Reply #274: a piece of cake

[divvy]

I was in the Naval Nuclear Submarine Program, so did not have much interaction with NRC and its organizational structures...so can't comment on some of your observations.

I had a piece of cake...Admiral Rickover.

I agree, it will be interesting to see if the initial earthquake caused initial serious harm. I have witnessed testing of Submarine reactor component shock tests (had to withstand large bomb explosions), It would amaze people to see large nuts spinning off of bolts, like bullets going across a room, for marginal or unsuccessful designs. In fact, most bolts are now lock-wired on to hold them in place.

From photos it appears some of the auxiliary piping held up in Japan. We will learn of the reactors eventually. One thing is I would assume commercial plants have cameras on-going full time observing the reactor spaces/pumps etc. Where are the films? Destroyed? Or did these older arrangements have no camera ability? We will see.

I, too, participated early in xxxxxx my surprise that the spent fuel in the swimming pools was not "under containment." Last week I was at the Florida xxxxx Power Plant, and in speaking with the head of security, learned the pools there are under the main containment...as far as I could tell/verify.

I will be posting more on whether this will actually be the ultimate test for reactors...a worse case incident. You couldn't do this in a test. If in the end radiation spread is moderate...contained locally, then we might see people have more acceptance, not less, of commercial nuclear power.

Still interested in the degree of "meltdown" and whether it has gone through any vessel bottoms, into final containment. And what will eventually happen.