Posted on 03/15/2011 8:13:35 AM PDT by SE Mom
I hope that more of the water from the cannon’s actually make it on to their targets. The helicopter drops looked useless.
Thanks.
Jeeze, take a nap and see what happens?
I get nervous.
That explains things but still, as someone who trusts but verifies, the question might be worth exploring.
To me, that means that the stored fuel rods are exposed or are in danger of being exposed (water has boiled away) so they want to stop any reaction in its tracks. Alternately, they understand that they will not have circulating water available for a long time so they're willing to scuttle the stored fuel rods in order to accelerate the process of making them more inert.
why the heck is dangerous ‘spent fuel’ being stored above a working nuclear reactor in the first place?
Couldn’t find some place more dangerous to put it?
Thanks for teh laugh!
why the heck is dangerous ‘spent fuel’ being stored above a working nuclear reactor in the first place?
Couldn’t find some place more dangerous to put it?
I immediately looked down. :-)
I’m not so sure what I know anymore. I just worked around folks who knew a LOT. I’m just a worker-bee.
LOL, you made me laugh so hard.
I guess I take some comfort in the fact that the Japanese are a very smart people, better than us in a lot of ways. I have had Japanese graduate students in my classes. They are smart, cool-headed, and dedicated. I think they are doing quite heroic work here under very difficult circumstances. Think how many of these people have friends and loved ones affected by the larger disaster that they have not even had time for thought yet.
They’ve made three water drops - first at 9:48 and second at 9:52. They’re saying the first operation was very successful, but the second drop seems to have dispersed. Third drop at 9:54 AM. They haven’t said yet how successful the third operation was.
Quite frankly, I don’t care what “they” said...
Yeah, I can see where it would be hysterically funny that the helicopters can’t get very much of their payload directly on their targets. That those crews are risking their lives in heroic measures that may or may not be met with success...it’s a real laugh.
It’s very hot, temp and rad wise, when it comes out of the reactor during refueling. There would have to be a pit — a pool — there. But I agree, it’s a very bad place to leave it, more than just a few days. A big mobile tank and gantry system could move it off to a more secure area.
As we see here in this event, the health of the main reactor vessel and containment is dependent on humans being able to do emergency repairs and work-arounds, and the damn spent fuel pit at the top really really f-d that up, because humans can not work in high gamma and high neutron environments. Even robots can only do so much — although that might change in the future, storing radioactively dirty used fuel near the reactor containment is a dumb idea.
Couldn’t find some place more dangerous to put it?
I sort-of asked that question 2 days ago. :)
After thinking about it, the answer is simple. When refueling, the overhead crane can pull the fuel rod assembly right out of the reactor and then set it down in the pool. No need to take the fuel rods outside. Easy transfer.
Also, I have to point out that prior to the 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami, it was a safe place. The natural disaster exceeded the design capability of the plant.
Okay. Then don’t read my posts. I won’t pout about it.
You know more about this than I know. And I know more about this than I did 4 or 5 days ago. This has been an incredible learning experience. If not for the radiation, I'd love to be at the plant right now dealing with the situation.
Oh, brother...
Roger that. Criticality is one of the watch words my friend who is probably a lot like you told us to watch for. He’s a nuclear physicist and deeply aware of the potential problems.
I await word from him as well.
I said it a while ago either here or on another forum that some of those people at the plant probably do not know the fate of their loved ones. Yet, there they are.
Question for you or whoever might be able to answer -
What kind of protective clothing do nuclear plant workers have available, and what effect do those cloths have in terms of reducing exposure? I am curious.
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