Japan - Reactors 1, 2 & 3 Meltdown at Fukushima

[sharon sanders]

Japan nuclear plant confirms meltdown of two more reactors

Fukushima Daiichi operator accused of delaying announcement of meltdowns in reactors 2 and 3 as IAEA inspectors arrive.

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said fuel rods in two more reactors were likely to have suffered a meltdown soon after they were crippled by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami in north-east Japan.

Confirmation by Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) that fuel in the cores of reactors 2 and 3 had melted came days after new data confirmed a similar meltdown in reactor 1 about 16 hours after the disaster.

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/24/japan-nuclear-plant-more-meltdowns

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Japan - Reactors 2 & 3 Meltdown at Fukushima

Re: Japan - Reactors 2 & 3 Meltdown at Fukushima

Please see main thread here:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166859

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Reactors 1, 2 & 3 Meltdown at Fukushima

last night(local time), tepco confirms unit 2, 3 meltdown

this news is not big news in Japan
many japanese knew it, yes you too.....
we are not surprised

makoto

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Japan - Reactors 1, 2 & 3 Meltdown at Fukushima

last night(local time), tepco confirms unit 2, 3 meltdown

this news is not big news in Japan
many japanese knew it, yes you too.....
we are not surprised

makoto

Most of the information released by TEPCO and the Japanese government has been regarding the reactor buildings or cooling ponds, not the actual reactors themselves.

We have all known that there are various problems at the Fukushima power plant since a few days after the March 11, 2011 earthquake.

Our best wishes and thoughts go to the Japanese people during this time of challenges. We know that a stronger Japan will emerge. The world is with you.


:yinyang:

 

[JimO]

Re: Japan - Reactors 1, 2 & 3 Meltdown at Fukushima

Due to our attention deficit syndromic media, this story no longer makes the front page and yet, the situation is orders of magnitude worse than in the first weeks after the tsunami. We've been told that three reactors have experienced melt down. There are different degrees of melt down with varying consequences. If the rods inside the reactor have become molten, but the vessels are in tact, then that is one end of the continuum of potentially catastrophic releases of radioactivity. Further along the continuum would be a cracked vessel containing molten fuel rods. Then there is the potential for the molten fuel to melt through the bottom of the reactor vessel and enter the soil below, resulting in nearly no containment. Finally, in addition to this, if the depleted rods in the cooling pools also become molten, then there is uncontrolled emission of radioactive vapors and particles.

I'd like to know specifically what they mean by "melt down" in each of the three cases, what actions are being taken to contain the molten material, and what is the contingency plan if one or more of the reactors has a catastrophic release of radioactive material - such as if one of the containment vessels is breached and molten fuel comes into contact with groundwater, for example. This could cause an explosive release of steam, vapor and fine particles like one sees when lava comes into contact with sea water.

I don't know if they have raised this situation to Level 8, but if not, it could be, depending on how much they know and how much, if any, control they have over any of the three reactors.

I haven't been monitoring this situation much over the past few weeks, but this is the most alarming news I've heard since the tsunami.