Temperature Rise To Over 200% Normal Levels At Reactor 4 Fuels Fear Of Spent Fuel Rod Meltdown
The Intel Hub
By Alexander Higgins – Contributing Writer
April 13th, 2011
A temperature rise in Fukushima Japan Nuclear Reactor #4 to over 200% normal levels and the new discovery of elements produced only during nuclear fission in the fuel ponds fuel fears that the spent fuel rods may be melting down.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says the water temperature in the spent fuel storage pool at the No. 4 reactor in the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has risen to about 50 degrees Celsius, over 200% higher than normal levels.
TEPCO fears the spent fuel rods may be damaged. Tepco also said it has found elements in the nuclear 4 spent fuel storage pool that are only caused during nuclear fission. This provides evidence that there is a meltdown underway in the number 4 reactor.
As previously noted there is no containment in the #4 reactor and top officials have raised concerns that any radioactivity leaking from reactor #4 is being released directly into the environment.
True Horrors Of Japan Nuclear Disaster Revealed In Confidential Leaked Government Document
A leaked confidential NRC document on the Japan nuclear disaster reveals the situation in Fukushima is worse than anyone expected.
Top scientists in the United States and Japan have discovered a “wide array” of “complex problems” warning that the japan nuclear disaster could continue on indefinitely and things could get much, much worse any minute.
[...]
Major Problems Found:
- The spent fuel rods pose an even greater potential for damage then the reactors themselves.
- Spent fuel rods are being exposed directly to the environment as opposed to the reactors themselves which are still in their containment vessels.
- The hydrogen explosion at reactor for is believed to released lots of radioactive material into the environment in what is termed as “a major term release”.
Temperatures rise at No.4 spent fuel storage pool
Follow @IntelHubThe Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says the water temperature in the spent fuel storage pool at the No. 4 reactor in the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has risen to about 90 degrees Celsius. It fears the spent fuel rods may be damaged.
TEPCO took the temperature on Tuesday using an extending arm on a special vehicle. It found the temperature was much higher than the normal level of under 40 degrees.
To cool the fuel, TEPCO sprayed 195 tons of water for 6 hours on Wednesday morning.
The company thinks the pool’s water level was about 5 meters lower than normal, but 2 meters above the fuel rods.
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TEPCO says high levels of radiation at 84 millisieverts per hour were detected above the water surface, where radiation is rarely detected.
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TEPCO has sprayed more than 1,800 tons of water on the No. 4 reactor using fire engines and special vehicles since the March 11th crisis. The company feared that fuel rods could cause evaporation of water and put workers at risk of exposure.
University of Tokyo Professor Koji Okamoto says the temperature of 90 degrees indicates that cooling is continuing, although some of the water in the pool may be boiling.
Okamoto says high radiation indicates the possibility of radiation leaks from damaged fuel, and called for the evaluation of water sampling to determine how the situation should be tackled.
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Source: NHK
You do a good job, very honnest. Many thanks.
It is not sensible to say temperatures are “200% over normal levels”. The claimed temperature of 50 Celsius is to be compared to the target temperature of 25 Celsius. That is not “twice normal” on the absolute temperature scale (degrees Kelvin). You have forgotten that 0 degrees Celsius is 273 degrees K, so the increase is from 302 to 327 K, 10% above normal.
Also, if the fuel rods are submerged in water, they cannot be melting presently. It is likely that the melting occurred March 15-19, when they were exposed to air.