Fukushima Update #71 – November 25, 2011
TEPCO to RAISE Temperature of Reactor Pressure Vessels
I don't understand this action or the article, except to say it would appear the production of hydrogen in the reactors is a serious threat after all.
Or it may have more to do with the high water levels from the large volumes of water being pumped/sprayed into the reactors to keep them cool.
TEPCO was managing to keep the water levels just at or below their target-OP + 3.000mm. OP is Onahama Bay mean sea level.
However, the JAIF report that came out this week (data from Nov 22) shows all the levels are now above the target.
Unit 1 OP.+3.772mm
Unit 2 OP.+3.065mm
Unit 3 OP.+3.035mm
Unit 4 OP.+3.042mm
They are also approaching storage capacity for the radioactive waste from the water decontamination process.
So perhaps it's a combination of all 3 circumstances and the dance on the knife edge that TEPCO continues to execute!
I'll look around tomorrow and see if I can find some commentary on what is really going on, as I couldn't find anything today.
More steam, by the way, means more radioactive air contamination from the reactors.
Read the full article at the link above.
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via ex-SKF / November 24, 2011: "After 8 and a half months of trying to lower the temperature of the Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPV), which by the way are broken and probably devoid of melted fuel, TEPCO announced they would now try to raise the temperature to avoid hydrogen explosion."
http://fukushimaupdate.com/tepco-to-raise-temperature-of-reactor-pressure-vessels/