Reply #59: 3-12-11 #2 affected reactors

[divvy]

what are the effected reactors? There are new designs that are far safer than the US plants I am familiar with. I assumed it wasn't a BWR, what I am most familiar with, when the reactor building collapsed and radiation wasn't off the charts. The spent fuel pool is in the top of our reactor building. There are blowout panels to prevent an explosion from destroying the reactor building. I worked at a plant designed in the 60's. I think you are nuclear navy, so you probably know more about PWR's than I do. I agree that it is too early to know how much damage will be done. The first goal is to prevent core damage... some damage, like TMI, is a financial disaster, but not a human catastrophe, like Chernobyl. The expanded evacuation zone and the reports of Cesium in the air means that some Coolant release is happening, probably intentional to control RX pressure. The hydrogen explosion that has destroyed one containment building could very well be from "melting" fuel cladding, but I can't say that for certain. No offsite power... No emergency generators... No containment... Expanding evacuation zone... I'm worried! I understand politicians saying things to avoid panic, but there is plenty to worry about. Because of the time that has elapsed since the units SCRAM'd, it looks like they have managed to keep the reactor cores cooled and pressure under control, but they lack the ability to take the reactor(s) to shutdown. Low pressure injection has probably been lost. They need electrical power! Bad! Not easy in an earthquake damaged country. One unconfirmed report that they were injecting sea water into the containment means that normal emergency systems have failed and the situation is pretty desperate. The other 2 plants? Fuel pools? The fuel pools are probably OK, because they could keep them full with a fire truck tanker... As long as radiation levels onsite stay reasonably low. I don't think any plants, but the most recent designs, would do well after control rooms become uninhabitable. The collapsed reactor building probably eliminated most, if not all, remaining capabilities of that stricken reactor. If it was a sub, you would get out and sink it. Not good... Pumping sea water in the containment is the equivalent. I hope that report is false. I don't mean to frighten anyone, but this is very serious and could get a lot worse. Obviously, the news may not have all the info one would need to have to now how serious this will become, but it is bad now!