NUCENG
Science Advisor
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Dmytry said:How will they end Fukushima disaster? Before you propose something at Chernobyl cost level, look at the Chernobyl history - 3 volunteers diving into radioactive water to open the valve, 2 of them dying, the frantic efforts to drill under reactor and freeze the ground with liquid nitrogen, ALL the liquid nitrogen of western soviet union thrown at this, mining equipment, oil drilling equipment, mining crews, all to prevent second steam explosion. In what timeframe? First week.
Look at the Chernobyl vehicle graveyard. Look at those enormous helicopters. Look how much was thrown at this to end the disaster. The 'sarcophagus' is the result - it may not look too shabby, but the cost was enormous.
Now look at Fukushima. Not even the spent fuel fire in reactor 4 spent fuel pool was averted. Not a single hydrogen explosion was prevented (by removing part of roof). Ten or so workers died in the explosions.
The sea water cooling was done very late due to concerns for the billion dollar reactors (now the government says TEPCO delayed this and disobeyed direct order to do that).
The loop cooling was never established. The sea water cooling was not flow through, but boil off cooling (clogging reactors with salt).
Look at the radioactive water problem. Soviets could of thrown every spare cistern truck at this in a week. It could of reused this radioactive water that leaks out for cooling. It could of manufactured some crude filters, or had every chemical research centre in the whole union devising a way to get those radioactive elements out of the solution. Something very simple could of worked, like adding a lot of clay.
I'm not trying to blame anyone. I'm just pointing out the enormous difference in the available resources. Japanese also had the tsunami and the earthquake to deal with, of course, but even when it is over the resources are not similar. If it was in US then you could fantasise of sufficient resources and giant projects. It is not in US. It is not 1 reactor.
So you ask, "How will they end the Fukushima disaster?" . I do not know, the only thing I know is that they got 3 reactors and 4 spent fuel pool, and far, far less resources for ending it.
"Ten or so workers died in the explosions." That sounds like an estimate. Have you seen any actual reports of deaths other than the crane operator at Daini, the two workers killed during the tsunami, and the heart attack during cleanup?