Fukushima Corium Eroding Concrete China Syndrome
Some already know we have a China Syndrome on our hands, but actually we got 6 reactor units in trouble so in reality the Fukushima Disaster have brought us China Syndrome x6 with 3 reactor units that have confirmed meltdowns. Before going into the story we need to look at the facts. Because when dealing with TEPCO they never give out anything that could hurt them. This is based on the countless of reports and analysis that have been done over the months since the beginning of the disaster. They have always downplayed and sugarcoated the disaster. We all remember the "hydrogen explosions" in the beginning and that "nothing was wrong with the reactors stories" that came out then.
With that said the analysis that was made a few days ago where they discuss the possibility that the molten nuclear fuel (Corium) have melted it's way through the pressure vessel (in all reactors) and is now sitting on the bottom of the containment eroding the concrete.
Not actual picture, because no human would be able to approach an
68 Ton Blob of 3000 C hot Corium and live to tell the story.
Now they have come out with that there is likely 68 Tons of the nuclear fuel that is eroding the concrete in reactor unit number 1. But hang on how much nuclear fuel was actually stored at reactor unit 1?
It is estimated that all reactor units contain less than 100 Tons of nuclear fuel and reactor unit 1 had another 50 Tons of Spent Nuclear Fuel stored in the building. So what does this mean?
Well the analysis said that in Unit 2 and Unit 3 it is estimated that 63% and 57% of the nuclear fuel have already melted out of the pressure vessel also resting on the concrete below eroding it's way down.
What this means is that all reactor units must have somewhere around 60 Tons of Nuclear Fuel that is eroding it's way down into the concrete. And if we have a look at the Spent Nuclear Fuel situation at the reactor buildings this figure is much larger.
The spent nuclear fuel:
Reactor Building 1:
50 tons
Reactor Building 2:
81 tons
Reactor Building 3:
88 tons Uranium / Plutonium (UO2/MOX)
Reactor Building 4: 135 tons
Reactor Building 5: 142 tons
Reactor Building 6: 151 tons
The total amount of molten nuclear fuel that have collected in the buildings into Corium blobs melting their way down into the earth is not really known, because in the explosions the nuclear fuel was thrown outside and scattered around the plant and if I'm not mistaken they have found Nuclear Fuel several miles away from the plant.
Much of this was cleaned up in the weeks and months after the accident by workers at the plant. What they did was make in into piles and burn it. Remember there was a lot of fires and steam / smoke going on at the plant at one time.
☢ Strange Fires at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Aug. 6 2011 ☢ UPDATE 3 ☢
All N-fuel may have fallen to outer vessel / TEPCO: Up to 68 tons likely melted in No. 1 reactor, eroding concrete of containment unit
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111201006092.htm
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Almost all the nuclear fuel inside the No. 1 reactor of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has melted, damaging the pressure vessel and eroding the concrete bottom of the containment vessel by up to 65 centimeters, the plant's operator has found.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. released its latest analysis Wednesday on the cores of the plant's Nos. 1 to 3 reactors, based on temperature, water levels and other data. TEPCO said the fuel inside the reactors has melted to various degrees following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
The No. 2 reactor's fuel is up to 57 percent melted, while that of the No. 3 reactor is up to 63 percent melted, TEPCO's analysis has shown.
TEPCO has made the latest analysis to judge to what degree the fuel has cooled, as well as to ascertain if it can achieve its year-end target of a cold shutdown of the reactors, as stipulated in the timetable the utility company and the government have compiled to bring the nuclear crisis under control.
Following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, water injection at the No. 1 reactor was suspended for about 14 hours, resulting in damage more serious than in the Nos. 2 and 3 reactors, which had water injection suspended for six to seven hours, according to TEPCO.
The nuclear fuel at the No. 1 reactor melted as its temperature reached nearly 3,000 C at one time, TEPCO estimated. In the No. 1 reactor, TEPCO believes, almost all of the about 68 tons of fuel melted. This has not only seriously damaged the bottom of the steel pressure vessel enough to create holes, but the fuel has also fallen to the concrete bottom of the containment vessel, eroding it by up to 65 centimeters.
Only 37 centimeters of concrete remains between the fuel and the vessel's outermost steel wall in the most damaged area, TEPCO said.
Without water, the No. 1 reactor's fuel temperature was more than high enough to have melted everything inside the pressure vessel, not only the fuel itself but also the fuel control rods, the utility said.
TEPCO currently maintains a steady supply of water to the three reactors, enabling the
No. 1 reactor to always have about 40 centimeters of cool water at the bottom of the containment vessel, enough to cover the melted fuel, according to the utility.
Both the government and the utility said the three reactors are experiencing no problems in maintaining cooling functions.
However, the melted fuel likely will be a major hurdle in removing fuel from the troubled reactors in the decommissioning process, which is expected to take more than 30 years.
(Dec. 2, 2011)
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