Nuclear Experts Explain Worst-Case Scenario at Fukushima Power Plant

Scientific American ^ | March 12, 2011 | Steve Mirsky

[cva66snipe]

Ruh-roh! Your name’s not Kidwell, is it? (He was my old CC)

LOL Nope I was in Co 334 Geart Lakes in 76. CC was a MMC with Dolphins. I got out in 80 and took some Commerical Electricity course. Ended up doing Health Care Facility Plant Maintenance. Boilers, Chillers, etc and worked on the electrical system. I've seen an Electrical Switchboard on a carrier melt though. DFT line ruptured into it bback in 3 Main. Lost it for duration of cruise and 3 MMR with it.

You have to be carefull about haow much load you put on a ship generator. Our chillers had a 1200-1500 amp start up current at 460 volts. We had ten units. Every unit lite off we did required calling Electrical Load Dispatch.

[Lockbar]

"At that point the Democrats and leftwingers all over the world will once again proclaim nuclear power is very, very bad and we can’t build anymore plants."

I agree that will be the reaction. Time to get back to living in mud huts (like Obama's half brother) chop down all the trees for fuel, and throw some virgins into a fire pit. SOMALIA FOR EVERYONE!

[Blogger]

God’s wisdom is infinitely greater than man’s. His help is available now. The Japanese people are very bright folks and their technological know-how is among the top in the world. But it is clearly not omniscient. Bottom line is they need our prayers, but due to their spiritual outlook on life will not be likely to reach out to that omniscient source of wisdom unless He mercifully reaches out to them first. That’s what we should pray for more than anything. Then, their physical & emotional needs.

[chessplayer]

From the comments section of article:

“The containment vessels in this family of reactors have a very high failure rate under stress, on the order of 90%.”

[Gondring]

I was told in engineering school that when a doctor screws up, they can lose a patient, but when an engineer screws up, they can lose a city. These are pros. I believe they deserve our gratitude and prayers.

BTTT

[Art in Idaho]

The Japanese will deal with this the best way possible. They will, in the end, do a fantastic job.

The nuclear reactor cores will be contained. There will not be a "meltdown".

Incalculable data will be gleaned regarding future safety issues for all reactors worldwide.

The US should start building the 200 Nuclear Reactors needed for our future needs - tomorrow. Alas, we'll have to wait until the newagers leave Washington D.C.. . November 6, 2012. Pray for it.

[Mariner]

"So there is a great deal of concern that, if the core does melt, the containment will not be able to survive. And if the containment doesn't survive, we have a worst-case situation."

I suggested on numerous occasions last night that there was enough residual heat in core to melt the fuel rods which could then pool at the bottom of the containment...negating the effect of the control rods and restarting the fission.

There were several Freeper "Nuclear Experts" who claimed it was impossible. Yet, here we have a real Nuclear Expert who posits the same thing.

[Errant]

The nuclear reactor cores will be contained. There will not be a "meltdown".

There had better not be! If one goes, the other five may soon follow. Since the entire surrounding area may be too radioactive to enter.

[MindBender26]

No way to lay cables, over seawater, to get the necessary amperage ashore. It's not the volts, it's the amps, and you are talking insulated cables, 2 inches in diameter.

[Truth29]

"Then at the last minute the Japanese will perform a completely successful shutdown of the reactor. At that point the Democrats and leftwingers all over the world will once again proclaim nuclear power is very, very bad and we can’t build anymore plants."

Actually worse, the calls are already coming to shutdown the reactors in California and other geologically active areas.

[model B]

I think the Norks have already been told they’d get a really stern letter if they tried anything like that. No worries.

[sefarkas]

they had been using fire engine pumps

If you made yourself a relatively simple thermodynamic equation (without the complexity of fluid flow losses in pipe), you would find that a typically sized fire engine pump is more than adequate for the amount of water needed to keep a reactor cool that has been shutdown for several days. Using fire water pumps, which are already on-site to help protect against fires, is part of the emergency response procedures at many plants.

[sefarkas]

Yet, here we have a real Nuclear Expert

Now, you have to tell the difference between someone hypothesizing and what has been shown to actually happen. TMI is the closest example. The core stayed inside the reactor vessel despite long periods of no replacement water. In addition, the TMI reactor vessel is less than half the internal volume of a BWR. There is much more water immediately available to keep a BWR core cool than is found in a PWR. At Chernobyl, the corium flowed along the passage ways of the building -- the corium did not burn into the rebarred concrete.

[Jusu]

Well, being hit by a tsunami that washes away all the backup diesels would be a problem, and battery power to only last 8 hours...

It’s a bunch of problems coming together....think of it as the whole 3:1 engagement rule...except you don’t have the option to retreat when the odds are stacked against you.

[amishman]

Yeah, I have stock in Exelon. I told my guy to sell it tomorrow if it falls below a certain level. You know the libs are going to go crazy over this and I can see the nuclear industry in the US going into the toilet (along with the whole nation).

[de.rm]

I wondering why they didn’t have safety back-ups like an auto nitrogen purge to keep the roof from blowing off the reactor building from hydrogen build up?

[americanophile]

...where there’s a will there’s a way, and there should be plenty of will when we’re talking about a potential nuclear disaster. Heck, the Russians have built floating nuclear power stations that you can tow in. I understand it’s a challenge, and perhaps flying in generators in a far simpler solution, but it just seems like this should be an all hands on deck kind of operation.

[RandallFlagg]

AH! I was on the Peleliu from ‘93-’97. Co 083 in San Diego (One of the last ones out of there).

Glad to have you here, Chief.

[MindBender26]

Problem is, they are in a critical 24-72 hour window.

Fix needed now.

[americanophile]

Your right. Why can we not fly in a generator? It would only take 9-12 hours from the mainland U.S., and I have to believe there are plenty of suitable alternatives in the bulk of unaffected mainland Japan. They are a highly technical society. We know nothing of what's going on of course...I only hope that government pressures to avoid unnecessary panic or the desire not to lose face doesn't prevent the solicitation of aid that could make a difference!