Blog Archives
Radioactive release into sea estimated triple
A group of Japanese researchers say that a total of 15,000 terabecquerels of radioactive substances is estimated to have been released from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.
Researchers at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kyoto University and other institutes made the calculation of radioactivity released from late March through April.
Workers Enter Daiichi No2 Reactor
Reports in the Japanese media have indicated 4 workers have begun an inspection of the Reactor No2 building of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. To ensure the safety of the inspection team each member will be equipped with a tungsten vest to prevent external radiation exposure. They will also carry oxygen tanks on them. It is the first time workers have attempted to enter the reactor building since March 15 when there was an explosion in the reactors Suppression Chamber. 18.05.11
“Melted Core Outside the Containment Vessel”
Hiroaki Koide of Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute is quoted by Mainichi Shinbun as saying that the melted core of the Reactor 1 is not just out of the Reactor Pressure Vessel but out of the Containment Vessel.
From Mainichi Shinbun, Koide’s comments only (5/16/2011):
小出裕章・京都大原子炉実験所助教は「電源喪失で原子炉が冷やせなくなれば、早い時期に炉心溶融に至ることは想定できていたはずだ。燃料の損傷が限定的だとしてきた東電の説明は完全に誤っていたことになる。データの公表も遅すぎる」と指摘する。
Hiroaki Koide of Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute points out that “[TEPCO] could have foreseen the core melt at an early stage when the cooling of the reactor stopped due to the power failure. TEPCO’s assessment that the damage to the fuel was limited has turned out to be completely wrong. The disclosure of the data came too late.”
東電は今回の解析で「圧力容器の損傷は大規模ではない」と説明するが、小出助教は「圧力容器は完全に破損し、溶けた燃料が格納容器の底に穴を開け、原子炉建屋の地下に大量の汚染水が漏れ出す原因になっている」と推定する。
According to TEPCO, the data analysis shows that damage to the RPV is not extensive. However, Koide thinks “The RPV has been completely damaged, the melted core bore a hole at the bottom of the Containment Vessel, causing the large amount of contaminated water to leak into the ground beneath the reactor building.”
Fukushima No.1 rods “completely melted”
The operator of the Fukushima Nuclear plant, TEPCO, says it’s trying to determine whether the facility was actually damaged by the earthquake on March 11th, rather than the resulting tsunami.
TEPCO also says fuel rods in the facility’s number one reactor have completely melted down.
full report
Reactor No3 (Mox) Fuel May Have Melted And Seeped Into Primary Containment Vessel
Quick and dirty translation, subject to later revision.
Asahi Shinbun (3:01AM JST 5/17/2011):
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の２、３号機でも炉心溶融が起こり、原子炉圧力容器の底に燃料が崩れ落ちるメルトダウンが起きていたとみられること が、１６日に東電が公表したデータで裏付けられた。３号機では溶けた核燃料がさらに下の格納容器内に落ちた恐れもある。専門家は事故直後から指摘してお り、細野豪志首相補佐官も１６日の会見で２、３号機でのメルトダウンの可能性を示唆した。
The data disclosed by TEPCO on May 16 shows that core meltdown may have occurred in the Reactors 2 and 3 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. In the Reactor 3, the melted fuel may have dropped to the Containment Vessel. Nuclear experts have pointed to the possibility [of meltdown in the Reactors 2 and 3] and Prime Minister’s Assistant Goshi Hosono hinted at the possibility in the May 16 press conference.
東電が４月１７日に示した工程表は、６～９カ月で原子炉を安定した状態で停止させるとした。１号機に続き２、３号機でもメルトダウンの可能性が出てきた ことにより、工程表の大幅な見直しは必至だ。炉心を冷やすシステムづくりに時間がかかり、高濃度の放射能汚染水の処理も膨大になるからだ。
According to TEPCO’s “roadmap” on April 17, it was going to take between 6 to 9 months to shut down the reactors. The revision of the “roadmap” will be inevitable now that both Reactor 2 and Reactor 3 may have had a meltdown, as it will take more time to build a cooling system for the reactor core, and the massive amount of highly contaminated water will need to be processed.
No. 2, No. 3 Reactors May Have Also Suffered Core Melt
Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–Cooling water was not injected for some six hours into the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and their fuel rods may have melted, Goshi Hosono, special adviser to the prime minister, said Monday.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant’s operator, has already acknowledged that fuel melted at the No. 1 reactor and all the fuel piled up at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel.
Hosono said at a news conference that the cooling systems halted for six hours and 29 minutes at the No. 2 reactor and for six hours and 43 minutes at the No. 3 reactor.
These were shorter than the loss of coolant for 14 hours and nine minutes at the No. 1 reactor but are never a short period of time, he said.
Hosono indicated that the government is reviewing the company’s road map for containing the crisis at the plant crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami, based on the assumption that each of the reactors suffered a meltdown. The government will announce its road map Tuesday.
The People’s News Network 
You must be logged in to post a comment.