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The status of six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

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Tue, 2011-03-22 11:41 — Katie Rast

March 22, 2011 9:02 a.m. EDT

 Workers at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been scrambling to cool down fuel rods and prevent the release of additional radioactive material since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the area on March 11.

Here is a summary of the status of each of the plant's six reactors and surrounding buildings, according to the non-profit Japan Atomic Industrial Forum and Tokyo Electric Power Co.

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Thu, 2011-03-24 14:54 — AlMac99

I saw

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) via OCHA Relief Web[1] provides Japan Earthquake Update (19 March 2011, 4:30 UTC) with an update[2] on conditions at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.[3]

[2] 4.30 am UTC + 9 hours = 13.30 JST = 1.30 pm.

[3] Reproduction or redistribution of this text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source. (IAEA) Al Mac just copies, does not ask permission.

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I updated my notes.

INES = International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale runs from 0 (deviation) to 7 (major accident).[1]

  • 7 Major event
  • 6 Serious accident

·        5 Accident with wider consequences

o       (Fukushima Dai-ichi units 1 2 3 core damage due to lost cooling)[2]

  • 4 Accident with local consequences
    • (Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 1 initial value, since gone up to INES 5)[3]
    • (Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 4, unclear for which of many possible reasons)
  • 3 Serious incident
    • (Spent Fuel Pool of unit 4 of I am not sure which Fukushima plant),[4] (Fukushima Dai-ichi unit 4, since gone up to INES 4),[5]
    • (Fukushima Dai-ni units 1 2 4 unfinished)[6]
  • 2 incident
  • 1 anomaly
  • 0 below scale

[2] Problems with spent fuel ponds may also be a factor.

[3] Expected to go up.

[5] Spent fuel pool is definitely one of the reasons why.

[6] Incidents are continuing, so INES rating may change.

—

Alister Wm Macintyre

Thu, 2011-03-24 15:13 — AlMac99

While correlating this info a bit more, I found more disturbing correlation.

The info:

Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 3 spent fuel pool

Of additional concern at Unit 3 is the condition of the spent fuel pool in the building.[1] There are indications that there is an inadequate cooling water level in the pool, and Japanese authorities have addressed the problem by dropping water from helicopters into the building and spraying water from trucks. 

My correlation:

This tells us that the containment between outside of the building (where this water is coming from) and where the spent fuel pool located, has now been breached, so there will be continuing risk of radiation leakage from here, until a new containment can be built, like was done at Chernobyl (that containment’s life span has expired), or until the spent fuel can be moved somewhere whose containment is still secure, like USA trying to do with controversial Yucca mountain.


[1] I remember seeing multiple reports on unit 4 spent fuel, where never clear WHICH power plant that was about, but here we know it is Dai-ichi.

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Alister Wm Macintyre

howdy folks