Frylock86 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 The US offered help and initially the Japanese declined it. I haven't seen anything about it since that though. They've officially asked for international help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveAndFight Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 They've officially asked for international help. They need it, I know the Japanese claim if the reactor melted down it wouldn't cause a nuclear explosion but any type of explosion from a nuclear power plant isn't good :/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 The US, Russia, China, UK and others are sending mass quantities of rescue teams & dogs. The US (at the least) is sending in nuclear incident teams to help with the reactors. The US Pacific Fleet has directed the 7th fleet and re-directed the USS Reagan's carrier battle group to provide logistics, heavy lift and rescue choppers, intelligence photography, clean water (each ship can make massive amounts), supplies (USS Reagan's group is stopping to load more), hospital and whatever else they can do - which is a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 They need it, I know the Japanese claim if the reactor melted down it wouldn't cause a nuclear explosion but any type of explosion from a nuclear power plant isn't good :/. The explosion was caused by Hydrogen. It won't, a meltdown is just as it sounds. I know many think a meltdown = Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Yup - cooling breaks, reactor gets too hot, water leaks in, dissociates into hydrogen & oxygen then explosively recombines. Boom. An excellent case for reactor designs that don't use water cooling and are meltdown proof. There are several designs, and a few don't even burn uranium -,they burn thorium. Cheaper, more common, it produces far less long lived waste and it doesn't cause much of a proliferation issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveAndFight Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 The explosion was caused by Hydrogen. It won't, a meltdown is just as it sounds. I know many think a meltdown = I know but my biggest concern would be any type of radiation leak, my cousins wife is pregnant, his kid is already going to get his ugly hair his kid doesn't need 5 feet too :p. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibs Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 2023: Reuters: The IAEA says the operator of the plant has confirmed that the primary containment vessel is intact following this morning's blast. 2022: Reuters: The IAEA says it has been told by Japan that levels of radioactivity near the Fukushima No. 1 plant have fallen in recent hours. BBC News / Reuters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemaz Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Seems to be getting worse :( emergency cooling system for No. 3 has stopped working, 160 people may have been exposed to radiation and 9 people are showing symptoms of possible radiation exposure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibs Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 2145: Reuters: The number of people exposed to radiation near Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant could reach 160, an official from the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has said. Nine people have shown signs of possible exposure. 2141: IAEA Director General Yukia Amano: "The IAEA's emergency centre is working round the clock to monitor the situation and share information." 2130: AFP: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it has sent two experts to Japan to help assist local authorities. 2123: Reuters: The emergency cooling system is no longer functioning at the Fukushima No. 3 reactor, an official from Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has told journalists. BBC News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveAndFight Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 BBC News Something tells me Japan never declined our help, how much longer do they have to cool it down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudslag Posted March 13, 2011 Author Share Posted March 13, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LPGzzaSsbU&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3K1w7u04Zo&feature=player_embedded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Things continue to degrade... Problems at reactor 3 now, the coolant system has ceased functioning. And now this is display atop CNN.com : "We are assuming that a meltdown has occurred" at a nuclear power reactor, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary says. In that case... Well.... ****. EDIT: Bill Nye is on CNN telling us to "use caution" when referring to the Japanese press releases telling us "everything is under control".... :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beanboy89 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 This is just so surreal watching a nuclear meltdown unfold on live TV. It's sad that Japan now has to deal with this on top of the earthquake and tsunami damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Very sobering disaster. :| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherITguy Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 I am speechless at the thought of that right now at least one of those reactor cores may be melting inside, i hope to god that they can save it somehow, i am shocked, i really do hope we can all put our diffrences aside and help these folks out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemaz Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 The container that houses the reaction vessel should be meltdown proof, so if major meltdown does occur it should all the contained. The real fear is if another hydrogen explosion occurs and this damages the reaction vessel/containment vessel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Flash Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Man, that sucks. I hope the effects of the meltdown are as minimal as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primexx Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 i don't understand why the reactor is still running hot, shouldn't inserting the control rods have stopped the reaction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherITguy Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 The control rods fully inserted in will in theory stop the reaction, the key part is doing it with care, i just hope there are no actual meltdowns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neufuse Veteran Posted March 13, 2011 Veteran Share Posted March 13, 2011 i don't understand why the reactor is still running hot, shouldn't inserting the control rods have stopped the reaction? from what I understand, it stops the reaction, but it is still very hot and still making a hot of heat, and something about if it gets to hot the metal around the rods starts to change and hydrogen starts to form... someone with a nuclear background can probably explain it better, even though the reaction is controlled you still have to cool the core while the fuel rods are in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveAndFight Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 from what I understand, it stops the reaction, but it is still very hot and still making a hot of heat, and something about if it gets to hot the metal around the rods starts to change and hydrogen starts to form... someone with a nuclear background can probably explain it better, even though the reaction is controlled you still have to cool the core while the fuel rods are in there Did they get the control rods in yet? I haven't seen anything on the news saying the control rods are completely in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primexx Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 from what I understand, it stops the reaction, but it is still very hot and still making a hot of heat, and something about if it gets to hot the metal around the rods starts to change and hydrogen starts to form... someone with a nuclear background can probably explain it better, even though the reaction is controlled you still have to cool the core while the fuel rods are in there hmm... so presumably the other 3 reactors are either being cooled properly or have shut down long enough that it's no longer generating so much heat, i guess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 NOAA graphic of tsunami wave heights Beautiful, scary and too big to use [ img ] NOAA image.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scirwode Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 NOAA graphic of tsunami wave heights Beautiful, scary and too big to use [ img ] NOAA image.... :| Scirwode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frylock86 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 It's quite sad to see they'll have to write off two of those reactor units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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