Deferring to my cousin’s intimate knowledge of nuclear reactors… the high points…
The electrical problems apparently were due to flooding of the room where all the electrical circuits were, which means they’ve had little if any control over anything since the beginning. [looking for confirmation of that]
The rods are now confirmed to be uncovered for at least 2 hours. We’re very probably now at the point that the Uranium is melted/melting and is pooling at the bottom of the reactor, along with the plutonium in reactor 3 (and the generated plutonium) – getting hotter and hotter. The probability is growing that the pile of uranium + plutonium (which generates spontaneous neutrons) WILL go critical at which point the neutron flux grows exponentially. If that happens, the reactor probably explodes (either that or the thing melts) and highly radioactive material spreads for miles around. It becomes a Chernobyl (only slightly less because there isn’t graphite fires spreading the radiation upwards). Once the fuel is dispersed over a few miles, the neutron chain reaction stops because the fuel is dispersed.
Making things even more ugly – when / if that happens, there are 2 other out of control reactors sitting right next to it that cannot be attended to any longer. They’ll do whatetever they are going to do from that point on, which is likely to join their twin in nuclear reactor heaven.
Moody’s is making noises about downgrading the credit ratings of Japan.
Yes Cooper Anderson – you should not have even gone there in the first place.
Anderson Cooper is a tool. He really has no talent other than reading a teleprompter. I’d pay to see some Japanese punch him in the face like the reception he received in Egypt. He got the job because his mom is famous.
Japan is in a bad way right now, and we don’t need self-serving media fools fanning the fire. If Japan loses all these reactors, their society will set back decades due to reduced electrical capability. The Japanese people are very resilient, and they need our help and prayers at this time.
Another detail is emerging – the reason that reactor two went from we think it is okay to “it’s melting too” is the seawater pump (a firetruck) ran out of fuel. That happened because the explosion at #3 injured the people manning the pump on #2
The NRC now has 2 experts in Japan, so things will surely improve from here.
A little information:
The fuel doesn’t melt. The cladding that holds the fuel pellets in place does. The reactor will not go critical as a whole as there is the requirement for thermal neutrons – not just any neutrons. The control rods are approximately in place and although warped out of shape, still function. Once the odered matrix of the core is reduced, the remaining problem is heat. If they can solve the heat issue, the next steps can be taken.