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.
No, the hydrogen is generated by a chemical reaction between the zirconium clad of the fuel rods and the steam. (Think of the clad as a hollow rod into which the uranium dioxide fuel pellets are inserted; the rod is then sealed after the pellets are all inserted).
“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.
seems to me they should remove the fuel rods to another facilities’ cooling pools instead of messing with oxygen and nitrogen. unless they’re melted in place and enclased in glass (and insulated) from all that sand in the seawater...
“The fuel rods super heat the water which causes it to separate into Hydrogen and Oxygen.”
Also the zircaloy casing of the fuel (the rods) reduce Dihydrogenoxide (Water) and oxidates into hydrogen and zironiumoxide and a lot of energy (heat)