Removal of fuel rods begins at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

A crane, mounted inside a massive steel structure built next to and partly over Unit 4, will pull the fuel assemblies one-by-one out of a rack that holds them and put them into a cask that can carry up to 22 assemblies for transport. Another crane, mounted higher up in the structure, will lift the cask out of the pool and place it on a trailer outside the building. Two casks will be alternated, and each cask will then be taken to a nearby pool just above the ground, a much safer storage place. The operation will run around the clock with 36 workers in six shifts. Each cask trip takes several days. The goal is to finish removing the fuel in Unit 4 by the end of 2014.

Removal of fuel rods begins at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

So they are removing the fuel rods...The decommissioning has begun, it'll only take nearly half a century. Too bad the damage is already done and likely take a thousand years if not more for all the radiation to be cleared...if it does.

I am wondering if the risk is not high to move the rods, risking contaminating other locations. The article says there is little danger but would they really tell us? Just look at how "honest" they have been about this since the beginning.

From article:
"Experts and TEPCO say the risk of a release of radiation outside of the plant is negligible, even if fuel assemblies or the cask is dropped on the ground during transportation. Nobody lives within several kilometers (miles) of the plant, and in case of a mishap that requires evacuation, the plant would notify via walkie-talkies anyone who might be in the area for a day visit."

It's about time they started doing that. You would think they would have done that within months of the quake.

If only technology found a way to dematerialize these rods into neutral material. 1 wishes EA*RTH luck and safety with these sensitive procedures... Maybe for future builds underground removal shafts will be made beneath the reactors, so as soon an issue is brought forth they are placed into these shafts until issue is removed or locked for good there...

reply to post by rickymouse


Isn't it though! it'll take that long to clear the rods and in the meantime, junk is still pouring into the ground/ocean...

But no rush right!?!

reply to post by Teye22


I hope you do not forget that they needed a whole new System,
incl. the Crane
to remove this Rods and the Cask?

Tepco needed to build a whole new Building with 5 Floor
because of the Static of Nr. 4!

This Building is immense and massive!

reply to post by Teye22


Get the lead knickers out friends.....

www.commondreams.org...

THe lead:

The highly dangerous and unprecedented removal of the highly radioactive nuclear fuel rods in Fukushima Unit 4 will begin on Monday, November 18.

The Unit 4 fuel rod removal is like to trying to pull cigarettes from a crushed pack.The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) had previously said the process would begin in mid-November but kept the exact date secret 'for security reasons.' TEPCO has now confirmed that the operation will begin Monday.

the fun part:

If the fuel rods - there are 50-70 in each of the assemblies, which weigh around 661 pounds and are 15 feet long - are exposed to air or if they break, catastrophic amounts of radioactive gases could be released into the atmosphere.

and....

“Full release from the Unit-4 spent fuel pool, without any containment or control, could cause by far the most serious radiological disaster to date,” say independent consultants Mycle Schneider and Antony Froggatt in a recent World Nuclear Industry Status Report.

There is a video with David Suzuki embedded at the end of the article that is very good.

I don't know much (not much has been printed) about this process - special crane, one at a time.... is there but I've seen nothing on contingencies and no operation this complex is going to go according plan. I want to know how they plan to deal problems in the process.

reply to post by FyreByrd


You make imo. the same error in your way of thoughts like many other People:
to think that "all the Rods" release Radiation, at the same Time,
in the case of a Mistake but this cant/ or will not happen
while the Removal because
only one Rod get moved and this happen also under Water!

Here is the Official Plan of their Disaster Management:
Tepcos Plan

Ophiuchus 13
If only technology found a way to dematerialize these rods into neutral material. 1 wishes EA*RTH luck and safety with these sensitive procedures... Maybe for future builds underground removal shafts will be made beneath the reactors, so as soon an issue is brought forth they are placed into these shafts until issue is removed or locked for good there...

edit on 11/18/13 by Ophiuchus 13 because: (no reason given)

Hi there. Reverse Sine, so their bad haarp like technology could not only chill the cores, (ie. reversed microwaves chill wine, there was a thread), but also, you hit the reverse frequency and cancel it out and can turn PU into a harmless paperweight.

But, we need to wake up more, and demand this, all the while sending the Love Force of our consciousness their way, because it neutralizes the weapons they use against us and immobilizes them, perhaps will even break a heart or too and accomplish a redemption.

reply to post by Human0815


Seems like Tepco thought of almost everything, except what happens if another tsunami were to hit the area while removing the fuel rods. The chances are really low, but so are the chances of a tsunami hitting the power plants that were built on the coast... wait a minute.

reply to post by majesticgent


It was the most easiest and fastest Part of this Operation to increase
the height of the Anti-Tsunami Wall, they finished t in 05/2011

reply to post by Human0815

This Building is immense and massive!

The "cover" on the blasted and leaning structure that used to be called Reactor Building Number Four is in no way as massive as the original structure. The walls in the original building were reinforced concrete three feet thick and they didn't hold. Basically the new "building" is a hood with ventilation and filtering capability should there be a whoopsie. That they built the cover is indicative of the expectation they could encounter problems removing fuel rods.

If that occurs, the filters and ventilation apparatus will allow venting to the atmosphere preventing the earlier resulting explosion from the build up of hydrogen gasses. The gasses will be vented… to the atmosphere… to prevent an explosion.

The first rods to be removed will be the 200 or so that were ready to be loaded in the empty reactor well at the time of the quake. These are as yet unexposed in a core and a lot less dangerous than the other "spent" fuel rods in the pool. The danger still exists that they may snag or even drop one of these unused fuel rod bundles as they begin to lift it clear of the storage racks.

Supposedly they have cameras and sensors on the hoist to quickly detect if they are loading the motor with too much strain during lifting. Any strain detected during slow creep for each fuel assembly and they will halt and try to clear any snagged debris or misshapen rods.

If they can't clear the debris they may re-lower the assembly into its rack and try to raise a larger portion of the racks itself containing many fuel rod assemblies.

Problems that might occur with this process are:

Snagging during lifting

Fuel rod assembly stuck half way in and out of its rack. That could teeter and may collapse on its own or fall, breaking apart either during removal or reinsertion (cross your fingers to prevent quake after shocks).

The rod bundle may also snag on an obstruction during lifting, breaking open the ceramic cladding that contains the fuel pellets. If these pellets fall to the bottom of the tank in a pile touching each other, this could start another uncontrolled fission chain reaction that could involve other fuel rods. Like throwing a lit match into a box of matches.

That is a worst case scenario and odds of that occurring are low… … …

Other problems are transport of the fuel rods to their respective cask inside the new "building" and the transport of those casks to the on site common fuel storage facility. This process involves hoists and moveable overhead cranes that lift and lower these items hopefully without dropping any of them.

As long as all goes according to plan they will have successfully removed all the fuel rods from number four spent fuel pool and transferred them to another storage facility on site.

They will still be on site. There are three other fuel pools. None of this takes into consideration the other melted down cores of reactors one through three.

So yah, first careful decommissioning baby steps to remove radioactive materials at Fukushima, Daichi. Hopefully they have the time to carry it through before other issues at the plant prevent them from working there.

reply to post by Human0815

You make imo. the same error in your way of thoughts like many other People:
to think that "all the Rods" release Radiation, at the same Time,
in the case of a Mistake but this cant/ or will not happen
while the Removal because
only one Rod get moved and this happen also under Water!

If the rods or the pellets in them touch it won't matter if its under water. They will begin to heat and burn under water until the fuel involved is done reacting. This could occur in the racks themselves suspended in the tank or at the bottom of the pool. If the rods open and spill fuel pellets to the bottom of the tank. The pool floor is already weakened from all that befell it in earlier events. If fuel begins melting and pooling at the bottom it may behave like a cutting torch and open a hole draining the water out of the pool. If the other fuel rods become uncovered they will also begin to reheat and melt.

Yes it is not expected this should happen, neither was the earthquake and Tsunami. But it is a possibility.

This is not carting off contaminated dirt or debris, this is messing with delicate fuel rod assemblies in a structure that has been weakened by repeated earthquakes, fire and explosion.

reply to post by Teye22

Removal of fuel rods begins at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

There is a concerted move right now to downplay Fukishima and Chernobyl and Three Mile island by those who would like to see nuke plants across the globe as opposed to those that use coal, oil and nat gas.

Much of this is attached to the theory of global warming but... it cannot be ignored that there is also a powerplay being staged between two opposing camps.

History shows that our technology cannot assure safe nuclear power at this time. At the same time, that same technology is still locked in a Vaseline jar when it comes to other forms of energy.

We should be ready for both side to play head game with us... just as they always have.

Global warming is going to be the battering ram for one side and Chernobyl/Fukashima the catapult for the other.

So long as the villagers keep brewing good ale and cooking good dinners over the stonefires...

majesticgent
reply to post by Human0815

 

Seems like Tepco thought of almost everything, except what happens if another tsunami were to hit the area while removing the fuel rods. The chances are really low, but so are the chances of a tsunami hitting the power plants that were built on the coast... wait a minute.

It was roughly 1000 years between Tsunami events of that magnitude in that spot.

Probability here has the odds vastly in our favor.

knowing tepco they will skrew it.....

reply to post by penninja


If you want to talk about chance, when you increase the amount of nuclear power plants what happens?

The possibility of damage from risk increases.

But risk analysts only look at their ONE AND ONLY assigned plant and not the big picture. Arrogant enough to take a 6 figure salary and claim to know the "odds" of something happening, but can't even predict an earthquake.

Human0815
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

You make imo. the same error in your way of thoughts like many other People:
to think that "all the Rods" release Radiation, at the same Time,
in the case of a Mistake but this cant/ or will not happen
while the Removal because
only one Rod get moved and this happen also under Water!

Here is the Official Plan of their Disaster Management:
Tepcos Plan

edit on 18-11-2013 by Human0815 because: spell and source

Don't assume that I don't understand the process. YAB

penninja

majesticgent
reply to post by Human0815

 

Seems like Tepco thought of almost everything, except what happens if another tsunami were to hit the area while removing the fuel rods. The chances are really low, but so are the chances of a tsunami hitting the power plants that were built on the coast... wait a minute.

It was roughly 1000 years between Tsunami events of that magnitude in that spot.

Probability here has the odds vastly in our favor.

Not with global warming. And a second event doesn't have to be a big to cause great damage to weakened structures.

What was it 81 tornado over the weekend, in the north midwest in almost Winter?

BlubberyConspiracy
reply to post by penninja

 

If you want to talk about chance, when you increase the amount of nuclear power plants what happens?

The possibility of damage from risk increases.

But risk analysts only look at their ONE AND ONLY assigned plant and not the big picture. Arrogant enough to take a 6 figure salary and claim to know the "odds" of something happening, but can't even predict an earthquake.

The video embeded in this article:

www.commondreams.org...

...talk a bit about how traditional 'risk' assesment doesn't work without sufficient data and that we (the planetary we) don't have enough 'data' as you mention to make valid anaylses.

Unity_99

Hi there. Reverse Sine, so their bad haarp like technology could not only chill the cores, (ie. reversed microwaves chill wine, there was a thread), but also, you hit the reverse frequency and cancel it out and can turn PU into a harmless paperweight.

You obviously didn't read the thread, because what it told you was the "reverse microwave" was a typically stupid bit of journalistic bombast, and actually was some ice and something to shake and rotate the beer cans so that they cooled faster "like a reverse microwave". It didn't say it was literally a 'reverse microwave', because nothing like that exists.

There's also nothing that's "a reverse frequency". Also, the premise that "everything has a specific frequency" is a new age trope that has no basis in physical fact. So, no, you can neither cool something with a 'reverse microwave', nor can you 'cancel out an element with the reverse frequency'.

But, we need to wake up more, and demand this, all the while sending the Love Force of our consciousness their way, because it neutralizes the weapons they use against us and immobilizes them, perhaps will even break a heart or too and accomplish a redemption.

There is no love force. Happy thought doesn't affect weaponry, either.