Get off the beach! Tsunami coming!

[smerf]

Hi,

@Franko,

Do you always have to be such a meanie weenie.

I am watching the news on it now, they are handling it just like a sport show, asking people what they think of Japans loss to the earthquake and tsunami.
The people over there have no water, no gas, but they do have electricity and internet, just the things they need in an emergency. This way they can at least talk to the news stations telling the world what they are going through.
Isn't America such a great place. They treat everything just like a sports show.
I really hate to sound like this because the people over there are going to have a very miserable life for the next couple of years as they rebuild. I know because I was in the last San Fran world series earthquake.

Anyhow Franko, I think you are right, people will say what are we joking about? and I say what can we do right now. Send our $2 and go on with our life. Fact is we all have jobs to go to, family to take care of, and we won't really worry about it until it happens to us.

smerf

[smerf]

Actually, that's not the complete story. Although there was a criticality incident at Chernobyl, it was not directly responsible for the main explosion and resulted only in the reactor core being broken up whilst still in containment.

As you may recall, it was an engineering test that resulted in the disaster. The plant operators wanted to see if they could use the residual inertia in the the steam turbines to provide power to the coolant pumps after an emergency shutdown of the reactor core, since without this, they'd be left without active cooling for up to a minute, whilst alternative power was brought on line. The theory was, the coolant pumps could be powered for about 45 seconds from the slowing turbines.

In the experiment, the reactor was not fully shut down but left in a low-power operational state. However, this state was (in hindsight) not stable and a power surge occurred during the experiment. The first explosion was caused by the sudden heating of the core and ruptured some of the control rod channels, which prevented the control rods from being inserted further, resulting in a loss of control over the reactor. The second explosion, seconds later, is believed to have been caused by the criticality incident you refer to. This secondary explosion wrecked the core and separated the materials sufficiently to extinguish the critical state, but everything was still contained at this moment.

However, the big explosion, which ripped the 2000 ton roof off the reactor and vented it to the atmosphere was purely chemical in nature. Hot steam was able to reach the graphite, wherein it was converted into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The resulting reaction produces 2 moles of gaseous product for every one mole of gaseous reactant (ie the steam) and this sudden jump in internal pressure was enough to lift the containment plate clean off.

The moment this mixture of hot CO and H2 hit the atmosphere, it ignited, the plume sucking more of the reactor content out into the open.

If hot water/steam were able to come into contact with the reactor core at the Japanese installation, a similar explosion would be entirely possible.

Hi,

@Karlos

WOW!!
 
Don't know if it is true, but it sure in the heck sounded good.

smerf

[smerf]

Hi,

@Iggy,

Believe me I think I will hire myself out to the gov't, cause I have plenty of wind power, and after my wind power is used to run the turbines, they can always burn it for steam power.

smerf

[smerf]

@ rebraist

Have to mostly disagree with you when it comes to the human race...

Yes the human race can make and create wonderful things but at the same time they are the most destructive and self serving creatures on this planet...

Who started all these wars... the human race...

Who kills each other for money, land, power, greed, drugs or even sometimes just for the sheer hell of it... the human race...

Who destroys books & knowledge written by some of the wisest people of their times... the human race...

I could go on for ever giving you endless negative examples of why I'm so cynical about the human race, but your wrong when you say it's "fear that speaks for us" in my case I have nothing to fear from the anything that happens in this world not even death itself...

I accepted a long time ago that death is just a part of life and there is nothing to fear from it, so to me until that time comes I just make sure that I enjoy everything in life good or bad and while all the bad things that happen in the world go on, whether caused by man or caused by nature there is no point in worrying about them...

Just enjoy everything you do in life and make the best of whatever situation you find yourself in, as soon enough we all leave this craziest of creations that we call life...

Hi,

@Franko,

I tell my kids that the only monsters in life are people.

I also tell them to enjoy death because it only comes once in life.

smerf

[smerf]

>I'm more of one of those kind of people who like to help in the flesh,  I'd like to be there, regardless of the threat to my life.

Yes, I'd like to be there. It don't think I'd have to my own money. i think I could get at least some of the material donated.
the marine transport industry has plenty of the equipment I've mentioned.
Findind a company is willing to donate the rock barge would take a little work.
The radiation suit 9andiu's want a good one , could be source for under $2000. the breathing equipment and the O2 would be a little more difficult.
Local companies in Japan ought to have cranes.

It would take some more volunteers and an airline willing to fly the team and equipment.
B

Hi,

@Iggy

You have a lot of heart man, but it takes more than heart to go into disasters like this, the U.S. Navy is there with probably HM-15 or HM-14 who are constantly picked to go into situations like this. These guys train for this and know how difficult situations can be. They use their big heavy lift helo's to help bring in supplies, lift heavy objects, and co-ordinate operations. If these guys can't do it, then it probably can't be done.

Remember these guys are trained pro's, if you went in there, you might be one of the people these guys would be carrying out, but anyhow we all want to help, take it from me just supply money to help support with food, water clothing, diapers, childrens clothes and shelter. Want to get a big thank you buy one of them a bottle of water during this time. It would be highly appreciated.

smerf