prevent further explosions and radiation leaks."

Article continues ...

XinhuaNet -15/03/11

Japan imposes fly ban within 30-km radius of Fukushima nuke plant

Article continues ...

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 15 Mar 2011, 07:12

There's a curious lack of video of the #2 reactor explosion. Just seen this tweet:

Why are we not getting any new vids pics of explosions/fires at fukushima nuke plant?

It's this new blast at #2 that may have ruptured the reactor vessel so must have been a bigger bang. Meanwhile it's the fire in the spent fuel pond at #4 that is thought to be producing the radiation leak.

PowerSwitch

Nuclear accident follows Japanese earthqauke

Data source