Originally Posted By TomSawyer Quotes below from the article. <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20257-why-fukushima-daiichi-wont-be-another-chernobyl.html" target="_blank">http://www.newscientist.com/ar...byl.html</a> 'Ordinarily the reactor cores are surrounded by water. Heat from the nuclear reaction boils the water, creating steam that drives turbines which generate electricity. In doing so, the water also helps to cool the reactor. But crucially, the water is also a "moderator": it helps keep the uranium fission reaction going by slowing down neutrons produced by the reaction as they hurtle out of the fuel rods. Slow neutrons sustain the reaction, by liberating still more neutrons and heat from uranium atoms in the rods; fast-moving neutrons just pass straight through the other fuel rods without colliding with other uranium atoms. If the water heats up too much, however, bubbles form within it and these allow the neutrons to escape, slowing down the nuclear reaction. Effectively, if the coolant overheats, it starts shutting down the reaction without any human intervention. "It's a brilliant solution," Bluck says.' <snip> he biggest threat now seems to be the spent fuel ponds, where the water level has fallen and temperatures have risen. That could lead to the fuel rods breaking open, releasing their radioactive contents. Bluck is surprised that the ponds are proving so problematic, because unlike the reactor cores they contain no high-pressure steam making it hard to pump in cooling water. The ponds are a standard feature of nuclear facilities, and are typically designed to ensure that nuclear reactions cannot restart in the fuel rods: among other things, the rods should be widely spaced in the pond. However, the company operating Fukushima Daiichi has now said that, for the fuel pond at reactor 4, "the risk of recriticality is not zero", meaning a nuclear chain reaction could restart in the rods. Quite how this has come about is unclear. But adding boric acid to absorb the neutrons should stop the reaction before it starts.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper The problem with adding boric acid is...how do they do that? When they started talking about covering those pools with a soil and sand mix I was wondering how in the world they would do that since they can't even get close enough with water to hit them from a distance. I assume that means people sacrificing themselves by going in.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder It might not be another Chernobyl, but it is already a Fukushima, which has been bad enough.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb A shipment of 17 tons of boric acid left for Japan from Vendenberg AFB yesterday afternoon (some of Diablo Canyon's supply).
Originally Posted By mawnck They may be hoping that they can get the radiation levels low enough that people can do just that. I think right now they're just trying to keep things from getting any worse until they get those power lines up and running. Those folks on duty at that reactor site truly are heroes. Pray for them.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***It might not be another Chernobyl, but it is already a Fukushima, which has been bad enough*** You just said a mouthful! I am a scant 120 miles from the place (or so, not sure exactly), and I'd be the heck out of here already except that Mrs. X is unwilling to leave her friends and family behind. It is a "go down with the ship" moment, and I'm afraid I'm married to the captain at this point!
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Those folks on duty at that reactor site truly are heroes. Pray for them*** Yes! All of them! The Fukushima 50 (of course!), and the chopper pilots, and the firemen and other folks trying to cool down the reactors...all of them are heroes to say the least!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip The design of the Fukushima GE Mark 1 reactors was apparently a GE reactor designed on the cheap. These reactors are also used in 23 U.S. nuclear plants. Thanks GE! You bring good things to life! NOT. <<G.E. began making the Mark 1 boiling water reactors in the 1960s, marketing them as cheaper and easier to build — in part because they used a comparatively smaller and less expensive containment structure.>>
Originally Posted By Mr X I'm TRYING to convince her to take a trip to guam, or hawaii, or boston! (assuming the airport is still open for business when she makes up her mind)
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<---don't need to hear that right now!>> Mr X... the reports here, which tend to be more pessimistic than those in Japan, are that the nuclear crisis is stabilizing. Thank God... through the efforts of the Japanese nuclear workers it looks like you dodged a bullet on this one!
Originally Posted By DlandDug Certainly not another Chernobyl, we all hope. One is quite enough. If you have never seen this, here is a moving and disturbing look at Chernobyl: <a href="http://www.kiddofspeed.com/" target="_blank">http://www.kiddofspeed.com/</a>
Originally Posted By SuperDry And, if Little X or anyone else is worried about Fukushima, here's a short video that will put her mind at ease: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sakN2hSVxA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...kN2hSVxA</a>
Originally Posted By Labuda Doug - wow, what a powerful narrative that Kidd of Speed site is. Thank you. X, please stay safe, my friend. And keep that wonderful wife and beautiful little girl of yours as safe as possible, too. Please, please convince your beloved that taking care of little X is of the utmost importance, and that spending some time with your family in Boston is a good thing.
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