TEPCO begins unprecedented procedure to fill containment vessels with water; experts raise doubts

[Barrett808]

Tokyo Electric Power Co. started the unprecedented and potentially risky measure of allowing water to flood the containment vessels of three troubled reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, company sources said.

It is the world's first attempt to saturate the entire containment vessel with water with the aim of cooling the pressure vessels inside the containment vessels and ultimately the reactor cores themselves.

So far, TEPCO has been injecting water into the pressure vessels at the No. 1 through No. 3 reactors. Under the new plan, TEPCO will allow the water to overflow from the pressure vessels through valves and ruptured pipes until the water fills the outer containment vessels.

According to TEPCO's road map, the water levels will reach the upper end of the fuel rods within three months. ...

TEPCO begins unprecedented procedure to fill containment vessels with water; experts raise doubts

[meow mix]

1. huh i thought a couple days ago they said excess water was to heavy

and they risked further damages... so had to decrease the water.

[FBaggins]

2. Different reactor and a different location.

That was #4's spent fuel pool. It's quite damaged and they're worried that the weight may add to the risk.

This is the "upside-down lightbulb" primary containment around the core of #1. Quite a bit stronger and less damaged. The concern there is whether filling it makes the structure more prone to earthquake damage.

[meow mix]

4. ah right.. guess the part about letting it flow through "ruptures"

made me think of damage to much.

[Atman]

3. "You can't put too much water in a nuclear reactor."

Old SNL skit, with Ed Asner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JrIYR8jArk