Meltdown Likely Under Way At Japan Nuclear Reactor

[JulianLS]

Well, I for one wouldn't volunteer to drill a hole in that particular wall, with a potential mixture of hydrogen and oxygen on the other side of it, and on top of a poorly cooled reactor vessel with fuel rods exposed....

In the words of Harry Enfield; "now I don't believe you wanted to be doing that....."

[jfchandler]

Interestingly, I haven't seen one Japanese news report mentioning the TEPCO worker who died the other day at the Daini plant after being somehow stuck up in a reactor crane near one of the exhaust stacks...

Likewise, I haven't seen any explanation of just how they managed today to run out of fuel to power the pumps at Daiichi Reactor No. 2 this afternoon, allowing the fuel rods to go entirely exposed for more than two hours...

[jfchandler]

AP report on the day's events:

Stricken Japan nuclear plant rocked by 2nd blast

By ERIC TALMADGE and SHINO YUASA

Associated Press

SOMA, Japan (AP) -- The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked a Japanese nuclear plant Monday, devastating the structure housing one reactor and injuring 11 workers. Water levels dropped precipitously at another reactor, completely exposing the fuel rods and raising the threat of a meltdown.

The morning explosion in Unit 3 of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant was felt 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, but the plant's operator said radiation levels at the reactor remained within legal limits. Hours later, officials reported that fuel rods at Unit 2 were fully exposed at some point and may have been damaged.

Authorities have been pouring sea water into three reactors at the plant after cooling system failures in the wake of Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami, which is estimated to have killed at least 10,000 people. The latest explosion triggered an order for hundreds of people to stay indoors, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano.

Authorities said late Monday that they were focusing mostly on Unit 2 because the other two reactors were relatively stabilized. Ryohei Shiomi, an official with the Nuclear and Industrial Agency, said officials were still trying to determine the condition of Unit 2's exposed fuel rods.

"It is very likely that they have been damaged by now," he said.

MORE: http://staging.hoste...-03-14-10-33-50

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

Analyst: Japan insurance losses could hit $35 bln

LONDON (AP) -- Insurance companies are looking at billions in losses from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, with one early estimate placing the figure as high as $35 billion.

German reinsurer Munich Re said Monday, however, that private insurers do not face a significant bill from damage to Japan's nuclear power plants.

AIR Worldwide, a Boston-based specialist in catastrophe modeling, said over the weekend that insured property losses could range between $15 billion to $35 billion.

AIR added that its earthquake model for Japan doesn't include the effects of a tsunami. Friday's earthquake triggered a huge tidal wave which wiped out homes and businesses, with 2,800 deaths confirmed Monday.

The Lloyd's of London insurance market said it was too early to estimate its losses.

[dhrobertson]

Strongly recommended reading

http://morgsatlarge.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/why-i-am-not-worried-

[jfchandler]

On the subject of power supplies available at the Daiichi reactors, the IAEA had this update earlier Monday, a bit interesting:

Japan Earthquake Update (14 March 2011, 01:30 CET) - Clarified Based on information provided by Japanese authorities, the IAEA can confirm the following information about the status of Units 1, 2 and 3 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Unit 1 is being powered by mobile power generators on site, and work continues to restore power to the plant. There is currently no power via off-site power supply or backup diesel generators being provided to the plant.

Unit 2 is being powered by mobile power generators on site, and work continues to restore power to the plant. There is currently neither off-site power supply nor backup diesel generators providing power to the plant. The reactor core is being cooled through reactor core isolation cooling, a procedure used to remove heat from the core.

Unit 3 does not have off-site power supply nor backup diesel generators providing power to the plant. As the high pressure injection system and other attempts to cool the reactor core have failed, injection of water and boron into the reactor vessel has commenced.

The IAEA is seeking information about the status of spent fuel at the Daiichi plant.

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html

[brahmburgers]

Well, I for one wouldn't volunteer to drill a hole in that particular wall, with a potential mixture of hydrogen and oxygen on the other side of it, and on top of a poorly cooled reactor vessel with fuel rods exposed....

In the words of Harry Enfield; "now I don't believe you wanted to be doing that....."

A. Run up to the side of the containment building

B. drop a bundle of TNT

C. light the fuse

D. Run like the dickens - out to the sand dunes.

Analyst: Japan insurance losses could hit $35 bln

LONDON (AP) -- Insurance companies are looking at billions in losses from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, with one early estimate placing the figure as high as $35 billion.

German reinsurer Munich Re said Monday, however, that private insurers do not face a significant bill from damage to Japan's nuclear power plants.

AIR Worldwide, a Boston-based specialist in catastrophe modeling, said over the weekend that insured property losses could range between $15 billion to $35 billion.

AIR added that its earthquake model for Japan doesn't include the effects of a tsunami. Friday's earthquake triggered a huge tidal wave which wiped out homes and businesses, with 2,800 deaths confirmed Monday.

The Lloyd's of London insurance market said it was too early to estimate its losses.

In the booklet 'EGAT's Thaitanic' (talks about why Thailand should not go nuclear), there's a chapter dedicated to insurance concerns. You won't hear mention of insurance when EGAT make their flowery proposals articulating why Thailand should go nuclear.

Edited March 14, 2011 by brahmburgers

[jfchandler]

Kyodo News:

Fuel rods fully exposed again at Fukushima nuclear power plant: TEPCO

23:59 Japan time/ 9:59 pm Thai time

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

NHK:

Intl nuclear watchdog to monitor Fukushima plants

An international body monitoring nuclear testing says it will closely watch the situation at a nuclear power plant in earthquake-hit Fukushima Prefecture.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization, or CTBTO, spoke to NHK on Monday, following hydrogen blasts at 2 of the reactor buildings at the quake-damaged Fukushima Number One [Daiichi] Plant.

The organization said no radioactive materials from the blasts have been detected so far at its facility in Takasaki City, about 200 kilometers southwest of the plant.

The watchdog added that it will continue its 24-hour monitoring.

The Vienna-based organization has about 330 facilities around the world to observe radioactive materials in the atmosphere and tremors caused by nuclear tests.

Monday, March 14, 2011 21:17 +0900 (JST)

[jfchandler]

Japan Govt Denies Possibility of Chernobyl-Class Catastrophe

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)--Japanese government organizations categorically deny there is any possibility of a Chernobyl-class nuclear catastrophe at an earthquake-hit nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan, a cabinet member said Monday.

The Nuclear Safety Commission and the industry ministry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency say there is "absolutely no possibility of a Chernobyl," National Policy Minister Koichiro Genba told a ruling party meeting.

Genba, policy leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, was relaying the opinions of the two expert organizations following explosions at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 [Daiichi] nuclear plant.

The authorities say that Chernobyl plant had no containment vessels for its reactors, while all reactors at the plant are fully protected against hydrogen explosions, according to Genba.

Chernobyl is the site in Russia of the world's worst nuclear accident, which happened in 1986 during the Soviet era.

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[Alphonso]

Interestingly, I haven't seen one Japanese news report mentioning the TEPCO worker who died the other day at the Daini plant after being somehow stuck up in a reactor crane near one of the exhaust stacks...

Likewise, I haven't seen any explanation of just how they managed today to run out of fuel to power the pumps at Daiichi Reactor No. 2 this afternoon, allowing the fuel rods to go entirely exposed for more than two hours...

Full information seems lacking maybe a case of need to know, idk. From the bits and pieces posted I'd have to guess the crane operator was in the crane cab inside the building of reactor one when the first explosion occurred.

Would have thought there might be some way to burn off the vented gas through a flare stack but maybe not or because damage to the site has resulted in failure of a number of systems.

Still many unanswered questions but post #442 looked promising, lets hope they are finally making progress.

Some info http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Venting_at_Fukushima_Daiichi_3_1303111.html

[jfchandler]

Partial Meltdown at Another Reactor Possible: Tokyo Electric

Tokyo, March 14 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday evening it cannot rule out the possibility that the No. 2 reactor of its quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant may have experienced a partial meltdown.

The fuel rods of the reactor, each of which is 4 meters long, became fully exposed to air because of a substantial drop in the amount of cooling water in the reactor, according to the firm's report to the prefectural government of Fukushima.

Tokyo Electric Power officials said it tried to pump sea water into the reactor in response to the falling water level inside. But the pumps ran out of fuel, they said.

The work became necessary because the cooling system for the No. 2 reactor ceased to function.

At the Fukushima No. 1 plant, the No. 1 reactor is likely to have experienced a partial meltdown on Saturday, the first time this has ever happened in Japan.

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

Tokyo (CNN) -- A blast at a Japanese reactor injured 11 people and caused another reactor to malfunction on Monday, triggering new fears of a meltdown that could leak dangerous amounts of nuclear radiation into a country already devastated by an earthquake and tsunami.

The explosion at Fukushima Daiichi's reactor No. 3 blew the roof and walls off a building, the Kyodo news agency reported. It also damaged the cooling system at reactor No. 2, officials said.

Officials quickly worked to pump seawater into reactor No. 2, as they have been doing at reactors No. 1 and No. 3, officials said.

At one point, the fuel in the pump that was being used ran low when personnel left it unattended, officials said. Some of the water surrounding the fuel rods burned off, exposing them, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.

MORE: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html

[unblocktheplanet]

Readers of this thread may be interested in my analysis at Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT):

No nukes for Thailand! Lessons from Japan

http://facthai.wordp...ons-from-japan/

[jfchandler]

Excerpted from CNN:

Losses from the disaster will total at least $100 billion, including $20 billion in damage to residences and $40 billion in damage to infrastructure such as roads, rail and port facilities, catastrophe modeling firm Eqecat estimated, according to CNNMoney.

Another firm, AIR Worldwide, estimated that losses covered by insurance could reach between $15 billion and $35 billion from the earthquake alone, CNNMoney said. It did not estimate losses from the tsunami or the damage to the the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.

"If claims come in at the middle of that range, the cost of the disaster would surpass all other natural disasters besides 2005's Hurricane Katrina," according to a Barclay's Capital research note released Monday. "Katrina losses cost the insurance industry around US$45 billion."

AND

The Insurance Information Institute said it believes the losses from Friday's disaster will prove to be the most expensive earthquake in history, although it did not give any dollar estimate of the costs.

MORE: http://money.cnn.com..._cost/index.htm

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[Jdietz]

Here's a decent image of the reactor buildings and what happened to them:

Clearly visible is the different construction (steel frame + cladding) of the top part. Cladding blew off when the hydrogen exploded, steel structure and rest of the building at #1 seems still intact.

Edited March 14, 2011 by Jdietz

[Lite Beer]

FLASH: Tokyo Electric confirms fuel rods at Fukushima Daiichi no. 2 unit fully exposed again/RT @Reuters

[WarpSpeed]

Kyodo News:

Fuel rods at No. 2 reactor fully exposed for about 2.5 hours [late this afternoon]: agency

NHK:

TEPCO is considering opening a hole in the reactor housing building to release hydrogen generated by the exposed fuel rods.

Might be a wise move, why have another big explosion you know will be coming. Venting the pressure before it gets too much will cause less damage to surrounding parts of the system.

Conversely it may cause the very thing they're trying to avoid. I thought this should have been done a long time ago, in fact was shocked to hear it's not a built in redundant safety feature. I'd not want to be the one drilling holes in it now however with it filled with hydrogen already, may end up being the first meltdown related casualties (as in deaths) in this calamity....

Edited March 14, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

Well, I for one wouldn't volunteer to drill a hole in that particular wall, with a potential mixture of hydrogen and oxygen on the other side of it, and on top of a poorly cooled reactor vessel with fuel rods exposed....

In the words of Harry Enfield; "now I don't believe you wanted to be doing that....."

Yes, my sentiments exactly...

[jfchandler]

Kyodo News:

Radiation twice the maximum seen so far detected at nuke plant Monday: TEPCO

Fuel rods fully exposed again as of 11 p.m.

00:42 15 March 2011 JST

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[Lopburi99]

Kyodo News:

Radiation twice the maximum seen so far detected at nuke plant Monday: TEPCO

Fuel rods fully exposed again as of 11 p.m.

00:42 15 March 2011 JST

Isn't this a big problem? Fully exposed rods? I keep watching for a post from you guys.....

Isn't 11pm very recent? The posting times confuse me.

Edited March 14, 2011 by Lopburi99

[Jdietz]

Japan is two hours ahead of Thai local time.

[jfchandler]

Kyodo News is reporting that damage from Monday's explosion at Daiichi Reactor No. 3 may have directly led to tonight's problems with Reactor No. 2.

The seawater injection operation started at 4:34 p.m., but water levels in the No. 2 reactor have since fallen sharply with only one out of five fire pumps working. The other four were feared to have been damaged by a blast that occurred in the morning at the nearby No. 3 reactor.

The utility firm said a hydrogen explosion at the nearby No. 3 reactor that occurred Monday morning may have caused a glitch in the cooling system of the No. 2 reactor.

AND

With only one fire pump working, TEPCO is placing priority on injecting water into the No. 2 reactor, although both the No. 1 and No. 3 reactors still need coolant water injections, according to the agency.

AND

An update on the day's injuries from the Reactor No. 3 explosion

TEPCO said seven workers at the site and four members of the Self-Defense Forces were injured. Of the 11, two were found to have been exposed to radiation and are receiving treatment.

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

Yes, all this is very recent. The times below are Japanese time...

So 11 pm Japan time meant 9 pm Thai time..

I'll try to be more clear on that, but unless otherwise noted, assume the times in these reports are Japan time.

Kyodo News:

Radiation twice the maximum seen so far detected at nuke plant Monday: TEPCO

Fuel rods fully exposed again as of 11 p.m.

00:42 15 March 2011 JST

Isn't this a big problem? Fully exposed rods? I keep watching for a post from you guys.....

Isn't 11pm very recent? The posting times confuse me.

[jfchandler]

French nuclear agency rates Japan accident 5 or 6

Reuters - 03/14/2011

PARIS - France's ASN nuclear safety authority said on Monday the nuclear accident in Japan could be classed as level 5 or 6 on the international scale of 1 to 7, on a par with the 1979 US Three Mile Island meltdown.

The estimate of the severity of the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima Daiichi plant, based on the ASN's assessment of data provided by Japan, is above the rating of four given by Japan's nuclear safety agency.

"Level four is a serious level," ASN President Andre-Claude Lacoste told a news conference, but added: "We feel that we are at least at level five or even at level 6."

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

Japan has asked IAEA for expert help: UN watchdog

Agence France-Presse -- March 14

Japan has officially asked the UN atomic watchdog to send a team of experts to help in the current nuclear crisis, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said Monday.

"Today, the government of Japan asked the agency to provide expert missions. We are in discussions with Japan on the details," Amano told IAEA member states in a closed-door technical briefing at the watchdog's Vienna headquarters.

Immediately after the devastating earthquake hit Japan on Friday, damaging the Fukushima nuclear plant located 250 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, the IAEA made a formal offer of assistance to the government.

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

ABC News reporting Reactor No. 3 has a "leak"

Japan's Nuclear Emergency: Third Fukushima Reactor Failing

After Two Explosions at Plant, Third Reactor's Fuel Rods Exposed

ABC News

By DAVID MUIR and JESSICA HOPPER

March 14, 2011

A series of nuclear reactors continue to deteriorate in the wake of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, raising worries of a nuclear meltdown.

After two hydrogen explosions in three days at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, a third reactor has lost its ability to cool. Officials are increasingly concerned about unit 2 at the plant.

"They continue to work hard to raise the water level to cover the fuel. Let's pray again," Tatsujiro Suzuki, vice chairman of Japan's Atomic

Energy Commission, posted on Facebook today.

The fuel rods on unit 2 have been fully exposed for the second time today, a dangerous development in the effort to stop the reactor from

melting down.

The exposure of the fuel rods means that the temperature in the reactor is likely to rise, which will allow it to make steam. The steam could

lead to the creation of hydrogen and cause another explosion, experts said.

Knowing how long the fuel rods have been exposed is key to understanding if there is a real chance of a meltdown, said Dr. Peter Hosemann, a nuclear energy expert and professor at the University of California at

Berkeley.

"Having too much of the fuel rods exposed for too long of a time can lead to the core melt. Again, if a core melt happens, the reactor

pressure vessel and the containment are designed to contain it," Hosemann said.

Japanese officials acknowledged that the fuel rods appear to be melting inside all three of the reactors at the Fukashima plant.

"Although we cannot directly check it, it's highly likely happening," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told the Associated Press.

Officials first became concerned about unit 2 at the plant after pressure began rising in the reactor. They began pouring sea water onto

the reactor Monday morning.

Workers had to stop pouring the sea water when they discovered that the reactor was also losing fuel, meaning that the fuel rods were exposed,

NHK News reported.

Workers had returned to pumping sea water when the fuel rods were exposed for a second time.

While unit 1, the first reactor to explode at the plant, appears to be stable, unit 3, which exploded early Monday morning in Japan, reportedly has a leak in its bottom.

"We've never encountered this type of situation in history before," said Joe Cirincione, a nuclear policy expert. "We are beyond a reactor

crisis at this point. This is a nuclear system crisis. The entire northern part of the Japanese nuclear power system has been delivered a

body blow."

The leak at unit 3 is making it difficult to keep the core of the reactor covered with sea water, Dr. Michio Kaku, a physicist, said.

"The situation is getting worse by the hour. We haven't hit bottom yet... We now have reports that unit 3 suffered perhaps a 90 percent

uncovering of the core -- this is unprecedented since Chernobyl," Kaku said.

Japanese officials insist that things are under control at the nuclear plant and that radiation levels are safe.

"They haven't stabilized the sea water yet. Remember, they're hanging in there right there with the fingernails. This is how close we are to a full-scale meltdown. So it's stable in the sense that you're stable when you're hanging by your fingernails," Kaku said.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.co...13131123&page=2

Edited March 14, 2011 by jfchandler

[bulmercke]

Japanese Officials: Nuclear Fuel Rods Melting in 3 Reactors

Outlook grim following two explosions

By Katy O'Donnell

Monday - March 14 2011 12:18 p.m. NATIONALJOURNAL.COM

Japanese officials confirmed Monday that nuclear fuel rods appear to be melting inside three reactors compromised by Friday’s earthquake, though nuclear experts differ on whether the outer chamber of a reactor melting in fact constitutes a partial “meltdown.”

http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/japanese-officials-nuclear-fuel-rods-melting-in-3-reactors-20110314

[jfchandler]

Satellite image shows clear aerial view of damage to Daiichi Reactors 1 and 3.

Institute for Science and International Security

http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/satellite-image-shows-damage-to-reactor-buildings-at-fukushima-daiichi-comp/

[Crushdepth]

A leak in which bit exactly. A fiddly detail of no consequence I'm sure.