Cooling system fails in second reactor -more details

[jpak]

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20110313dy01.htm

The No. 3 reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has lost its ability to supply water to its core, a failure that has lowered the level of cooling water in the reactor and exposed a good part of nuclear fuel rods, the operator of the facility said Sunday.

Failure of the water pump has made it impossible to cool the high temperatures inside the reactor, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co.

As of 7:30 a.m., 2.95 meters of the 4-meter nuclear fuel rods were exposed because of diminished water levels in the reactor.

<snip>

TEPCO started its first plutonium-thermal power generation operation, known as pluthermal generation, at the No. 3 reactor last September. Pluthermal generation uses plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel, known as MOX.

<more>

[madokie]

1. HOt damn lets build a bunch more of these sunsabitches, we all gotta die some way anyway

rec

[Dennis Donovan]

2. 3/4 of the rods were exposed - this is the most dangerous by far...

The pressure in the core must be soaring. Pray they can vent it!:scared:

[Sirveri]

3. They have to vent in order to get the water level that low.

Either that or the pressure vessel would have exploded. Plant like this would have three separate pilot operated relief valves, in addition to the discharge system.

[SpoonFed]

4. And it's popped...

about 4 hours ago.