Earthquake in Japan....9.0...ouch!

OriginalJonty · 12 Mar 2011 at 11:56

Just looking at the destruction is shocking. Where do you begin?

BunnyKillBot · 12 Mar 2011 at 11:58

OriginalJonty said:
Just looking at the destruction is shocking. Where do you begin?

They are not anywhere near recovery yet

Still in first stage save lives

BunnyKillBot · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:03

The low down:

1) Tsunami higher than safe guards expected and breached the nuclear plant.
2) Coolant system failed
3) Build up of pressure, vapours were released
4) Build up of hydrogen in the space between the reactor container and concrete containment container.
5) Mixed with oxygen and exploded
6) Radiation level decreased

-----

7) Plan now is to use sea water to pack and safeguard the reactor

Honestly the associate press should be ashamed for causing panic and hysteria

fiveub · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:04

And there are more warnings of another tsunami on the way? Oh dear, things are not looking good there.

Arc · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:05

Strife212 said:
Didn't scramming the reactors actually cause this?

The reactors will auto trip (scram) on a seismic event. The loss of the electrical grid would also cause a trip, so in any case the units were going to go offline.

The real issue here is the failure of the backup diesel generator sets, if they had of continued to operate and the decay heat systems operated then the secondary containment would most likely of remained intact.

rypt · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:05

Came across this picture yesterday

The road looks in better condition post earthquake than most roads look in this country on a good day!

Why can we not build such nice roads

Cosimo · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:06

URGENT: Explosion did not occur at Fukushima reactor: Edano
TOKYO, March 12, Kyodo

Japanese authorities have confirmed there was no explosion at the troubled No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, top government spokesman Yukio Edano said.

The chief Cabinet secretary also told an urgent press conference that the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., has confirmed there is no damage to the steel container housing the reactor.

==Kyodo

Xein · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:08

5UB said:
And there are more warnings of another tsunami on the way? Oh dear, things are not looking good there.

I heard something about that on the BBC News

'Wes · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:09

Are some of you getting information from our own newspapers? Because it sounds like they're making things up going by Sim's post.

physichull · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:12

Arc said:
The reactors will auto trip (scram) on a seismic event. The loss of the electrical grid would also cause a trip, so in any case the units were going to go offline.

The real issue here is the failure of the backup diesel generator sets, if they had of continued to operate and the decay heat systems operated then the secondary containment would most likely of remained intact.

Exactly. To me, these secondary safety systems should be fully operational so tt is a bit worrying that there are faults with a back-up system.

Edrof · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:14

Atrox Moris said:
http://apina.biz/39128.jpg and apparently "pearl harbour" is trending on twitter to.

Kind of makes you lose faith in humanity. Collective idiocy is breath taking.

What a disgrace!

Atrox Moris · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:14

'Wes said:
Are some of you getting information from our own newspapers? Because it sounds like they're making things up going by Sim's post.

To be fair on the papers, anything going to print will have a deadline it can't miss to go to print to make the papers available for the morning dispatch. It'll be hours behind what we can get online.

Dolph · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:17

physichull said:
Exactly. To me, these secondary safety systems should be fully operational so tt is a bit worrying that there are faults with a back-up system.

The problem is, how far do you go to prepare for a less frequent than once in a lifetime event such as this quake/tsunami combination?

Cosimo · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:19

'Wes said:
Are some of you getting information from our own newspapers? Because it sounds like they're making things up going by Sim's post.

People are getting information from all over the place and some will be incorrect. I wouldn’t rely on most of the twitter feeds as quite a lot of it is third hand. I'm looking at Koyodo News which will be more accurate than most sources and prpbably feeding some of our networks.

• NEWS ADVISORY: Expanded evacuation from nuke plant precaution, no specific danger: Edano (20:54)
• NEWS ADVISORY: Kan considers sending more SDF officers to quake-hit areas (20:53)
• NEWS ADVISORY: Nuke plant blast not to lead to big radioactive substance leak: Edano (20:48)
• BREAKING NEWS: TEPCO confirms no damage to container holding reactor: Edano (20:46)
• NEWS ADVISORY: Kan calls on public to overcome 'unprecedented' disaster (20:45)
• BREAKING NEWS: Explosion did not occur at Fukushima reactor: Edano (20:44)

http://english.kyodonews.jp/

NHK is slow to update:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/index.html

LOAM · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:19

rypt said:
Came across this picture yesterday

The road looks in better condition post earthquake than most roads look in this country on a good day!

Why can we not build such nice roads

I found it odd (saw this yesterday) that it has opened like a zip down the paint line, but then realised its probably how they lay the roads, 1 side first then open it to traffic then lay the other lane.

physichull · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:23

Dolph said:
The problem is, how far do you go to prepare for a less frequent than once in a lifetime event such as this quake/tsunami combination?

Quite.

In the UK, we follow the ALARP principle, in that we make all the measures necessary to limit the risk to As Low As Reasonably Practicable. Of course this is just a judgment, but it is an educated judgement based on substantial safety and engineering research, in relation to cost.

willhub · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:24

Laying it like that would not make any different to how it splits in an earthquake..

LOAM · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:28

willhub said:
Laying it like that would not make any different to how it splits in an earthquake..

surely it would, it would be consolidated as two separate constructions with an expansion joint down the mid and wearing coat. There would therefore surely be a weak spot down the length of the the construction that under normal use wouldn't be an issue. The aggregate that is exposed isn't earth its road stone / hardcore. You can see its split down the length of its outer side where the barrier footing isnt as deep as well.
What else would cause it ?

PlacidCasual · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:29

The back up generators or the switchgear may have shorted out if the tsunami wave got onto the site. As has been said what level of precaution is it reasonable to plan for. A fossil fired station would just close down on battery power for the essential controls under worse case scenarios because the energy supply would go with all imaginabe forms of trip. The decay heat as discussed doesn't obey that rule for nukes, hence the need for the back up cooling.

Atrox Moris · 12 Mar 2011 at 12:29

Emergency declared at number 2 plant...