I am typing as I watch the 9:00pm news.
The SDF was planning a second effort to spray water on reactor #3 to cool down the pool this evening (there was one earlier today). The fuel rods in this reactor are in grave danger of melting. Getting the fuel rods immersed in water is essential to shield radiation emissions.
Now, there is a problem with the electricity being down at the plant, so the water spray effort is aborted for tonight. Electric power needs to be sent to all 6 reactors in the battle against radiation emissions and to facilitate the cooling of the reactors to proceed. The restoration of electricity is not the end. The switchboards are submerged in water as a result of the tsunami, so they will need to be repaired/replaced. All of this takes time. Workers can only be exposed to the current levels of radiation in the plants for about 20 minutes at a time. It will take 3 days to restore electricity on #1 and #2 reactors and then they will move on to #3 and #4. Then, it will take time for the electricity to run through the lines. Pumps need power to pump the power. This water generates heat, so more pumps must pump cool sea water to add to it. Till power resumes, spraying is the only way.
Reactor #4 has also had its troubles, though it is difficult to know what exactly is going wrong. It is possible that a hydrogen explosion occurred, resulting in the exposure of some of the rods. It is difficult to see what the white smoke coming out from it is.
Background info:
1. All 6 reactors have lost power and 4 of them have lost their emergency power systems.
2. The situation is rated as a level 5 accident on an international nuclear accident scale of 1-7.
More later - want to get this up now.
No comments:
Post a Comment