Published: April 23rd, 2012 at 6:19 pm ET
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Title: The Highest Risk: Problems of Radiation at Reaction Unit 4, Fukushima Daiichi
Source: The Asia- Pacific Journal, Vol 10, Issue 17, No. 4
Author: Shaun Burnie
Date: Apr. 23, 2012
[...] In the event of further severe damage to the spent fuel pool in Unit 4 what are TEPCO’s options?
Water spraying and the use of materials such as boron and sand would appear the most relevant. The risk is that, with water spraying on Fukushima Daiichi unit 4 following a loss of the cooling water and even collapse of the building, this could make the situation worse – if the spent fuel rods have gone beyond 900 degrees then the water will provide further oxidation helping to release more radionuclides into the atmosphere. The zircalloy fuel cladding around the thousands of fuel rods at Fukushima Daiichi ignites at 900 degrees and above – fuel melting as seen in the cores of units 1, 2 and 3 occurs at 2800 degrees.
Other important factors include the possibility that the pool collapses and the spent fuel rods are scattered on the ground with the result that the complexity of dealing with the problem is magnified. Emergency worker access to these rods may be impossible as they will be emitting lethal levels of gamma radiation. Remote access through the use of robots may not be feasible given the radiation levels. The rods will continue to release radiation until they are secured under water – but without access to the rods and the use of a crane this would not be possible – so a prolonged nuclear release over days and weeks would be potentially catastrophic for Japan. [...]
Shaun Burnie is a nuclear consultant to Friends of the Earth U.S. and Greenpeace Germany. For over two decades he has been a campaigner and coordinator and now consultant to Greenpeace. He has visited and worked in Japan over 20 years – including in support of citizens seeking to prevent TEPCO plans for MOX fuel loading at Fukushima in 1999-2001. He is Scottish, currently visiting the United States.
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Published: April 23rd, 2012 at 6:19 pm ET
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sending...
Where's the United Nations…..
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These formal letters take forever but I'm sure other countries need to verify all the into but really time is of the essence.
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The U.S. and other countries seem laid back about all this, as they were first time around.
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Bet other countries do NOT want citizens going around with dosimeters..since it shows up the leaks from all the nuclear reactors in country. THEIR countries. Think the USA private observers with dosimeters are finding spikes in CPM from more than jsut japan. Silent of the Lambs again…
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A disaster for more than just JAPAN!
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To keep the Fuel pool from falling apart you can use Liquid Foam that gets like a hard rock around and below ans on the sides of the reactor and then build a steel hull around that keeps the unit together and the thick hard foam keeps the unit from falling absorbing that shaking, build a test uiti and test it out first just to be sure the unit holds up
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not a bad suggestion. Though, the problem of temperatures would need to be considered. Most commercial-grade foaming agents are usually characterized for normal atmospheric temperatures. Then there's the issue of survivability; how well the foam would stand-up to the combination of increased temperature and radiation exposure. Finally, you'd have to consider how to section and extract the bundles when you're ready to remove them. Otherwise, you're moving into the domain of entombment; which is another can of worms…
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One might also consider the level of toxicity of the fumes when the foam burns. Though I guess at that point it won't matter much…
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his idea's not bad. It's actually brilliant. I just don't think there's any chemical composites that would do the trick. That's not to say there aren't such composites; just that I don't know of any off-hand. I used to do a lot of materials research and never came across anything that would work in such an application.
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There is a foam used on the space shuttle.
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porous ceramic tiles. They're not solid ceramic. They use a high-temperature glue behind them. The tiles are precision formed to mate against one-another and conform to the outer hull. They do have a foam that's used for emergency repairs but I don't know of its properties. This would be a good place to research if such a material existed…
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Or how about lead sheeting for the tent proposal, but that would be to expensive.
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And why not start removing spent fuel from the common SPF oops too expensive and they probably don't have a machine to dry cask.
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they do have dry cask. I don't really think cost is the issue. I suspect that they're still wringing their hands over the scale of the problem. Then there's the Yakuza factor. It could be that TEPCO is so riddled with these criminals, they're incapable of making the necessary financial commitments. Organized crime now dominates this entire planet and we're now seeing the results of this disease at every level of our lives…
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Interesting as I forgot about the mafia Yakuza. Great another complication sounds like one for the Swat Team.
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Thanks shock, good to see others are onto the 'mob' controlling all levels of Corp.guv
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weight to shielding ratios would preclude such material…
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Expense should never be part of this formula.
I don't care if every person on earth goes broke, nothing else matters!
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+~infinity!
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This is a Salome long term commitment of a lifetime if anyone ventures to take it on an there will be cost, human and more money for this then any man has endeavored !
That takes some thought and planning, that means taxes for us all and maybe even a draft of many peoples from many countries with no excuses !
: |
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solemn,
lol
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agreed about the cost and obligation. If we don't do this, we lose it all. We just have to be wary of being terrified into picking-up the costs, while the pigs who got us here get to sit back and squeal with delight at our stupidity. If we're to make sacrifices (which we should) then the pigs-on-high should as well. And from what I've seen of their grand plan to globalize and enslave the world, I'd rather see SFP4 collapse and watch these scumbags swallow radioactive dust with the rest of us…
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"pigs-on-high should as well."
Has that ever happened ?
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exactly. I so eff-ing sick of these scum and their endless machinations. Everyone's now aware that with a hundred-years under their belts, they haven't accomplished anything of significance to humanity while they were in control. Notice I use the past-tense…
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Well, the first excuse is, I won't go till every member of tepco, jap gov, USA gov, GE, yakuza, mafia have been consumed by the fires of fuku. (and their families).
Every shareholder follows next.
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What is everyone's thoughts. He's says after 900 degrees water is a propellent(paraphrase). I can't believe inthe hours it was dry and with the nearby explosions it didn't achieve 900. Almost says its done already.
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So the main risk is earthquakes, and there was one a few hours ago, just a 4.6… inland at Fukushima townsite.
A "big enough" 'quake will happen soon enough
- who would be before summer's end?
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There is one material that can work for heat sheilding…I am so surprised it is not being talked about…it can withstand nuclear temperatures but the Gov is messing with the inventor. It is absolutely not a fake…. it s called "starlite" it is a miracle…look it up and be amazed. OK…back to lurking status.
Karlos
Kauai Station 1,2 and 3 on radiationnetwork.com
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@Markww
Instead of liquid foam, why not surround it first by every member of tepco, jap gov, USA gov, GE, yakuza, mafia and their families, THEN, cover with a concrete surround. Would that work?
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I like this idea!
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