Nuclear accident follows Japanese earthqauke

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 17 Mar 2011, 12:24

Roger Adair wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7smsrYVsI

Walt Patterson is the only nuclear expert I have seen so far who
is neither unempathatic or barking. This is actually informative rather than merely opinionated.

Thanks Roger.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Mar 2011, 13:46

Patterson is looking well - I met him in the 70s when he was Friends of the Earth energy campaigner. He was saying the right things then but was ignored by most of the world.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 17 Mar 2011, 14:13

Current status of nuclear power plants in Fukushima:

See: http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_imag ... 68041P.pdf

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 17 Mar 2011, 21:09

The Guardian - 17/03/11

19.20pm - Race is on to restart cooling systems with emergency power after dropping water on damaged reactors has little effect.

Article continues ...

The Guardian - 17/03/11

21.00pm - Fukushima workers labour round the clock in effort to avert catastrophe

The 200 technicians left at the power plant are battling intolerable conditions and threatened by radiation exposure.

Article continues ...

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 18 Mar 2011, 00:14

Their wind farms have survived intact. The only ones not working seem to be due to grid failures
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-rig ... 37172.html

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 18 Mar 2011, 01:07

Roger Adair wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7smsrYVsI

Good video. Pity he sounds a little bit like Kermit the Frog

An Inspector Calls · Post by **An Inspector Calls** » 19 Mar 2011, 08:59

I've been away for the last week: anything much happened?

Where I was made it difficult to get sensible information on the nuclear events: I've yet to see a correct diagram for a BWR.

So cat 9 earthquake, huge tsunami, second generation nuclear plant and so far three dead - the first nuclear power industry fatalities in the western world.

I initially thought nuclear power was stuffed, but now I'm not so sure, given the reaction in the UK and elsewhere . . .

2 As and a B · Post by **2 As and a B** » 19 Mar 2011, 10:49

Suggest you catch up with what's been going on then before jumping to conclusions.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 19 Mar 2011, 11:46

An Inspector Calls wrote:I've yet to see a correct diagram for a BWR.

I initially thought nuclear power was stuffed, but now I'm not so sure,

This diagram is not correct because it does not show the tank full of spent fuel rods sitting above the reactor.

It's not so much stuffed as exploded:

Spot the fuel rod pond.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 19 Mar 2011, 13:56

An Inspector Calls wrote: I do know what a BWR cross section looks like - pity the BBC doesn't.

biffvernon wrote: This diagram is not correct

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 19 Mar 2011, 16:05

the first nuclear power industry fatalities in the western world.

Interesting geography

(yeah alright OECD or somesuch I get the idea...)

Bandidoz · Post by **Bandidoz** » 19 Mar 2011, 17:01

An Inspector Calls wrote:so far three dead - the first nuclear power industry fatalities in the western world.

Ahem *cough* (or was this in Russia too?)

RalphW wrote: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.

RGR · Post by **RGR** » 20 Mar 2011, 00:39

foodimista wrote:Suggest you catch up with what's been going on then before jumping to conclusions.

Listing facts isn't jumping to conclusions.

6 reactors fail and attendant cooling ponds fail in various and sundry ways and so far....it has been surprisingly more non-lethal than just a regular drilling rig blowing up in the GOM last spring. Could still get worse of course, but we shall wait and see.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 20 Mar 2011, 07:50

The Guardian - 19/03/11

Radioactive material found in Tokyo water

Discovery comes after Japan banned sales of some food from the area of the Fukushima power plant and engineers battled to cool a overheated reactor.

Article continues ...

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 20 Mar 2011, 08:54

RGR wrote:it has been surprisingly more non-lethal than just a regular drilling rig blowing up in the GOM last spring. Could still get worse of course, but we shall wait and see.

Yes, it has to be a long wait. Radioactive iodine and caesium are being emitted continuously and that will continue until the the wreckage is cooled and sealed from the environment. The waiting is because these isotopes don't cause a quick body-count. The effect will only be determined epidemiologically in years to come.