Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 969

@Ralph Unger I thought the torus rested on the concrete floor. Legs would make it twist and bow even more. I swear the Mark 1 was someone's failed 1st year drafting project...
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:27:26 AM

Those are within spec I think. If they drop to 100C, that is the time to worry, that means containment is lost.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:27:37 AM

The article Dean cited this morning from Physics forum mentioned they put some sort of shock absorbers on the base of the RPV at FUKU to prevent rocking in an earthquake. But nothing in the plant was built to a 9.0 earthquake. There is nothing bracing the RPV against the sides of the containment bulb. So it could easily rock back and forth.
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:29:52 AM

@Ralph Unger as far as I know you didn't design the Mark 1 either :-)
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:30:31 AM

I might have been on a lost weekend kinda thing when I did it.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:31:20 AM

@Ralph Unger written on bar napkins after a lost weekend in Baja. Sounds about right... :-)
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:31:56 AM

You remember! Good thing someones does. :-)
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:32:38 AM

@Ralph Unger I look at things like the SFP with no support underneath it and just wonder how on earth these things made it through to construction.
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:33:39 AM

Wow, This is added since I last read GE's post. From my earlier link. "Once rapid oxidation of zircaloy cladding, grids and channels occurs producing pure hydrogen, then the emergency condenser will no longer work."
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:34:55 AM

@Nancy, that sway could have easily broken off pipes going into the RPV.
by wtm 5/4/2011 3:37:32 AM

@wtm That was part of this theory that the swaying likely broke connections to the RPV increasing the issues that would lead to a massive hydrogen explosion. Post 2935 www.physicsforums.com
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:38:54 AM

Hardened vents, I gotta find that mod notice at GE. BRB.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:40:30 AM

@Ralph Unger IIRC TEPCO didn't do the upgrade though.
by radioguy 5/4/2011 3:41:35 AM

I am not sure, it does look like they may have done it and the earthquake broke it anyways.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:42:35 AM

@radioguy I have heard both ways. NRC and GE claimed right away that they didn't get done in Japan, just suggested. Depending on how that earthquake acted it could have given a really good sideways rock or jolt.
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:44:04 AM

iirc, they put in the hardened valves going to the ezhaust stacks, but not for therest of the systems
by marie rich 5/4/2011 3:47:03 AM

@all I gotta go sleep. We should start a document somewhere of all the known issues or retrofits on the Mark 1 and what ones we know were done or not done at FUKU.
by Nancy 5/4/2011 3:47:23 AM

Views of the mods from GE files.gereports.com
by Ralph Unger via Files.gereports 5/4/2011 3:48:28 AM

@Ralph just came back and scrolled down. Saw your comment about temp being in spec. Correect for an operating system. but it's been 6+ weeks of 'cooling'. Remember how the experts said that the units would cool down (exponentially?) quickly in cold shutdown? Only have 1.5% of heat in a few days? #5 and #6 are at about 40-50C. That temp, esp. rising, is not normal. indicates problems with at least circulation in the rpv, and possible fission
by marie rich 5/4/2011 3:52:05 AM

I found a lot more data about retrofits soon after this disaster happened, I am sure the data is still there, it will just take a while for me to find it.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:52:10 AM

Who said they would cool down that quickly? It takes years to cool them down.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:53:05 AM

They are not burnt steaks, they continue to create heat.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:53:54 AM

look at unit 5 and 6 temp. they are being adequately cooled. I said there was a problem with CIRCULATION
by marie rich 5/4/2011 3:54:33 AM

Sorry Marie, Yep it takes a few years for them to cool down enough to not need circulated water.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:55:41 AM

he's getting funky with that camera again, and all that zooming makes me sea sick...ughhh
by marie rich 5/4/2011 3:57:53 AM

I jumped and spoke out of turn when I read exponentially, I have never heard of that for fuel rods so I replied before I finished reading your post, my apologies.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 3:58:00 AM

And iI didn't need to "shou" with caps. my bad :=)
by marie rich 5/4/2011 3:59:08 AM

@Ralph Unger I wasn't looking for this, but here's this. www.asahi.com
by radioguy 5/4/2011 4:00:09 AM

Where do you work? I lost my job in radio when I made the mistake of sharing a quart of rum with a Reggie band while on the air. I thought I could sing.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 4:05:33 AM

It was a volunteer job for for KPFT in Houston.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 4:11:03 AM

when the camera pans toward 5/6, half way between them and the tower is a large column of steam. Wtf?
by marie rich 5/4/2011 4:17:08 AM

check that, it seems to be more north of 5/6?
by marie rich 5/4/2011 4:20:12 AM

look on other page.Debra got a screen shot. look at right edge
by marie rich 5/4/2011 4:21:39 AM

I have to find someone who knows how much energy it takes to make such puffs of steam as are seen from #2.
by Ralph Unger 5/4/2011 4:22:00 AM

@Ralph Unger It's a new public station for Vallejo, CA. we fought for 5 years for the license; just went on officially at the end of March.
by radioguy 5/4/2011 4:36:12 AM

@all I've been finding my Chrome history to be an exceptional, chronological history of everywhere I've visited in this . I just caught it and backed it up before it started eating the back end.
by radioguy 5/4/2011 4:37:51 AM