[Jeff Winston]

This guy’s not an expert. Nuclear energy isn’t his field (although it’s apparently his father’s).

We’ll just have to wait and see what the consequences are. Personally, I doubt there will be much effect that makes it across the Pacific to the United States. But this was and remains a serious situation.

[Jeff Winston]

I don’t know how that posted twice, as I only hit the button once.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The nuclear fuel heats water, the water boils and creates steam, the steam then drives turbines that create the electricity, and the steam is then cooled and condensed back to water, and the water send back to be heated by the nuclear fuel.

Now, what I know of nuclear reactor design says this is not true. Such a design exists to a degree.

I thought the water that was exposed to the core and superheated under some pressure formed the primary loop. The heat from this loop is transferred to a second loop via heat exchangers and it is this secondary loop containing non-contaminated water that is what forms the steam that drives the turbines and also cools the primary loop. Using steam from water that has been irradiated by the core to run turbines would also irradiate the turbines, no?

Am I wrong or have the Japanese screwed the pooch by using such an inherently dangerous design?