Japan

[supercub]

Anyone else getting more than a little worried about this?

Spent the morning looking thru some history on japan's nuclear programs.. To say they cant be trusted with what they say is an understatement.  They've had various problems in the past. Resulting in sackings and people quiting their jobs. Usually due to their public face. And the fact they let the public know absolutely sod all.


Also watching some of Russia today's news,  More than a few nuclear experts are saying, That it isnt at 5% breakdown.  Its more like 70% And on the verge of a meltdown...
They've allready said the reactor containers are breaking down,  Which is exactly what happened at chernobyl before the fire broke out.

At the russian plant only 1 reactor melted down iirc.    In japan its hard to tell from the accounts,  But it seems it may be all of the fukushima reactors that are going down!


A quick wiki of chernobyl shows it took more than just choppers full of water to cool it down and put the fires out.  It took 5,000 metric tons of sand, lead, clay, and boron

The fact that the fallout from that could be measured accross europe. And the radiation set of warning in a nuclear plant in sweden gets me worried.
We're talking huge scale nuclear issue here ,    Kinda get the feeling this is being downplayed alot!

[melinx]

I've noted that the helicopters dumping water on the reactors and rod storage areas seem to be doing so from a hell of a height considering that there is only "minimal radiation leakage"

I think that I'll check the batteries in my Geiger counter it was a piece of gear which gave very useful reassurance at the time of Chernobyl 

[Catho]

Note to self: Don't eat any Sushi or drink Sake........for the next 10 million years!!

[melinx]

We have been led to believe that modern reactors are safe because the damper rods drop in automatically at the slightest sign of a problem.

I always assumed that this meant the nuclear reaction was stopped; it's pretty obvious now that is not so.

The situation can be likened to switching off the ignition and finding that the engine now runs at 3000 rpm instead of 5000 and if somebody gives the car a good kick its likely to drop back into gear.

I have believed for many decades that the only safe place for a nuclear reactor is at least 1000 feet underground and this latest situation confirms my belief

[colonelk]

Its a 30/40yr old reactor of a design type that needs active cooling even when 'off'

Most 'new' reactors only need passive cooling when 'off' so are a lot safer.

That design of reactor should never have been approved for that location really.

At this stage all speculation is exactly that. TBH if I'd booked my Japan holiday for May Id still of gone. Good job I didnt have the cash to book time at Ebisu circuit though as thats fooked as well.

The whole disaster is mind boggling out there The footage of the Tsunami is mad.

[kevinfourlegs]

I did hear that the Japanese Olympic surfing team have already in Dover.

[melinx]

Its a 30/40yr old reactor of a design type that needs active cooling even when 'off'

Most 'new' reactors only need passive cooling when 'off' so are a lot safer.

So what happens if by some "unforeseen circumstance" they loose whatever is providing that passive cooling ?

A friend of mine was head of reactor pressure vessel design at Harwell and after he had retired he went ape when he found that they were running a high pressure steam loop through the low pressure reactor vessel there.

I believe that after strong words with the Minister responsible at the time, the Harwell research reactor was shut down !

He commented to me that some form of nuclear energy is essential for the long term future of the human race but it must be kept out of the hands of idiots.

I have led a fairly long life in numerous industries and have come to realise that 98% of the human race are technological idiots and the remaining 2% will do something incredibly stupid at some point

[nightmare]

I have led a fairly long life in numerous industries and have come to realise that 98% of the human race are technological idiots and the remaining 2% will do something incredibly stupid at some point
[/quote]

Everyone's mad cept thee & me and I'm none to sure about thee

[melinx]

Everyone's mad cept thee & me and I'm none to sure about thee

I assure you that I keep the matter under continuous review and don't except myself from the criticism

[melinx]

I have led a fairly long life in numerous industries and have come to realise that 98% of the human race are technological idiots and the remaining 2% will do something incredibly stupid at some point

Anyone see the programme "Building the Worlds Biggest Bomb" on channel 5 last night ?

It appears that the nuclear 'scientific experts' had no idea that the Lithium 7 isotope which predominated in the first Hydrogen bomb would enhance the reaction enormously

Instead of a 5 Megaton (maximum) they got a 15 Megaton explosion and none of them was at a safe distance; it was said that one of them was crawling on the ground in terror !

Q.E.D ??

[diplomat2.6]

I've been thinking about that all day - particularly disgusting was the fact that people's homes were destroyed and to top it all, they got radiation burns in the place they'd been evacuated too. Horrendous!