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| Thread ID: 116606 | 2011-03-11 23:25:00 | Nuclear Power stations in NZ - Yes or No? | zqwerty (97) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1185334 | 2011-03-13 04:55:00 | The video of the explosion clearly shows a shock-wave at the start, so 'explosion' does seem to be the right word here. In the absence of any further information, I can offer some pure speculation as to what might have happened. Reports describe this reactor as a boiling-water type, ie the water that cools the core is allowed to boil and supply the steam that powers the turbines. Today, that is regarded as not the smartest way to build a reactor, since the cooling water has to leave the reactor shell to reach the turbines, before being condensed and pumped back in. What might have occurred is this: as the core temperature reached dangerously high temperatures the water started to decompose into hydrogen into oxygen. Damage to the circulation system could allow a build-up of hydrogen in the reactor building with the danger of an explosion. Possibly, what we see in the video is a hydrogen explosion, which could certainly demolish the building and produce the shock wave visible in the video. Good post. The strength of the blast points to a hydrogen explosion. We've all learnt a lot in the past 24 hours. |
Winston001 (3612) | ||
| 1185335 | 2011-03-13 08:20:00 | Seen a report now saying in one reactor there's 3m of exposed fuel rod (above the cooling water), and one partly melted rod. Yes, it is a tragic irony that in a power plant which is struggling with an over abundance of energy (heat) they can't produce the power needed to work the safety control systems. |
Paul.Cov (425) | ||
| 1185336 | 2011-03-13 08:29:00 | Sixth Japanese nuclear reactor loses cooling www.theregister.co.uk |
zqwerty (97) | ||
| 1185337 | 2011-03-13 08:48:00 | Will learn from this and the backup cooling systems could be made more earthquake proof. The japs are staunch as people and will move on from this. They squared the place away from a massive bombing campaign 43-45 They arent the hand wringing why me sort of people we westerners have become. |
prefect (6291) | ||
| 1185338 | 2011-03-13 08:51:00 | They were probably built by the sea deliberately, with the logic being it was an ample supply of emergency cooling water. Tsunami on this scale it seems wasn't adequately considered. |
Paul.Cov (425) | ||
| 1185339 | 2011-03-13 09:57:00 | "A nuclear disaster which the promoters of nuclear power in Japan said wouldn't happen is in progress," the Citizens' Nuclear Information Centre said. "It is occurring as a result of an earthquake that they said would not happen." Battle to stabilise earthquake reactors: www.world-nuclear-news.org .html |
zqwerty (97) | ||
| 1185340 | 2011-03-13 18:08:00 | How can they pump in sea water if they cant pump in water ? A nuclear expert was on tv and said that pumping in sea water is a last resort, as it means they would almost certainly not be able to use the reactor again. And the authorities know this. |
Digby (677) | ||
| 1185341 | 2011-03-13 18:12:00 | Live on the BBC right now. They are already pumping sea water in. |
Cato (6936) | ||
| 1185342 | 2011-03-13 19:09:00 | I remember Dungeness A station near my old home used sea water for cooling, the best fishing around was off the outfall pipe as the water was slightly warmer. The A station was an old Magnox type now closed and they built the B staion next door but of a different type | gary67 (56) | ||
| 1185343 | 2011-03-13 19:53:00 | Now three stations at risk of meltdown. If the containment is breached in a meltdown the contents of the hot core gets exposed to either coolant water or groundwater (soil moisture) and creates a steam powered expolsion which will disperse the radioactive materials far and wide. Still - with each hour that passes in theory there should be progressively less energy within the reactor. |
Paul.Cov (425) | ||
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