Re: [Phys-l] radioactivity in the news -- actual measurements

[William Maddox <maddox@physics.Auburn.EDU>]

From: WC Maddox

For those interested in the technical details of the Fukushima reactors 
and what failed when try this web source: 
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/fukushima_accident_inf129.html. I am 
still wondering why the residual heat (22-33 MW thermal power depending 
on reactor) could not be used to operate the electrical generator (or a 
smaller emergency spare) to power the electric pumps in the residual 
heat removal system. The steam normally bypasses the generator system 
when shutdown but in the diagram it looks like just a mater of closing 
one valve and opening another to keep steam going to generator system.  
It looks like a major reason for the reactor damage was that the 
batteries were not adequate to operate the pumps in the residual heat 
removal system.

End Message




On 3/28/2011 4:41 PM, Bill Nettles wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu  [mailto:phys-l-
> > bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Bernard Cleyet
> > Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 3:50 PM
> > To: Forum for Physics Educators
> > Subject: Re: [Phys-l] radioactivity in the news -- actual measurements
> >
> >
> > On 2011, Mar 28, , at 13:20, chuck britton wrote:
> >
> > > I just 'learned' on NPR this afternoon the Plutonium is a fission
> > > product - from the splitting of Uranium in the reactor.  (ouch!!!)
> > Without the fissioning of U, Pu would not result, therefore it is a
> > product of the fissioning -- even tho it's the result of neutron
> > absorption.
> [Bill Nettles] I disagree with the first half. You could generate neutrons from a spallation process or other reaction [ Be-9 (alpha,n) C-12 or Li-7 (p,n) Be-7] and bombard a U-238 target to make Pu-239, so you don't have to have fission to make it.  Also, you can have fission without having U-238 around and avoid making the Pu-239.  Yes, while it is NOT a fission product, it is a by-product of having a fission chain reaction in the presence of U-238. You can make it without fission (very slowly).
>
> > bc is not going to cheque the dictionary definition to find he's wrong.
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