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[olemars]

Wow, I thought Japan was the best country at emergency planning and management, but I just found out something that puts a dent in that impression.

Apparently, japanese power companies aren't operating on a standardized power grid so power plants in some parts of the country are running on 60Hz while others are 50Hz. This means they cannot redistribute power to make up for the shortfall where the power plants have had to shut down.

That's pretty staggering to this engineer's brain.

[Max White]

I believe an old programmer saying comes into play here.

"That's the great thing about standards. There are so many to choose from!"

[inteuniso]

Apparently a partial meltdown is likely to be happening in one of the damaged reactors. Ladies and gentlemen, the World just shit on Japan.

[Angel Of Death]

Apparently a partial meltdown is likely to be happening in one of the damaged reactors. Ladies and gentlemen, the World just shit on Japan.

And wiped it's rear on the reactor.

[olemars]

A meltdown is bad, but not a disaster unless the steel container is melted through (or otherwise punctured). Don't think that has happened yet.

[Angel Of Death]

A meltdown is bad, but not a disaster unless the steel container is melted through (or otherwise punctured). Don't think that has happened yet.

If it does, what will happen? Will it be like a nuclear explosion or a small blast of mass radiation?

[Duke 2.0]

 Whaaa?

 The core will just melt through the bottom of the container and through the floor. At that point it'll contaminate the water table beneath that general area. There really isn't a threat of an explosion of any sort except from hydrogen from the water used to cool the core.

[olemars]

You won't get a nuclear explosion in a nuclear power plant. Worst case is a steam explosion that can spread radioactive material, but it will be a mostly local situation.

Fakedit: ninja

[eerr]

The core won't explode as nuclear tech has improved since Chernobyl.

But a meltdown could still be disasterous, poisoning the country with hot, piping radiation for months to come.

[Phmcw]

Actually, couldn't the melting fuel create a critical mass? I saw it was a concern for some security official.
(I know it's unlikely but in term of nuclear accident, they work with Murphy's law)

[Leafsnail]

Well, it seems the US of A holds a grudge for a rather long time. Maybe quiet a few years from now something terrible will happen in the middle east, and nobody will want to help because of 9/11.

Because 'A life for a life' is a rational state of mind and all.

I think the bigger issue is that they may have already received payback in this obscure event called "World War 2".

[Kogut]

Actually, couldn't the melting fuel create a critical mass? I saw it was a concern for some security official.
(I know it's unlikely but in term of nuclear accident, they work with Murphy's law)

No. This security official is dumb and/or not a security official.

[Soadreqm]

Actually, couldn't the melting fuel create a critical mass? I saw it was a concern for some security official.
(I know it's unlikely but in term of nuclear accident, they work with Murphy's law)

Sorry, no. There's basically no way to get a nuclear explosion out of a reactor. Even a steam explosion from boiling coolant can be pretty bad, though. Nuclear reactors accumulate all kinds of incredibly toxic, long-lasting radioactive substances that are bad news if they get spread across the surrounding countryside. That's what happened at Chernobyl. Modern reactors are built sturdier, so they're really hard to actually crack open, but a melting core poisoning the water table isn't exactly a good thing, either.

[olemars]

A possible radiation alert at another nuclear plant now, the Onagawa facility further along the coast. Not a coolant issue here though, and it's not a full emergency so far.

Also, volcano eruption on Kyushu.

That's what happened at Chernobyl. Modern reactors are built sturdier, so they're really hard to actually crack open, but a melting core poisoning the water table isn't exactly a good thing, either.

The reactor at Fukushima is actually older than the reactor at Chernobyl. Soviet reactor tech was just shitty with regards to safety.

[Phmcw]

Why not, actually, in a complete meltdown of the reactor scenario, why couldn't be a critical mass buildup?
(Not pretending that there could be one, just interested on what are the mechanism avoiding that.)