Saturday, March 12, 2011

The nuclear power plant situation after Japanese 8.9 earthquake and tsunami

Video of the explosion


About the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant
"In March 2011, in the immediate wake of the Sendai earthquake and tsunami, the Japanese government declared an “atomic power emergency” and evacuated thousands of residents living close to Fukushima I. Ryohei Shiomi of Japan's nuclear safety commission said that officials were concerned about the possibility of a meltdown."


Excellent New York Times animated infographic about The Crippled Japanese Nuclear Reactors


Japan news in English: http://english.kyodonews.jp/

By  Arun Devaraj,

Technical background to Nulcear reactor melt down possible at Japan today




How Shutdown and Core Cooling of the Japanese Reactors Likely Functions



arclight on Twitter http://twitter.com/arclight#

at World Nuclear News

Info on nuclear fuel

Monitor the flow of the jet stream here: http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display_alt.cgi?a=npac_250





Google translation of this article from Asahi.com: "In the afternoon, to all residents under the age of 0 to 40 years from the pharmacist began to drink the water dropper with potassium iodide dissolved in distilled water. Thyroid cancer and larynx associated with radiation exposure (Koutou) to prevent cancer, was explained. Queuing in the look of dozens of worried residents waited for their order."



Japan evacuates 50,000 after nuclear power plant explosion


"FLASH: Japan's nuclear safety agency says Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant No. 3 reactor's emergency cooling system not functioning"

"Japan's nuclear safety agency says Caesium radiation suggests fuel has melted in Fukushima Daiichi reactor No. 1"

"About 140,000 people have so far been evacuated from areas near two Japanese nuclear power plants after Friday's earthquake, the U.N. atomic watchdog said in a statement citing information from Japanese authorities."

A Conversation with My Dad, a Nuclear Engineer, about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster in Japan

Japanese Government Confirms Meltdown


Japan's TEPCO preparing to release radiation from second reactor


Another Japan nuclear reactor fails



The complete failure of more cooling systems has added an additional level of danger to what was already one of 
the worst nuclear accidents in Japan's history. 
The government has classed the accident as level four on an international scale of zero to seven.


At least 22 people are known to have been exposed 
to radiation and were being treated in hospital, but 
Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency said that 
as many as 160 people may have been exposed.


Tepco confirmed that the No. 3 reactor of the 
quake-hit Fukushima plant had lost its cooling 
functions. Yesterday a small amount of radiation leaked after similar problems hit the facility's No. 1 reactor.


Nineteen people were found to have been exposed 
to radioactivity on Sunday; three more were exposed 
when the roof of a building housing the No. 1 reactor 
exploded the previous day.


Tepco said the No. 1 reactor had partially melted – 
the first time this has happened in Japan – and was 
continuing effort to cool the reactor with seawater, a 
procedure a British nuclear expert described as "an act of desperation".


The company notified the government on Sunday 
morning that the No. 3 reactor had lost the ability to 
cool the reactor core, and that radiactive steam was 
being released. Kyodo News quoted Tepco as saying
that the up to three metres of MOX fuel rods were exposed above water at the Fukushima plant.


Shaun Burnie, an independent nuclear energy consultant 
and forner head of nuclear campaigns at Greenpeace, said 
the presence of a percentage of fuel core loaded with 
plutonium MOX fuel in the No. 3 reactor posed a 
grave threat to the surrounding area.


"Plutonium MOX fuel increases the risk of nuclear 
accident due the neutronic effects of plutonium on 
the reactor," Burnie told the Guardian. "In the event 
of an accident - in particular loss of coolant - the 
reactor core is more difficult to control due to 
both neutronics and higher risk of fuel cladding failure.


"In the event of the fuel melting and the release 
of plutonium fuel into the environment, the 
health hazards are greater, including higher levels 
of latent cancer."


March 13th
Workers scramble to cool reactors;officials say second blast 
is possible.

Factbox: Timeline of Japan's unfolding
nuclear crisis

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