It has not been determined to what extent a molten mass can melt through a structure (although that was tested in the Loss-of-Fluid-Test Reactor described in Test Area North's fact sheet<12>). The Three Mile Island accident provided some real-life experience, with an actual molten core within an actual structure; the molten corium failed to melt through the Reactor Pressure Vessel after over six hours of exposure, due to dilution of the melt by the control rods and other reactor internals, validating the emphasis on defense in depth against core damage incidents. Some believe a molten reactor core could actually penetrate the reactor pressure vessel and containment structure and burn downwards into the earth beneath, to the level of the groundwater. emphasis added http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_meltdownCHINA SYNDROME***snip***
Will it hit the water table and cause new explosions? Who knows?
"Many experts say a full-blown China syndrome is unlikely in large part because the fuel from the type of reactors at Fukushima is designed in such a way that it probably won't sustain "recriticality" once meltdown occurs. What's more, boron, which slows nuclear reactions, was pumped into the cooling water of the reactor after the initial accident to prevent the core from going "critical" again."
A FULL BLOWN China system is UNLIKELY and it PROBABLY won't sustain "recriticality"! That is not very reassuring given how wrong the socalled experts have been in the past. "Unlikely" and "improbable" are NOT certainty and clarity and definitive. The POSSIBILITY therefore remains for recriticality.emphasis added***snip***
That pretty much sums it up, then, doesn't it. Three meltdowns and the continued possibility of recriticality and new hydrogen explosions. I PRAY this is truly unlikely, BUT I am not reassured that we can rely on this crisis being over and that new explosions and plumes may not send more trouble our way.
http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/4293
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