Big quake in japan

[billt]

Tim, why can't these things be shut down instantly? You know, a "Panic Button" that would dump all of the control rods in and do a complete cold shutdown? How and why does it take so long to shut these things down so they can't melt?  Bill T.

[tombogan03884]

Technically that is what a "SCRAM" is . A crash stop where the fuel rods drop out of position.
But there is still a butt load of heat to deal with. Something like the temperature of the suns surface, That isn't going to dissipate quickly.

[Timothy]

Tom's right, all reports are that the automatic scram worked properly (Tom, it's a BWR so the control rods are beneath the core and are inserted upward, the fuel is fixed in place.).  They lost the ability to pump coolant water when they lost power and emergency generators were damaged in the flooding.

TMI was operator error, they were misreading the sensors and deliberately pumped coolant out of the core.  The exact opposite of what they should have done but they never lost containment.

[billt]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/17/helicopters-dump-water-japans-crippled-nuclear-power-plant/#dsq-new-post

If the Japanese are such a well disciplined people, why do they need water cannons?   Bill T.

[sledgemeister]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/17/helicopters-dump-water-japans-crippled-nuclear-power-plant/#dsq-new-post

If the Japanese are such a well disciplined people, why do they need water cannons?   Bill T.

Would imagine they would have them like any other civilised country to put out large fires? Just guessing.

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