Isnt this great? Nuclear reactors in Japan are having coolant issues, then complete failure, America volunteers to send some coolant to keep the situation contained...Japan denies it, now they have a full blown meltdown, with the fallout expecting to reach BC, and western coast of the states...

You should add a source.

Last I heard, it wasn't that bad. Not bad enough to be compared to Chernobyl.

Then Youtube got a video of a Nuclear Explosion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHHQXW7VSMw

Let me see if I can clear a few things up:


1) Seismic sensors get triggered, and the plants are forced into emergency shut down immediately.

2) In the shut down state, fission is effectively stopped, but there is a residual 'decay heat'. This heat still needs to be removed (on the order of 1% of the thermal power)

3a) If the plant is still connected to the grid, then the existing pumps are used to circulate the coolant removing the heat from the fuel.

3b) If the plant is no longer on the grid, then diesel generators are used to supply power for the pumps. My understanding is that the diesel generators kicked in (since all the nuclear plants in the region shutdown), however they failed shortly after when the tsunami hit.

3c) I'm not familiar with the exact nature of this plant, but I've heard that the pumps may also be powered using giant batteries for a very short period.

4) When you can't remove heat fast enough with the coolant, the inventory in the heat transport system begins to warm up and boil. When you start producing significant amounts of steam, the pressure in the reactor increases. Throughout yesterday, TEPCO was releasing some of the steam to the atmosphere in order to relieve the pressure in the building.

5) There are reports of Cesium being detected in the area around the plant. That's a good indicator that some of the fission products in the fuel have been released. In layman's terms, it's likely that part of one or several rods melted.

6) The video is of what looks to be a hydrogen explosion (non-nuclear). Hydrogen gas is sometimes used to cool the electrical generators. It also forms when superheated steam reacts with the fuel (worst case). It's not clear which it is at this point.


The short of it: This is scary, and some of us are following it VERY closely. Right now, it looks worse than Three-Mile Island, but is still a long way from Chernobyl.

Originally Posted by Rubicon

Isnt this great? Nuclear reactors in Japan are having coolant issues, then complete failure, America volunteers to send some coolant to keep the situation contained...Japan denies it, now they have a full blown meltdown, with the fallout expecting to reach BC, and western coast of the states...

The "US sending coolant" thing was a mistake that Hilary Clinton made in her speech I believe. The reactors are cooled by water. The US shipping in more water doesn't make sense. I suspect it was supposed to have been 'electrical generators' and that got lost in the speech writing process.

Regarding the fallout - I haven't seen the numbers on the radiation released, but keep in mind that when something is being dispersed, it tends to follow a 1/r^2 relationship.

KABOOM

No really though it is a light water reactor. These don't typically explode during a meltdown.


Earthquake...radiatio n....GODZILLA!!!!!

Originally Posted by Rubicon

Isnt this great? Nuclear reactors in Japan are having coolant issues, then complete failure, America volunteers to send some coolant to keep the situation contained...Japan denies it, now they have a full blown meltdown, with the fallout expecting to reach BC, and western coast of the states...

Can we please not make historical claims like that? Pet peeve. Crosby is not Gretzky.This is not Chernobyl. And Kate will never be Diana.

you know.... december 2012 is JUST next year.

Originally Posted by nonikhanna

you know.... december 2012 is JUST next year.

And December 2013 is two years from now, whats your point?

Originally Posted by nonikhanna

you know.... december 2012 is JUST next year.

Now the internet is being flooded with "ZOMG when you add 9/11/01 and 3/10/11 you get 12/21/12 D:!"

-_-

Man people are dense sometimes.

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Now the internet is being flooded with "ZOMG when you add 9/11/01 and 3/10/11 you get 12/21/12 D:!"

So the world's gonna end in 4012?

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Now the internet is being flooded with "ZOMG when you add 9/11/01 and 3/10/11 you get 12/21/12 D:!"

-_-

Man people are dense sometimes.

Nah, its obvious that gawd/azteks hate japs and yanks. Or something. You're just believing what the government wants you to think. Expand your mind man!

Originally Posted by Mowicz

Now the internet is being flooded with "ZOMG when you add 9/11/01 and 3/10/11 you get 12/21/12 D:!"

-_-

Man people are dense sometimes.

There will always be skeptics. Have fun regreting when it comes. Personally I'm dropping out of school as soon as my line of credit is approve. Gonna go travel and enjoy myself for the little amount of time I have. Would have done it soner had I heard about 2012 and saw these evidence earlier. Insert anxious face here

Originally Posted by PHLN

There will always be skeptics. Have fun regreting when it comes. Personally I'm dropping out of school as soon as my line of credit is approve. Gonna go travel and enjoy myself for the little amount of time I have. Would have done it soner had I heard about 2012 and saw these evidence earlier. Insert anxious face here

Part of what makes you such a fantasic poster is that I can't work out if you're serious most of the time... where are you going to travel?

http://www.theglobeandmail.c om/new...rticle1939779/