TEPCO: Spraying water from air "difficult"

[KeepItReal]

Source: NHK World

Tokyo Electric Power has found it difficult to spray water from a helicopter to cool down a storage pool for spent nuclear fuel inside the No.4 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The reactor was undergoing an inspection when the quake occurred. The firm says the temperature of the storage pool for spent nuclear fuel was 84 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, more than double the normal level. More recent temperatures are not available due to a technical failure.

On Tuesday morning, an explosion was heard and the roof of the building that houses the No.4 reactor was damaged. Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the plant, says it appears a lack of coolant caused the fuel rods to be exposed, adding that a hydrogen explosion might have occurred. If the reactor can't be cooled, the fuel rods may emit hydrogen or melt down. Tokyo Electric Power considering pouring water onto the storage pool in the containment vessel through a hole on the roof created by the blast.

However, the firm concluded that it would be extremely difficult to spray water from a helicopter as the hole is dozens of meters from the storage pool and a helicopter can only carry a limited amount of water on a single flight.

Read more: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/16_05.html

[tekisui]

1. They are desparate and losing control. This is why the risk is too great

to expand nuclear power. The risk is just to great. Like deep-sea oil drilling, it is just inherently too risky. We cannot control or minimize the risk to an acceptable point. Will we learn, though?

[Zoeisright]

2. Just like controlling a volcano is "difficult", is my guess.

Tokyo Electric Power, unfortunately, has a long, long history of lies and coverups. The fact that they're admitting this much is horrifying.

http://www.risingsunofnihon.com/japan/nuclear-reactor-operators-cove/

[Lastactiongyro]

3. It's turning into Chernobyl They tried that before starting to dump

bags of Boric acid and sand. Tehn later ingots of lead.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. I wondered how they were going to pull that one off.

Now I know, they're not.

[KeepItReal]

5. I wonder if forest fire aerial bombers could help

They could drop lots more water than a helo.

I just would worry about the crews flying through radiation

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. The problem is they need to angle the water into the building to try and hit the storage tank

It's just not doable from the air.

[lunatica]

6. It all works great until it doesn't