Japan Nuclear Mess

[longbow]

Had a talk with a friend involved in the nuclear mess.

More and more data is "leaking" out that radiation levels are much higher than reported. The spent fuel in the storage pools is a bigger concern than the damaged reactors.

The only thing that is working is the tents to keep the rainwater out of the worst areas.

Never again will they cluster so many reactors in one site.

The clean up could take 40 years!

They have talked about building a dam or sea wall in the bay to put more distance between the ocean and the site. This will also prevent radioactive water leaks into the ocean.

They are playing with an idea to have unskilled labor work brief periods in the most dangerous places to get the work started.

He told me how many cubic miles of soil will be removed, but I forgot the exact number.

The last resort is to cover the site with a big pile of sand and concrete.

And as I predicted, they are working on some very cool robots!

 

[printcraft]

Had a talk with a friend involved in the nuclear mess.

More and more data is "leaking" out that radiation levels are much higher than reported. The spent fuel in the storage pools is a bigger concern that the damaged reactors.

The only thing that is working is the tents to keep the rainwater out of the worst areas.

Never again will they cluster so many reactors in one site.

The clean up could take 40 years!

They have talked about building a dam or sea wall in the bay to put more distance between the ocean and the site. This will also prevent radioactive water leaks into the ocean.

They are playing with an idea to have unskilled labor work brief periods in the most dangerous places to get the work started.

He told me how many cubic miles of soil will be removed, but I forgot the exact number.

The last resort is to cover the site with a big pile of sand and concrete.

And as I predicted, they are working on some very cool robots!

I heard somewhere that the radiation is so high in the damaged
reactors that it cooks the electronics before the robots are able to do anything.

 

[Glock]

They are playing with an idea to have unskilled labor work brief periods in the most dangerous places to get the work started.

I heard somewhere that the radiation is so high in the damaged
reactors that it cooks the electronics before the robots are able to do anything.

Unskilled labor = Organic Robots

 

[longbow]

Is the radiation messing with the equipment - Yes and No

The main issue is if the equipment gets too hot (radioative) and can't be cleaned, they can't be repaired. They are starting to pile up in a junkyard of hot-contaminated items. Want to change a tire or air filter on a radioactive skidsteer? Air breathing anything just pulls in radioactive stuff and concentrates it!

Only so many cables hoses or wireless devices can operate in one place. They still don't have much room.

Better shielding is helping with the newer equipment so clean up and radiation damage is reduced.

An entire subset of machines are being created so that they can be maintained and operatied in a very radioactive setting. Robots servicing robots or robots drive into a hot room, and from behind a control wall, operators will service the unit. Just the placement of a fuse, hydraulic fitting or oil filter in a different spot can mean the difference in service or scrapping.

 

[rich8483]

they definitely have a mess going on there but it is a densely populated island really. every disaster is something we can learn from.
if people want to get away from coal, i still think its a more practical option than some of the others.

in the states here, we have plenty of places we can build them where they are not near a fault line or ocean.

 

[Caleb]

Curious of the outcome...I was sure it was going to be another 3 mile island at the time Japan got hit hard. I do think however that their problem is far worse then they are leading the world to believe.

 

[longbow]

Fyi

Don't eat Calf Kelp!

Radioactive particles from Japan detected in California kelp - latimes.com

 

[Panama]

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?..._id=NC-20120328-34685-JPN&uid=12501#translate

 

[miguel's sister]

Fyi

Don't eat Calf Kelp!

Radioactive particles from Japan detected in California kelp - latimes.com

Beat me to it. If it's in the ocean it stands to reason it has to be in the air...

 

[radonc73]

Not building them on a fault line is the key. Why the Japanese did that is beyond me and other people with common sense. I agree that they are about the only reliable source of energy that is MOST eco-friendly. You can build all the windmills, watermills, solar collectors and that crap if you want but new Nukes is by far the best option when placed correctly, however since the nuke industry is still stuck with this and Chernobyl more "greenies" will stop creation of new reactors and will try to make power out of protest signs and Starbucks cups.

 

[Caleb]

Not building them on a fault line is the key. Why the Japanese did that is beyond me and other people with common sense. I agree that they are about the only reliable source of energy that is MOST eco-friendly. You can build all the windmills, watermills, solar collectors and that crap if you want but new Nukes is by far the best option when placed correctly, however since the nuke industry is still stuck with this and Chernobyl more "greenies" will stop creation of new reactors and will try to make power out of protest signs and Starbucks cups.

...and 3 mile island.