Topic: RED ALERT: MAJOR EARTHQUAKE, TSUNAMI & NOW VOLCANO STRIKE JAPAN

[rickl]

I've recommended the NASASpaceflight.com forum before as an excellent source for space-related information.  They have sections for space programs from all over the world.  Here's a specific thread about how the earthquake has affected Japanese space operations:

JAXA effects of Earthquake?

It includes a comment by member Fuji:

I'm ok.
Space Station Ops. Facility at TKSC was dameged.
See this photo. I'm also there at that time.
But no one has injured, I belive.

Earthquake Forces Closure of Japan's Space Station Control Center
http://www.space.com/11110-japan-earthquake-tsunami-space-station.html


We have many afterquake still now.
Feel almost continuously afterquake.

[michelleo]

Explosion heard in the suppression chamber (bottom of the containment chamber) in reactor #2 indicating there may be damage to the last line of defense, and may lead to outside contamination.  People are being advised to stay indoors. Workers not directly involved in adding water to the system are being evacuated.

Let's all say a prayer the chamber holds and radiation can be contained.   Japan tv regulary updating on wind speed and direction.

http://jibtv.com/program/fullscreen.aspx?page=0

[michelleo]

Now jibtv is reporting a rise in radiation levels outside the reactor to 3x safe levels.  At the same time of the explosion located within the suppression chamber, a sudden drop in pressure was recorded inside the chamber indicating there's a crack somewhere in the suppression chamber.

[rickl]

That doesn't sound good.

Ace has a new post up but the comments section seems to have been nuked, for the time being.

[trapeze]

Okay, so here's a story about brand spanking new turbine/generator technology that will (not might) increase power output by 50%. Fifty percent is HUGE. That's buy two get one free territory. Here's the catch: It only works with high temp power generation like gas, oil, coal and nuclear systems. Sorry, rainbows and unicorns need not apply. And what does this mean? It means that wind and solar will be even MORE ridiculous as a source of energy than they are right now.

BTW: Once again we get a story about US stuff from a UK media outlet. I guess the MFM is too busy worrying about Japanese meltdowns and the possibility of a couple of molecules of fallout reaching the US coast. There is so much more to be had in ratings from drumming up baseless fear in the clueless US population.

 Trap do you have an lit on that??

All I have is the link that I put in the post (it's the word, "story"). Click on it and you will know everything that I do.

[rickl]

Regardless of how the nuclear plant situation shakes out, I have no doubt that when the full story is eventually told, we will hear of feats of heroism comparable to the NYPD and NYFD on 9/11.

[rickl]

michelleo:

Do you have any other sources?  I can't get your link to work, and I also can't access comments at Ace's.  The WNN site says nothing so far.

[charlesoakwood]

Yeah, there are persons working on those things who know they are dead.
They are working to save their countrymen and for honor.

[John Florida]

Okay, so here's a story about brand spanking new turbine/generator technology that will (not might) increase power output by 50%. Fifty percent is HUGE. That's buy two get one free territory. Here's the catch: It only works with high temp power generation like gas, oil, coal and nuclear systems. Sorry, rainbows and unicorns need not apply. And what does this mean? It means that wind and solar will be even MORE ridiculous as a source of energy than they are right now.

BTW: Once again we get a story about US stuff from a UK media outlet. I guess the MFM is too busy worrying about Japanese meltdowns and the possibility of a couple of molecules of fallout reaching the US coast. There is so much more to be had in ratings from drumming up baseless fear in the clueless US population.

 Trap do you have an lit on that??

All I have is the link that I put in the post (it's the word, "story"). Click on it and you will know everything that I do.

 Thanks! We just increased our out put by 50%on the same dime.That's nothing short of a miracle.

[trapeze]

Okay, so here's a story about brand spanking new turbine/generator technology that will (not might) increase power output by 50%. Fifty percent is HUGE. That's buy two get one free territory. Here's the catch: It only works with high temp power generation like gas, oil, coal and nuclear systems. Sorry, rainbows and unicorns need not apply. And what does this mean? It means that wind and solar will be even MORE ridiculous as a source of energy than they are right now.

BTW: Once again we get a story about US stuff from a UK media outlet. I guess the MFM is too busy worrying about Japanese meltdowns and the possibility of a couple of molecules of fallout reaching the US coast. There is so much more to be had in ratings from drumming up baseless fear in the clueless US population.

 Trap do you have an lit on that??

All I have is the link that I put in the post (it's the word, "story"). Click on it and you will know everything that I do.

 Thanks! We just increased our out put by 50%on the same dime.That's nothing short of a miracle.

It is pretty amazing. It also makes you wonder just how much further we would be along if we poured time and money into things other than rainbows and unicorns, things that actually have the potential to make the world a better place. Controlled nuclear fusion comes to mind. Cheap limitless power seems like a worthwhile goal to pursue instead of ridiculously inefficient solar panels and bird cuisinarts that no one wants anywhere near where they live.

[michelleo]

Kyodo News headline:
Blast heard at Fukushima's No.2 reactor, radiation shoots up

Radiation is feared to have leaked after the container vessel suffered damage at the No. 2 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant Tuesday morning, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said.

The utility also admitted that a critical situation called ''meltdown'' in which fuel rods melt and are destroyed is possible at the plant where three reactor cores are believed to have partially melted following Friday's magnitude 9.0 earthquake that hit northeastern and eastern Japan.

An explosion was heard early Tuesday morning at the reactor and the radiation level temporarily shot up later, the firm said as it continued efforts to prevent overheating of exposed fuel rods.

Shortly after the apparent blast at 6:10 a.m., which appears to have damaged the reactor's pressure-suppression system, the radiation level exceeded the legal limit to reach 965.5 micro sievert per hour before jumping to 8,217 micro sievert at 8:31 p.m., it said.

The maximum level is more than eight times the 1,000 micro sievert level to which people can be exposed in one year.

The utility said it is evacuating workers from the plant, except for those necessary for work to cool the reactor.

[Libertas]

Damn.  This thing appears to be taking a turn the wrong direction.  Charles is right, there are people who know they are dead trying to get this thing under control.  God, what a nightmare.  Prayers to them and their families and everyone in the area.  I really hope they can turn this around.

The jibtv link appears to be working fine for me.  Talking of rolling power outages.  Trains on reduced schedules in Tokyo. 

Found this link, pic's are stunning and the devastation is nothing short of biblical.

The scale of this event cannot be overstated.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366093/Japan-faces-2nd-earthquake-tsunami-2-000-bodies-wash-ashore.html

[Libertas]

Jibtv is saying half the fuel rods are exposed, "experts" say this can cause a meltdown of rods, but that is not the same as a runaway meltdown of the entire reactor.  I'm not sure at what temp/pressure a full-blown meltdown occurs, but I hope they can resolve this before that point.

[rickl]

Ace's comments are back up now, and it looks like things are going south.  Most of the plant workers have been evacuated.

Reactor 2 may have been breached, and I saw a comment saying that reactor 4 is on fire.  This is the first I've heard anything about reactor 4, so I'm taking that with a grain of salt.

[Glock32]

Fox News just reported that a Japanese Cabinet minister confirmed that radiation is "spewing" from the plant and that Reactor #4 is on fire.

[michelleo]

Jibtv now instructing people who are 20-30km from plant to head indoors, shaking out hair, take off/brush off clothes and shoes before going in.  Turn off heating/AC, shut windows.  Do not use laundry hung outside to dry.  Remain calm.

[charlesoakwood]

They need helicopters carrying huge buckets of cement.

[warpmine]

So don't build nuclear power plants on the ring of fire.  And for craps & giggles I'll throw in the New Madrid area.

There.  Think leftist trash will be happy?

 

Ya, me too, but you have to try to engage the animals every year or two.

I'm jumping in here a bit late but MSR's (molten salt reactor) would not have been effected by an earthquake induced power failure because the fuel is already in liquid state not depending on liquids like water to cool the pile. When the heat gets to be to much, the mixture expands and stops the criticality(chain reaction) of the fuel. The fuel melts a safety plug and the fuel is collected in a few vats cooling naturally. Light water reactors LWR suck plain and simple. They were simple but incredibly dangerous considering what normally happens when bad circumstances arise. MSR's are compact vs the huge space required for LWR's. Japan has been investing time in LFTR(liquid fluoride thorium reactor) technology which are the way to the future. The US on the other hand is looking into pebble bed reactors and modular reactors big waste of time. Thorium is 20 times more plentiful than Uranium and their lies the problem, the uranium industry has invested billion in the production of fuel for LWR's. Buggy whips anyone? One more thing, LWR's burn 1% of their fuel, LFTR's burn all of it and are easily refueled which much cheaper thorium.

http://energyfromthorium.com/

[michelleo]

libtv now discussing affects of different levels of radiation on health.  They're talking milli-sieverts now, not micro-sieverts.
In case you're curious, here are links about how fallout might spread and how to create iodine tablets:
http://www.ki4u.com/illwind.htm
http://www.ki4u.com/plan_b.htm

[Predator Don]

With winds and currents, how far can radiation be carried and still be considered dangerous?