Posted on 04/01/2011 7:13:00 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
I thought that BWR primary containments were inerted with nitrogen. I am confused as to why we would need to do so, if it is already inerted.
Guess you were wrong, eh?
I say that with love. How are they inerted? If filled with nitrogen gas, I gather it has leaked.
300km evacuates Greater Tokyo .... 35 million refugees.
Get ready for a new media term “Japanese Boat People”
Without oxygen present, hydrogen is not an explosive hazard. It can eventually embrittle metals however. Either way, it will have to be vented. The key variable is the rate. I don't think anybody yet knows what that will be.
How much Titanium is in a reactor?
Titanium can combust in a pure nitrogen environment.
Thanks for the reply, Tiger....and for the post.
That’s what I am trying to figure out. Normally, the BWR primary containment is inerted with nitrogen, precisely to suppress the the burning of any hydrogen generated by a zirconium-steam reaction. There is speculation that a hydrogen burn occurred in the primary containment of one of the reactors. My question remains - what happened to the nitrogen?
I certainly agree that if the containments need to be “re-nitrogened”, then the original nitrogen must have leaked out, which raises additional questions.
I freely admit that I don’t have a good grasp of what is going on at Fukushima.
I think Ann actually understands radiation better than most. Her comments were well within the realm of scientific thought. But they were either not understood, or seemed too insensitive in the moment.
Nitrogen is used in high explosives, but I think only when bonded in a solid molecule. You could check with a chemist, but I think it's the release of the atom into the gaseous form that causes the high explosion and heat. If it's starting out as a gas, then I don't think it can explode. I don't know if loose nitrogen molecules would bond with anything in the reactor environment.
Who appends the “URGENT” label on these stories? Is this common with Japanese newspapers? It’s one thing to mark an inter-office memo as “Urgent” because the reader is expected to follow through. But what is a newspaper reader expected to do? Jump up and start panicking faster?
When do they begin pumping it full of concrete?
Absolutely no knowledge of the subject...but what is the likelihood of an explosion? What magnitude? How long before? Increased environmental damage to what extent?
Thank,
SJB
“The fuel rods super heat the water which causes it to separate into Hydrogen and Oxygen. Perhaps they are just trying to reduce the amount of oxygen.”
From what I’ve read, the hydrogen is given off when the fuel rods’ zirconium cladding oxidizes, which normally does not occur unless the zirconium gets REALLY hot in the presence of water.
I had no idea that the Japanese government had eyes that are capable of injecting nitrogen into reactor vessels.
I'm glad the Japanese government is friendly.
I would hate it if any unfriendly government had eyes that could inject nitrogen someplace.
“I think Ann actually understands radiation better than most. Her comments were well within the realm of scientific thought. But they were either not understood, or seemed too insensitive in the moment. “
Not only will they pay her, but she may gain immunity from cancer or whatever she says that radiation offers.
Pure falsehood. Why do you keep pushing that crap?
日本 ピング (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
From what I’ve read, the hydrogen is given off when the fuel rods’ zirconium cladding oxidizes, which normally does not occur unless the zirconium gets REALLY hot in the presence of steam.
This means that if they are worried about continuing hydrogen production, then fuel rods in one or more places are continuing to disintegrate due to uncontrolled heat production in the rods. Once the cladding is gone then the fuel can spill out into a melted glob, otherwise known as a meltdown, which now appears to be the case in one or more places in the complex.
It’s pretty obvious that TEPCO really doesn’t know what to do. First it injects seawater as an emergency cooling measure, then it wants to remove the seawater (why?) but can’t because it is too radioactive, and now it wants to inject an inert gas to prevent a hydrogen explosion.
Not to mention, TEPCO has been completely disingenuous about this whole situation. Remember last week when they announced that they had hooked up power to lights in the control rooms, with the unstated implication that as soon as things were checked out a bit, then all would be well?
Given the clueless and disingenuous response by TEPCO, and now the total failure of the Japanese government to help the people in the affected area other than to tell then to stay indoors forever without any food, water, power, medical care or communication, it’s starting to make one wonder how the Japanese have managed to function at all over these past decades.
Pushing what?
Her own words?
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