Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Radiation Levels Surge Outside Two Nuclear Plants in Japan
Foxnews.com ^ | 3/11/11

Posted on 03/11/2011 4:36:55 PM PST by socialism_stinX

TOKYO – Japan declared states of emergency for five nuclear reactors at two power plants after the units lost cooling ability in the aftermath of Friday's powerful earthquake. Thousands of residents were evacuated as workers struggled to get the reactors under control to prevent meltdowns.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/11/japan-issues-emergency-nuke-plant-leak/#ixzz1GLApKL9w

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: earthquake2011; energy; japan; japanearthquake; nuclear
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-144 next last
To: sionnsar

>Apparently the loss of the backup/emergency diesel generators to the tsunami left them with only 8 hours of battery-powered cooling. Not enough.

Maybe I’m oversimplifying things but why not deliver a bunch of portable generators to pump the cooling water?


101 posted on 03/11/2011 7:00:11 PM PST by soycd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 95 | View Replies]

To: Frantzie
I am not sure why when the control rods go in hydraulically that the plant cannot be shut down. I realize it is still hot but would expect that within a few hours that the plant could be totally shut down.

Quantify "few": From what I read it is only 24-48 hours. Is three weeks "few"? Might depend upon what you're dealing with.

102 posted on 03/11/2011 7:04:09 PM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|http://pure-gas.org|Must be a day for changing taglines)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Bean Counter

Did you happen to catch the caller to Mark Levin who was a nuclear engineer or scientist? It was pretty revealing. He discussed to containment units that these ones in Japan seem to have. Chernobyl didn’t have one.


103 posted on 03/11/2011 7:04:18 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: soycd
Maybe I’m oversimplifying things

Oversimplifying? AHAIK you are Square On Target, soycd!

104 posted on 03/11/2011 7:11:16 PM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|http://pure-gas.org|Must be a day for changing taglines)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 101 | View Replies]

To: Pride in the USA

The word “devastating” seems an understatement. I keep crying while watching as the news get worse. This is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.


105 posted on 03/11/2011 7:14:18 PM PST by lonevoice (Where the Welfare State is on the march, the Police State is not far behind)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: socialism_stinX

Lord, please place your hand on the situation in Japan; let a regional or worldwide disaster be averted.


106 posted on 03/11/2011 7:16:39 PM PST by Jeff Winston
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: soycd

The plants are on the coast that was just decimated by the tsunami. How to get stuff there would be a logistical nightmare. It wouldn’t be just generators but the fuel to run them and other items as well. Not to mention that those kinds of materials are in high demand in a wide swath of destruction.

That’s my guess. Easier said than done.


107 posted on 03/11/2011 7:28:07 PM PST by ElenaM
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 101 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg
it sounds like the pumps were damaged.

I suspect that the pumps are running on battery power, which will inevitably run out....I think that's the problem.

108 posted on 03/11/2011 7:28:20 PM PST by LjubivojeRadosavljevic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: edcoil

Assuming you can get firetrucks to the scene, get hard suction hose to draft water, keep the intake clear of debris, and keep fuel coming to the truck. Most trucks in the US will draft about 1500 gallons per minute. I have no idea how much they would need.


109 posted on 03/11/2011 7:31:36 PM PST by Clay Moore (The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: socialism_stinX

WHY can’t they just pull the fuel rods from the core? Shut DOWN the reaction?


110 posted on 03/11/2011 7:32:06 PM PST by 2harddrive
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #111 Removed by Moderator

To: Scott from the Left Coast

Some idiot will probably blame the earthquakes on the fracking of shale gas and oil wells in the US! They will demand an ONSHORE drilling “moratorium”, to go along with Herr Obama’s offshore drilling ban!


112 posted on 03/11/2011 7:35:09 PM PST by 2harddrive
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: GonzoGOP

My guess is the tsunami filled the APU engine cylinders and crankcase with water. If they were running at the time, they may well be non salvageable due to hydro-lock.


113 posted on 03/11/2011 7:36:21 PM PST by Clay Moore (The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: 2harddrive
WHY can’t they just pull the fuel rods from the core? Shut DOWN the reaction?

Nukes don't have an on/off switch like that. First you don't' pull the fuel rods, unless you want to get real radioactive. You drop control rods that absorb the free neutrons and stop the reaction. But the reaction doesn't just stop. You stop say 95/97 percent right away but the rest is going to take the better part of a day to shut down. And even 5% of the heat of a reactor will melt it if it isn't cooled. And you have a lot of residual heat to get out while that happens.

They scrammed the reactor at the time of the earthquake. Now they are just trying to keep the coolant running while the remaining head dissipates.
114 posted on 03/11/2011 7:43:27 PM PST by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 110 | View Replies]

To: poobear

Amen.


115 posted on 03/11/2011 8:00:08 PM PST by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar; rdl6989; tapatio

...And When There are Two or More Gathered in My Name...

May God Bless All of You.

Amen.


116 posted on 03/11/2011 8:06:07 PM PST by poobear (FACTS - the turd in the punch bowl of liberal thought!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

That is precisely my point. The possibility of a major problem at one of these plants is in fact remote, repeat, remote. They declare an emergency a lot quicker than they ever used to, and these evacuations are a lot more precautionary than the news reports would have you believe.

The media is playing these problems for all they are worth. I listened to a correspondent on TV today basically talk a nuclear spokesman into saying that a meltdown was possible, when clearly they are nowhere near that point.

I still caution people from buying into the “sky is falling” mode that the MSM is in.


117 posted on 03/11/2011 8:28:24 PM PST by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 103 | View Replies]

To: socialism_stinX

DRUDGE HEADLINE :

'HOURS' TO PREVENT NUKE MELTDOWN


118 posted on 03/11/2011 8:32:51 PM PST by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

TWITTER Nuclear power plant attempts to save plant STOPPED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upkD8OCrE9Q

JAPAN RADIATION ALERT! Thousand FLEE LEAK ZONE! It WILL follow the jet stream!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmoEG_hEs0&feature=player_embedded


119 posted on 03/11/2011 8:47:36 PM PST by Whenifhow
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 118 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar

All the boron moderator will do is soak up the neutrons and stop the reaction. the heat is still
in the core and will warp it if it gets too hot. if the
control rod holes are warped scramming won’t be possible.
They could dump powdered/liquid moderator directly into
the vessel as a last resort. the people tasked with doing that would be national heros giving their lives for their
country, like the reactor watch on K-19.


120 posted on 03/11/2011 9:10:08 PM PST by rahbert
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-144 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson