Nuclear rods melting inside three Fukushima reactors, Japan admits

[Thunderstruck]

x-post from LBN:


Source: The Journal (IRE)

JAPAN’S NUCLEAR AUTHORITIES say they believe that three reactors at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant are now melting.

The country’s chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, said that although staff at the nuclear facility – where two containment buildings have been destroyed by hydrogen explosions – were unable to check for certain, it was “highly likely” that the nuclear cores at reactors, 1 2 and 3 at Fukushima I nuclear station had begun to melt.

Reuters had earlier reported that the cooling mixture of seawater and boron in the number 2 reactor had totally evaporated, with the reactor’s nuclear rods therefore totally exposed for a significant period of time.

The plant operator TEPCO had earlier said it couldn’t rule out the possibility of a nuclear meltdown in the reactor – and had admitted that a partial meltdown could already be underway.

http://www.thejournal.ie/nuclear-rods-melting-inside-three-fukushima-reactors-japan-admits-2011-03/

[flamingdem]

1. I'm listening to the Tepco conference

I think it may be a repeat from earlier

notes:
the dry well pressure has not gone down.

water injection operation will continue

water level difficult to stablize

the pressure inside makes water pumping difficult
that's why they opened the valve

expolsive sound heard around suppression chamber
possible that some damage occurred
radiation went up suddenly
so they decided to evacuate all non-essential personel

the evacuation of the officers not engaged with the
water operation will be evacuated