Core Cooling News Today

There's more bad mojo wrapped around the RBMK class nuclear reactor responsible for the Chorbobyl (Chernobyl) disaster than nearly any other machine...

History. by comparison the three mile island accident was classified as a category five. earl yes on "american morning," former plant operator michael friedlander says while fukushima isnt exactly chernobyl, the signs arent good. >> the power plant was severely damaged. we dont exactly know what the condition its been in, but just one data point, the fact that were sitting here a month after the event, still not on a long-term situation of core cooling, we still dont have a backup emergency powe...

Condition its been in, but one data point, the fact that were sitting here a month after the event, were still not on a long-term situation of core cooling, still dont have a backup emergency power supply, and were still injecting off of water that was brought in by the u.s. navy several weeks ago, is a disturbing situation. and so what that indicates is that the power plant has been severely damaged. how you characterize another earthquake or another tsunami, could absolutely put us back where ...

Put our severals in the situation where we stop injecting water. that is the only means of cooling the cores. it illustrated better than i could have articulated the sense of urgency that tepco needs to take in terms of getting on the long-term method of core cooling. its something we need to consider and people need to ask the what if questions. but honestly, other than that, theres really nothing more than can be done. >> you talked about the heat removal system. what do you mean? >> nuclear p...

How sustainable is this, first of all? >> well, you know, technically speaking, it can go on indefinitely, but exactly as the report that was reported from "the new york times," at the end of the day, we do need to get on the system of long it term core cooling. clearly these power plants with the tsunami, with the subsequent earthquake, these plants are so far outside of the design basis right now, we really dont have a good handle on precisely whats going on in them and the concerns that were ...

Lets put it into a bit of context. we are so far outside the original design basis of this power plant. i think its prudent. its important to know that they created a laundry list of different things that need to be looked at and considered. at the end of the day, we cannot put ourselves in the situation where we stop injecting water. that is the only means of cooling the cores. but more importantly, what it does is it illustrates better than i could have articulated the sense of urgency that te...

Does is it illustrates better than i could have articulated the sense of urgency that tepco needs to take in terms of getting on the long-term method of core cooling, which is the residual heat removing system. its something we need to consider and people need to ask the what if questions. but honestly, other than that, theres really nothing more than can be done. >> you talked about the heat removal system. what do you mean? >> nuclear power plants are designed so when they shut down, we have s...

Of urgency that tepco needs to take in terms of getting on the long-term method of core cooling. its something we need to consider and people need to ask the what if questions. but honestly, other than that, theres really nothing more than can be done. >> you talked about the heat removal system. what do you mean? >> nuclear power plants are designed so when they shut down, we have systems -- its a two-loop system. its like the radiator in your car where we circulate water through the reactor, i...

Thing to be doing. >> so what do you think? i mean, is it that theyre not creative? or theyre just completely fried? i mean, theyve been working so much theyre kind of not exploring other ideas? that theyre not asking for input and help from others? >> you know, its difficult to say. theres no doubt that everything that you just said is true. and im certain -- and theres no doubt, dont get me wrong, by any stretch of the imagination, water and water management is the crisis right now. and they a...

That theyre not asking for input and help from others? >> you know, its difficult to say. theres no doubt that everything that you just said is true. and im certain -- and theres no doubt, dont get me wrong, by any stretch of the imagination, water and water management is the crisis right now. and they are going to have to figure out how to solve this problem. but you know, quite honestly, until they get the systems put back into service or reconstructed or whatever, this is not a one-off deal. ...