Nuclear Reactors Hit By Earthquake In Japan

[ladajo]

Now #3's spent fuel pool is burning. I'm sure I can't comprehend the complexities involved, but I just fail to understand how after all this time and I would guess limitless access to assistance and expertise, they can't have at least been in control of the spent fuel pools. What don't they have that they need?

???

Unit 3 no longer has a spent fuel pool. I saw an idiot report that claimed it did and was boiling off. It can not, as it is gone, and this is clearly visible in the satellite photos. I am also will to say it had no fuel in it when it went away (abruptly).

[ladajo]

I heard people in USA buy iodine tablets. It is true?

Always going to be a nutcase or few. But to arrest your fears, I have not heard of any "runs" on Iodine...

[Maui]

Now #3's spent fuel pool is burning. I'm sure I can't comprehend the complexities involved, but I just fail to understand how after all this time and I would guess limitless access to assistance and expertise, they can't have at least been in control of the spent fuel pools. What don't they have that they need?

???

Unit 3 no longer has a spent fuel pool. I saw an idiot report that claimed it did and was boiling off. It can not, as it is gone, and this is clearly visible in the satellite photos. I am also will to say it had no fuel in it when it went away (abruptly).

You're saying #3's spent fuel rods were scattered in the blast? Wouldn't that be a pretty serious radiation issue? Wouldn't we have heard about that?

EDIT: I just read your post more carefully.

[ladajo]

Those pools are used during maintenance operations. Unit 4 was de-fueled and the fuel rods were in the pool.

It is not normal to store fuel in the handling pool during operations. Given that Units 1, 2 & 3 were operating, odds are no fuel in the pools.

[icarus]

I guess we should be thankful that the israelis didn't put stuxnet into a nuclear plant ... oh wait,

[icarus]

Just read that the story about diesel back-ups getting innundated was cover story to give some hope that cooling circuits could be got back on line ... yes the back-ups were innundated but that wasn't the reason cooling circuits weren't ever coming back online.

The real reason was that when the tsunami took the water out, before bringing it in, the pumps were sucking air and the cooling circuit pumps all seized for all reactors right from the get go ... basically they were fecked from the get go and is why they went the emergency seawater and boric acid route so early, i.e. before trying to get cooling circuits back up ... so not exactly lying just BS to stop panic I guess, spin ... makes more sense than the BS that has been spewing out of that place.

[KitemanSA]

Now #3's spent fuel pool is burning. I'm sure I can't comprehend the complexities involved, but I just fail to understand how after all this time and I would guess limitless access to assistance and expertise, they can't have at least been in control of the spent fuel pools. What don't they have that they need?

???
Unit 3 no longer has a spent fuel pool. I saw an idiot report that claimed it did and was boiling off. It can not, as it is gone, and this is clearly visible in the satellite photos. I am also will to say it had no fuel in it when it went away (abruptly).

I was under the impression that there was a small pool up top to hold rods during maintatence and a large pool down near the torus to hold "expended" fuel rods. If this is so, then Unit #4 should have rods high and ALL should have rods low.
Data anyone?

[ladajo]

Have to see when the last re-fueling was for Units 1, 2, & 3.
The closer they are to the re-fuel, the less likely spent rods are in the pit.

[Skipjack]

IIRC, they were meant to be decomissioned in a couple of weeks.

[TheRadicalModerate]

Just read that the story about diesel back-ups getting innundated was cover story to give some hope that cooling circuits could be got back on line ... yes the back-ups were innundated but that wasn't the reason cooling circuits weren't ever coming back online.

The real reason was that when the tsunami took the water out, before bringing it in, the pumps were sucking air and the cooling circuit pumps all seized for all reactors right from the get go ... basically they were fecked from the get go and is why they went the emergency seawater and boric acid route so early, i.e. before trying to get cooling circuits back up ... so not exactly lying just BS to stop panic I guess, spin ... makes more sense than the BS that has been spewing out of that place.

This is the most plausible story I've heard so far, but I still have a hard time believing that they didn't have a procedure to restart circulation after an LOC event. Something funky happened--sure would be interesting to know what it was.

[KitemanSA]

Have to see when the last re-fueling was for Units 1, 2, & 3.
The closer they are to the re-fuel, the less likely spent rods are in the pit.

http://www.digitalglobe.com/downloads/f ... 011_dg.jpg
By another route, I inferred that the spent rods for the plant were stored in a multi-story building next to unit 3. The above link shows an "outbuilding" abutting unit 3 that also has its roof missing. Is that said storage building?

[Skipjack]

I am wondering how much better (or worse) a fusion- fission hybrid reactor would have fared with all other circumstances equal.
The fission fuel in a fusion- fission hybrid reactor is less active. So they would not have that big problems keeping it cool, or am I wrong here?
I am just wondering, it could be a good business case for the guys over at Helion, who are basically promoting that use for their fusion engine.

[Maui]

Now #3's spent fuel pool is burning. I'm sure I can't comprehend the complexities involved, but I just fail to understand how after all this time and I would guess limitless access to assistance and expertise, they can't have at least been in control of the spent fuel pools. What don't they have that they need?

???

Unit 3 no longer has a spent fuel pool. I saw an idiot report that claimed it did and was boiling off. It can not, as it is gone, and this is clearly visible in the satellite photos. I am also will to say it had no fuel in it when it went away (abruptly).

They're still talking as if its there though. Is this still just confused reporting?

What appeared to be smoke coming from the No. 3 reactor in the morning led the top government spokesman to point to the possibility of damage to the reactor's steel containment vessel, but it seemed more likely later in the day that the smoke was radioactive steam coming from the No. 3 reactor's spent fuel pool.
...
The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the first priority should be pouring coolant water into the pools at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors, which are apparently boiling. Unless the spent fuel rods are cooled down, they could suffer damage and emit radioactive substances.
Kyodo news

[ladajo]

When I mentioned the refuel, I was thinking the last refuel. The longer ago it was, the less likely Spent fuel is on hand in the handling pools.
After cooldown, they would have been moved to an alternate holding facility. Which could well be the building Kite is talking about.
The point is the handling pools are designed to pull spent fuel out, and place new fuel in. If you have previous spent fuel in the pool, you run out of room.

As far as I can tell, Unit 4 lost handling pool water, cooked off, and popped (spectaculary).

Unit 3 is Containment Breached and full of water.

Unit 1 is Containment questionable, but full of water.

Unit 2 is Containment Breached and not holding water.

What does all this mean?
They are going to brass plaque the site, and not let anyone fish, drink water or grow food off the nearby land and sea for quite a while.

Between Unit 4 and 2, they are more than likely seeding the grounds with Fission Products and other activated products.

http://www.digitalglobe.com/downloads/f ... 011_dg.jpg

[choff]

Hopefully TEPCO has an alternate spent fuel storage site and isn't just storing old rods in the pool on the cheap.