Nuclear Engineer Arnie Gundersen demonstrates How Fukushima's Fuel Rods Melted and Shattered

[bananas]

Run time: 04:27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRUnASqFEnw   Posted on YouTube: April 11, 2011 By YouTube Member: TheLeftSpace Views on YouTube: 35   Posted on DU: April 11, 2011 By DU Member: bananas Views on DU: 1242

 
Fairewinds' Chief Nuclear Engineer, Arnie Gundersen, conducts a field demonstration simulating the impact of Fukushima's intense heat upon Zircaloy (zirconium alloy) fuel rods. Gundersen's demonstration shows that intense heat weakens and embrittles Zircaloy changing it from a sturdy metal to a brittle oxide that is easily shattered. Images from the post accident Three Mile Island nuclear core show embrittled and broken Zircaloy fuel rods in the nuclear reactor.

[clayton72]

1. That's a cutting torch

Maybe I'm missing something here. They' got it hot and squirted some water on it, so what? Nothing significant happened there. Then the guy starts at the top with his finger on the trigger, blasting oxygen out that liquifies and blows droplets through the air. It wasn't an experiment, it was a dramatization from my POV.

[animato]

2. They are trying to replicate the level of heat I believe

and how else can they show that?

[yodermon]

3. you got it

not sure what you were expecting.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. The liquified metal wasn't the point.

The embrittled tube left behind was the point. It oxidized, and damaged the metal to the point he could snap chunks off with his bare hand.

A clumsy demonstration, but the point is valid/correct. Once impregnated with oxygen, and heated to those temperatures, the metal becomes weak and brittle, and fails.

[localroger]

7. Yes, and we know it happened because...

...that's where the hydrogen for the hydrogen explosions came from; since there's no air in the reactor, the zircalloy oxidizes by stealing the oxygen atom from a water molecule which leaves the hydrogens free to go on their merry way. To release enough hydrogen to cause an explosion in such large buildings, a great deal of zircalloy must have been oxidized. It also means gases from the innermost containment were vented directly to the interior of the building, which now means directly to the atmosphere.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Exactly. I'm guessing reactors 1 and 3 look a lot like the inside of TMI

right now.

Reactor 2... might be worse.

[Esra Star]

9. Nicely explained TYVM.nt

[FourScore]

4. I love Arnie Gundersen! k&r

[garybeck]

10. He is a true american hero and I hope he doesn't

get on any small airplanes anytime soon. not joking.

[greiner3]

6. Arnie's friend;

Looks as though he has stock in the nuclear industry.

[FourScore]

11. so what's your point? n/t

[Turbineguy]

12. Never use a blow torch

inside an operating nuclear reactor!