If there was to be a chain reaction at Fukushima.

Post Reply New Topic

I currently read an article that Tepco was preparing to remove some of the fuel rods from the Fukushima Daiichi reactors. This is a very complex and delicate process, and quite frankly I do not have faith in Tepco. So my real question if a chain reaction were to occur, how much would we all be affected? (Please no conspiracy or "We are all doomed!" without proper evidence. I came to this side of Wrongplanet to ask this question as I am would like to hear from logical and informed minds, if any of you have any knowledge on nuclear power or a nuclear physics please enlighten me.)

As there is no hope of getting those reactors running again, it seems only logical to remove the fuel rods.

Is there any reason why they should not remove them?

Well of course they should remove them, but I am worried about the worst possible outcome. Also I wish the whole international community would get involved and try to give as much support as possible.

I think that the international community is greatly involved and providing a great deal of technical support including on site personnel. I remember reading about the United States sending a number of nuclear experts to Japan to help in any manner possible.

I sure hope so, this is not a matter of where we are from. This is a time for humanity to really come together to tackle this catastrophe.

Of course, it's possible that many of the experts have returned home. But I would bet that there are many still there or who are at least available if needed.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/11/07/the-fukushima-fuel-rods-will-not-explode-on-contact-with-air/

I'm sure even though a lot left, many of them still oversee and counsel
but thank you for starting this. I have seen the consperanuts talking about this and from a conspiracy legume(not quite a nut) the story had "COME TO MY SITE" written all over it

While it is possible that something might happen during removal of the fuel, my guess is it's hardly probable, even if the company you mention does have a bad record. As previously noted, some of the world's foremost experts have been there to provide their opinion.

I would further add that since removing the fuel is like disarming a bomb, you should be happy about this. Leaving that uranium where it is might not do any harm, but it couldn't possible do any good either.

Just like how they had to evacuate everyone from Europe and the western half of Asia because of Chernobyl?

Wait a minute. That was only a 30 kilometer radius around the plant initially and a few changes since then.

It's hard to imagine that they would have to evacuate more than a small bit of Japan and any of the West Coast.

To elaborate on this, I'm not the least bit concerned that we would have any reason to evacuate anyone from anywhere on the West Coast because of Fukushima no matter what happens there. The same goes for Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, or other places closer.

The only evacuations likely would be from around the area of Fukushima and for a ways downwind from Fukushima. Since so much of Japan is mountainous regions that cannot handle large populations, losing any inhabitable portions would certainly be a big problem for the Japanese.

I sure hope you are correct, it baffles me that they would have a nuclear plant on a fault line anyway.

Do you even know what you are asking when you say "chain reaction?"

I don't think so.

First thing, find out how a reactor works and what happened at Fukushima, then it's pretty obvious what did and could happen.

Did they have uncontrolled criticality? Yes, several times. Did fuel melt? Yes? Was containment breached? Yes. Is water being poured over the core and then leaking through fissures in the containment vessel and then down to groundwater? yes.

What more do you want? A fission explosion? Not going to happen.