Thursday, July 18, 2013

(UPDATED with Video) #Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Whiff of Steam from Reactor 3 Is "Rainwater Warmed on Containment Vessel Head and Evaporated", Says TEPCO


(UPDATE) TEPCO says the steam has stopped.

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In their update of the steam seen coming from between the reactor well and the DSP (device storage pool/pit) of Reactor 3 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, TEPCO says it was probably the rainwater that evaporated on contact with the Containment Vessel.

From TEPCO's email notice for the press, 7/18/2013:

この測定結果およびこれまでのプラント状況の確認結果により、湯気の発生原因は雨水がウェルカバーのすき間から入って、格納容器ヘッド部にて加温されたことによるものと推定されます。

Considering the result of the measurement [dust sampling, which showed no elevated levels of cesium or iodine] and plant parameters, we presume that the steam was generated when rainwater seeped in through the gap of the reactor well cover, got heated by the Containment Vessel head.


So, there is the CV head (cap), and it is warm enough to turn water into vapor, according to TEPCO. The temperature at the bottom of the Pressure Vessel inside the Containment Vessel, as of July 18, 2013, is about 40 degrees Celsius. (Hmmm... How warm could the top of the CV be?)

(UPDATE: TEPCO added the information of the temperatures at the top of Pressure Vessel inside the CV. See below.)


The company released the photos of the location on the operating floor of Reactor 3 (in Japanese only so far, so I put English labels). It's hard to see the steam in the still photos, but it is evident in the video (to be uploaded here later):


Larger photos:

No.1


No.2


No.3


8 comments:

Nancy said...

If you look at older info this is the same location that was leaking steam under pressure in 2011 and had these same wafts of steam in 2012 when they looked with a camera on a crane.

TEPCO suddenly coughs this bit up after being hassled on twitter about no reports on unit 3 for 2 months while cleaning it off.

Anonymous said...

I saw the video yesterday. If it were winter I think it would be normal to see that kind of fog, but in July?

On the other hand, I didn't know there was enough fuel still within the pressure vessel to heat the head of the containment so much (but shouldn't they be able to get a surface temperature reading of the area at this point?)

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

TEPCO has the temperatures at the top of the pressure vessel. I added the info. No direct measurement of temperatures of CV.

Anonymous said...

The JMA station in Namie gives a temperature range between 17ºC and 25ºC on July 18th. 涼しいなぁ~。I'm not sure how much of a difference you need to create that kind of condensation though.

Anonymous said...

That is the massive crane and winch trolley support beam assembly laying on the deck and on top of the CV lid....Correct??

What peeled the metal back like a banana from the inside out. See the pictures.

Anonymous said...

Hmm Still Steaming.. But Just Rainwater... So That Must Mean That There Is No unconrolled FissionThat Is The Way It Always Works At A Normal Regular Old Meltdown Just Like Always..nO problem... The Reactor Is Well Within Normal Parameters.. This All Ok... Its Ok ...No Fision Must Be Organic Perhaps Bird Turd Is Steamin On It..

Anonymous said...

4:04 Dude, oh come on, you ditched the gamer lingo only to capitalize the first letter of every word in your run on sentence/s ????

Anonymous said...

This is his way of inflicting some sort of retaliation upon us after being forced, since childhood, to exasperatingly type vowel-after-vowel-after-vowel present in all Finnish words. That alone is enough to drive a person mad. No wonder most of the population drinks.

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