Japan hit by powerful earthquake

[Cream Soda]

Dats mah niggy

[Binkie]

He really wants to meet me.

I live in that area code. /endpointlesspost

[Yugl]

Now the whales are conducting scientific research on Japan. "It seems Japanese cannot handle large amounts of water that whales do".

[jmc]

He really wants to meet me.

4chan, go?

[Kryssan]

Alright, here's what I can piece together from my knowledge of these plants and the reports from TEPCO, IAEA, and WNN. Until we get more definitive information this is just my conglomeration of facts from IAEA/TEPCO/WNN glued together with my own personal knowledge from 10 yrs of this. I tend to look at anything from the press in a highly skeptical light.

Two reactor plants, Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini, were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. All reactors currently operating at both sites engaged in automatic shutdowns safely without issue.

At the time of the automatic shutdowns, engineered safeguard systems were operating normally. The ESF systems a Daini continued operating normally throughout the ordeal with one notable exception - at approximately 0532 local time condensate systems (being used for decay heat removal - DHR) failed at Unit 1 (not to be confused with Daiichi Unit 1) due to loss of net positive suction head when temperatures exceeded 100C in the suppression chambers. Still, the remaining safeguard systems at Daini prevented water levels from falling and with reliable power from offsite cooling was maintained and thus the only action being sought after by TEPCO for Daini is pressure relief. No more information has been presented about Daini.

The ESF systems at Daiichi however did not meet with the same scenario. At approximately one hour after the initial shutdown, the emergency diesel generators which supply power for the ESF systems at Daiichi failed. IAEA has attributed the cause of this failure to tsunami damage. Without the diesels Daiichi was left without a reliable power source to run their ESF systems. This is not necessarily an issue at the time, as long as power could be obtained within short notice.

Reliable power was not obtained. This left the Daiichi units with Losses to Ambient as their only method of DHR - in a BWR reactor, that basically means the water boils off and releases the heat energy and you add more water to supplement the losses of evaporation. Water levels in Units 1, 2, 3 at Daiichi continued to lower because they had no reliable power source to inject water. As more of the water boiled off in the cores pressures began to reach critical levels. Reference pressures for those units is around 400 kPa, but we know the #1 Unit at Daiichi hit 840 kPa at one point.

TEPCO proceeded to inform the government and received permission to bleed off the pressure. The steam bled off from the units would be slightly radioactive but they have capillary systems in place to filter out almost all of the contaminants. Those systems appear to be functioning normally. Water level stabilized at a lower level in Unit 2, Unit 3 was restored, however level in Unit 1 continued to go down. Higher than normal radiation readings were noted at the cooling towers and discharge channels. This means it is likely fuel plate blistering and rupture (ie a fuel element failure) occurred. There are unconfirmed reports of Cesium isotopes being localized around Unit 1, which is indicative of a FEF. That is not the same as a meltdown, but it does release fission products into the coolant.

At approximately 6pm a violent explosion rocked Unit 1. I have yet to see any information from IAEA about hydrogen, however what has been noted is that the explosion was accompanied by a visible pressure release and a cloud of vapor dust. That pressure release could either be a cause or a symptom at this point, we don't know and right now all we have is a bunch of speculation. We do know Unit 1 had the highest pressures and something failed in the secondary containment during attempts to restore coolant to Unit 1. Primary containment remained intact.

After the explosion TEPCO authorized and commenced use of seawater to replenish the lost coolant in Unit 1. No data I've seen exists on the status of plant systems as to why it became necessary to initiate seawater fill, but I think we can assume that the explosion in the secondary containment structure more than likely interrupted either the power supply or flowpath of makeup water or both. While seawater is not the preferred water source by any means due to Chloride concentration (chlorides are horribly corrosive), it is always an option.

The use of Boric acid is also not a 'Hail Mary' pass as I've seen it referred to. Borated whatever (there are many forms, boric acid being one) ensures that the nuclear fission process stops and is part of the procedure when it comes time for reactor fill. That is not a 'what if' or 'maybe' - you flood it with Boron, fission is no longer an issue. Granted, the reactor shutdown a long time ago so many are probably wondering why they need boron at all - at this conjuncture with the information we have I'd say they're probably worried about a cold water and/or recriticality casualty because that seawater will not have the luxury of being warmed up prior to injection and the extent of the damage to Unit 1 is unclear.

As for radio-iodine being issued, this is standard procedure in an event of this nature. Every nuclear power plant in the US will do this in the event of a FEF regardless of the amount actually released to the environment. This is a 'it's better to be safe than sorry' line. The nature of radioactive iodine (another fission product) requires that these tablets are taken early, preferably just prior to exposure as that is when they are most effective. The pills saturate your thyroids with nonradioactive isotopes so the radioactive ones can't saturate them. It should be noted this can have uncomfortable side affects but in the event radioiodine has been released to the environment you'll prefer the side effects of taking the pills over what would happen if you didn't and were exposed. While levels are rising at the plant no data exists as to how much has actually been released to the environment and we'll probably be waiting a few weeks to know hard numbers.

The highest confirmed dose we know of so far still remains at 106 mSv. We know the injured man in the crane is a confirmed fatality now, but so far is the only one. Four injured in the explosion, a contractor found injured, two other workers injured, and two workers missing.

[Cantih]

Thanks Kryssan, it's nice to have it all clearly put like that.

[Aevis]

"according to asahi.com, the pressure inside the reactor at 1:30am (jp time) was measured 375kp, regular pressure is 400kp. this would proof that now meltdown has happend (yet)."

got this from another board but my jp isn't good enough to verify on asahi.com nor do i know enough about nuclear plants to have a clue about the correlation between reactor pressure and meltdown.

found it: http://www.asahi.com/national/update...103120632.html

[Heavencloud]

Spoiler: show

http://conservativedailynews.com/wp-...FalloutMap.jpg

Prolly already posted so spoilering, but is this a realistic possibility if the plant actually melts down?

[Boyiee]

lol

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapc...pt=T1&iref=BN1

Official: 'We see the possibility of a meltdown'
By the CNN Wire Staff
March 12, 2011 6:26 p.m. EST

A meltdown may be under way at one of Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear power reactors in northern Japan.

Tokyo (CNN) -- A meltdown may be under way at one of Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear power reactors in northern Japan, an official with Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency told CNN Sunday.

"There is a possibility, we see the possibility of a meltdown," said Toshihiro Bannai, director of the agency's international affairs office, in a telephone interview from the agency's headquarters in Tokyo. "At this point, we have still not confirmed that there is an actual meltdown, but there is a possibility."

Though he said engineers have been unable to get close enough to the core to know what's going on, he based his conclusion on the fact that they measured radioactive cesium and radioactive iodine in the air Saturday night.

"What we have seen is only the slight indication from a monitoring post of cesium and iodine," he said. Since then, he said, plant officials have injected sea water and boron into the plant in an effort to cool its nuclear fuel.

We have some confidence, to some extent, to make the situation to be stable status," he said. "We actually have very good confidence that we will resolve this."

A state of emergency has been declared for it and two of the other five reactors at the same complex, he said. Three are in a safe, shut-down state, he said. "The other two still have some cooling systems, but not enough capacity."

I love the news.

[Overburn]

Spoiler: show

http://conservativedailynews.com/wp-...FalloutMap.jpg

Prolly already posted so spoilering, but is this a realistic possibility if the plant actually melts down?

Every resource I've seen about this ultimately just links back to a random imageshack link. Not to mention this would mean everyone in the US would die unless they're at the extreme east coast.

Edit: Actually googled the company in the corner, it's a real company but there's no sign that they released any map. Other places verifying a hoax.

[Blubbartron]

All I got from that article was "meltdown meltdown meltdown meltdown." I also have the same question as to the legitimacy of the fallout picture posted above. Dosing a huge chunk of the western US would suck.

[Shenrien]

that seems a bit overly dramatic, plus wouldn't it spread everywhere not just shoot off into the east?

[Overburn]

that seems a bit overly dramatic, plus wouldn't it spread everywhere not just shoot off into the east?

I think it's supposed mimics a wind pattern (if it's a radioactive gas), that's why it follows that shape.

[aduidarnenye]

http://openbook.org/index.php?q=pearl+harbor&gender=any

I'd recommend sending them messages, they will literally freak the fuck out.

A bit late in the thread, but I found a woman with her Facebook open and people yelling at her
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...795914&sk=wall

[Dylon]

A bit late in the thread, but I found a woman with her Facebook open and people yelling at her
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...795914&sk=wall

one of the replies to this, lmfao

Let's all just calm down and step away from our computers for a minute. Racists gonna race and there's nothing we can do.

[Chun Liroy]

Pam Dochniak I don't know what meth is but you must!

What the fuck. /anhero.

[Kurokikaze]

lmfao we need that on a picture now! Racists gonna race.

[Apelila]

it would follow the jetstream I'd imagine, so the west coast would get the worst but practically the whole US would get in on the 'fun'.

[Max™]

Now the whales are conducting scientific research on Japan. "It seems Japanese cannot handle large amounts of water that whales do".

Win+1

[Eleven19]

... lol Bill Nye the Science Guy is on CNN now.

And they just interrupted him!

Edit: Jesus I don't think Kyung Lah has slept in nearly three days now. That woman is a machine.