[Column] 3 facts to support the hypothesis that fractured nuclear fuel is in individual stages of nuclear reaction

This is not a widely known fact but 12/17/2012 was a historical day of Fukushima plant.

In the evening of that day, the RPV temperature want higher than the temperature of PCV in reactor2. [Link] Probably this had never happened since 311.
In reactor1~3, the PCV temperature is always higher than or almost the same as the temperature of RPV. It suggests one obvious fact that the fuel is already at least out of RPV from reactor1 to 3.
On 12/6/2012, Fukushima Diary reported JAEC, Tokyo university and Tepco are aware that nuclear fuel is already fractured, scattered to suppression chamber and reactor buildings. [Link] If this is true, now we must consider numerous pieces of fractured fuel are having different nuclear reactions individually.
Even if the plant parameter doesn’t indicate a rapid increase of temperature, small size of recriticality might be on-going.
Here I’m going to show three facts to suggest fractured fuel are in small fissioning state in scattered areas.

1. Frequent detection of Iodine-131 from various locations.

Fukushima Diary reports the measurement of Iodine-131 from sewage sludge in various locations almost every month. There’s a possibility that it came from medical treatment, but when Iodine-131 was detected in Iwate prefecture in August of 2011, the hospitals clearly denied the possibility that it was from medical treatment.
“Dr. “Sugawara”, the radiation tech who answered the phone commented it would be extremely unlikely that the detection of Iodine 131 [at the Treatment Center] was caused by the Hospital’s discharge due to its adherence to the protocol.” [Link]

2. Frequent detection of fission products and Tepco’s secret struggle

On 9/4/2012, Tepco announced they measured intermittent increase of Krypton-85 in reactor1, which suggested the on-going recriticality. [Link] That time, Krypton-85 was measured 9 times much as usual, however, Tepco did not update this event and we can no longer know what actually happened. [Link]
In this Autumn, Tepco announced they were going to inject nitrogen gas into PCV of reactor1. It was on 10/23 and 12/7/2012, the purpose is to push out the hydrogen gas to cause hydrogen explosion. [Link 1 2] However again, Tepco’s mid/long term roadmap shows they have been injecting nitrogen gas into the RPV of all of the reactors at least since 10/21/2012. They continuously inject nitrogen gas into all of those reactors from 1 to 3. [Link]
Hydrogen gas is produced from nuclear fissioning. Their having to injecting nitrogen gas shows hydrogen gas is being produced from nuclear fissioning whatever the scale is.

On 11/1/2011, Fukushima Diary made this article.
“Breaking News: fission restarted at reactor 2
Xenon-133 and -135 are measured at reactor 2. Xenon is daughter of Uranium 235, half life time is 5.2 days (Xenon-133), and 9 hours (Xenon-135).
It proves the nuclear fuel is fissioning at reactor 2 still.

Tepco has starting injecting boric-acid solution into the (broken) reactor.
At reactor 2, Tepco finally started analyzing air filter of the container vessel on 10/28/2011. As the result, they detected xenon-133 and -135. It may have been fissioning since months ago.” [Link]
That time Tepco downplayed it by concluding this way.
“It was a temporary spontaneous fission, which can be observed even at a stopped reactor, and it was not from Uranium, but from Curium.” [Link]

This time, 1.2E-5 Bq/cm3 of Xenon-135 was measured.
Let’s look at their daily plant parameter.
It shows they have been measuring Xe-135 in reactor1 more than often at least since June. 2012.
On 6/17/2012, 2.05E-3 Bq/cm3 (System-A) was measured from PCV reactor1, which is 170 times much as when Tepco injected boric acid into reactor2.
They keep detecting Xe-135 in reactor1 for some reason.

7/17/2012. : 2.69 E-3 Bq/cm³
8/15/2012.. : 1.98 E-3 Bq/cm³
9/15/2012.. : 1.42 E-3 Bq/cm³
10/15/2012 : 1.74 E-3 Bq/cm³
11/7/2012 . : 7.24 E-3 Bq/cm³
12/17/2012 : 2.35 E-3 Bq/cm³

About reactor2 and 3, because they raised the lowest detectable amount of Xe-135 incredibly high, we can not know how much Xe-135 is measured. (Lowest detectable level, reactor2 > 2.3E-1 Bq/cm³, reactor3>3.4E-1 Bq/cm³)

3. High radiation level outside of PCV in reactor1

In this reactor1, Tepco investigated the inside of PCV on 10/10/2012, and they measured higher radiation level near the upper part of PCV than the lower part of PCV. [Link 1 2]
“The strange point is they detected this highest reading in the penetration tip, which is 5.8m above from the water level.
Inside of PCV, the higher above from the bottom of PCV, the higher the radiation level goes.
At 50cm above from the water level, it was 4.7 Sv/h.
At 5.8m above from the water level, it was 9.8 Sv/h.”
It is natural to set up a hypothesis that the scattered and fractured nuclear fuel is now every part of PCV, RPV, and even to reactor buildings, and they are in the individual stages of nuclear reaction.

If you still have some change after donating Wikileaks, you can consider donating Fukushima Diary. 

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Français :

[Édito] 3 faits soutenant l’hypothèse que les débris de combustibles sont en différents états de réaction nucléaire

C’est un fait peu connu mais le 17 décembre 2012 est un jour historique pour la centrale de Fukushima.

Ce jour-là, dans la soirée, la température du RPV (enceinte pressurisée du réacteur) est montée plus haut que celle de la PCV (enceinte de confinement primaire, qui est dedans) dans le réacteur 2. [Lien] Ce n’est sans doute jamais arrivé depuis le 11-3.
Dans les réacteurs 1 à 3, la température des PCV est toujours plus haute ou au moins équivalente à celle des RPV. Ce qui laisse penser de façon évidente qu’il y a déjà au moins du combustible en dehors des RPV pour ces réacteurs 1 à 3.

Le 6 décembre 2012, le Fukushima Diary avait rapporté que la JAEC, l’université de Tokyo et Tepco savent que du combustible nucléaire est déjà cassé, dispersé dans la salle de surpression et dans les bâtiments des réacteurs. [Lien] Si c’est vrai, alors on doit considérer que ces nombreux débris de combustible ont chacun leur comportement nucléaire distinct.
Même si les paramètres usine n’indiquent pas une montée rapide en température, des retours de criticité de petites tailles peuvent survenir.
Ici, je vais présenter trois faits suggérant que les débris de combustible sont dans des états de petites fissions en divers endroits.

1. Fréquente détection d’iode-131 en divers endroits.

Le Fukushima Diary rapporte quasiment tous les mois des relevés d’iode 131 dans les boues d’écoulements en différents endroits. Il est possible que ça provienne de déchets médicaux mais lorsque l’iode 131 a été détecté dans la préfecture d’Iwate en août 2011, les hôpitaux ont  clairement dénié toute possibilité que ce soit issu de traitements médicaux.
“Le Dr. “Sugawara” : Le technicien radiologique qui a répondu au téléphone a dit qu’il serait très peu probable que la détection d’iode  131 [au centre médical] soit due aux déchets hospitaliers à cause de leur étroit respect des procédures.” [Lien]

2. Fréquente détection de produits de fission et combat pour le secret de Tepco

Le 4 septembre 2012, Tepco avait annoncé qu’ils relevaient des augmentations intermittentes de Krypton-85 dans le réacteur 1, ce qui suggérait un retour à la criticité en cours. [Lien] Cette fois, le Krypton-85 a été relevé 9 fois plus que d’habitude, et Tepco n’a pas mis à jour le suivi de l’événement et on ne peut plus savoir ce qui c’est réellement passé. [Lien]
En automne dernier, Tepco avait annoncé qu’ils injectaient de l’azote gazeux dans la PCV du réacteur 1 (enceinte préssurisée). C’était les 23 octobre et 7 décembre, le but était de faire sortir l’hydrogène gazeux pouvant provoquer une explosion. [Liens 1 2] Ceci encore une fois étant, la feuille de route de Tepco sur le moyen/long terme montre qu’ils ont injecté de l’azote dans toutes les RPV de tous les réacteurs au moins depuis le 21 octobre 2012. Ils injectent en permanence de l’azote gazeux dans les réacteurs 1 à  3. [Lien] L’hydrogène gazeux est produit par la fission nucléaire. Leur besoin d’injecter de l’azote gazeux montre que de l’hydrogène gazeux est produit par des fissions nucléaires, quelles qu’en soient les échelles.

Le 1er novembre 2011, le Fukushima Diary publiait :
“Breaking News: la fission est repartie dans le réacteur 2, du Xénon 133 et Xe-135 ont été relevés dans le réacteur 2. Le xénon est un fils de l’uranium 235, sa période est de 5,2 jours (Xénon-133) ou 9 heures (Xénon-135). Ceci prouve que le combustible nucléaire est toujours en cours de fission dans le réacteur 2. Tepco a commencé à injecter une solution d’acide borique dans le réacteur (cassé).

Au réacteur 2, Tepco a finalement commencé à analyser les filtres à air de l’enceinte de confinement le 28 octobre 2011. Ils ont ainsi trouvé du xénon 133 et Xe-135. C’est sans doute en fission depuis des mois.” [Lien] Cette fois Tepco l’a minimisé en concluant ainsi : “C’était une fission spontanée temporaire, comme on en observe parfois dans les réacteurs à l’arrêt et ce n’était pas à partir d’uranium mais de curium.” [Lien] Cette fois-là, ils ont relevé 120 000  Bq/cm³ de Xénon-135.
Examinons leurs paramètres usine quotidiens.
Ils montrent qu’ils mesurent plus de Xe-135 dans le réacteur 1 que d’habitude et au moins depuis juin 2012.
Le 17 juin 2012, ils ont eu 2 050 Bq/cm³ (Système-A) dans la PCV1, ce qui représente 170 fois plus qu’au moment où Tepco injectait de l’acide borique dans le réacteur 2. Ils ont continué à détecter du Xe-135 dans le réacteur 1 :

17 jul. 2012 : 0,00269 Bq/cm³
15 aoû 2012 : 0,00198 Bq/cm³
15 sep 2012 : 0,00142 Bq/cm³
15 oct 2012 : 0,00174 Bq/cm³
07 nov 2012 : 0,00724 Bq/cm³
17 déc 2012 : 0,00235 Bq/cm³

Concernant les réacteurs 2 et 3, parce qu’ils ont établi un minimum détectable incroyablement haut pour le Xe-135 , on ne peut pas savoir combien ils en ont mesuré. (Niveau minimum détectable dans le réacteur 2 > 0,023 Bq/cm³, réacteur 3 > 0,034 Bq/cm³)

3. Haut niveau de radioactivité en dehors de la PCV1

Dans le réacteur 1, Tepco a exploré l’intérieur de l’enceinte de confinement primaire (PCV) le 10 octobre 2012 et ils ont trouvé plus de radioactivité dans la partie haute de la PCV que dans sa partie basse. [Liens 1 2]
“La chose étrange est qu’ils ont détecté ce plus haut niveau radioactif au niveau du passage de pénétration qui est à 5,80 m au-dessus du niveau de l’eau.
Dans la PCV, plus on s’éloigne du fond, plus c’est radioactif.
A 50 cm au-dessus de la surface de l’eau on avait 4,7 Sv/h.
A 5,80 m au dessus de la surface de l’eau, c’était 9,8 Sv/h.”
Il est naturel de poser l’hypothèse que les débris des barres de combustible nucléaire sont maintenant répandus dans toute la PCV, la RPV (enceinte pressurisée qui englobe la PCV) et même le bâtiment du réacteur, et qu’ils suivent chacun leur propre évolution de réaction nucléaire.

S’il vous en reste un peu après avoir fait un don à Wikileaks, vous pouvez envisager de le donner au Fukushima Diary.

  1. Great analysis Iori !

    The bottom line conclusion is , besides on-going emision of radiation , that the clean-up will have to deal with Tens of Thausands of scattered pieces .

    And if you want to take it a notch higher you must consider the Exposed Surface area of those pieces that are exponentially higher than intact rods have , hence a proportional increase in radiation producing . And scattering …

    Note : air and ‘weather’ are fluids which are easy producers of Vortices which are Concentrated Volumes of a given previous larger volume . In other words , radiation is not evenly distributed , be aware of Exposure .

    1. The surface area of the volatilised radionuclides gases is exponentially higher which is why i suppose the chief fingerprint of the disaster has mainly been with the detection of the Cesium that have a much lower boiling point and is not that heavy compared to some of the other nukes.
      “Boiling Point: 678.4 °C (951.55005 K, 1253.12 °F)”
      http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/cs.html

  2. Very good work!
    Two points…
    1. At least TEPCO is reacting to these problems, even if they have no believable solution. They are at least aware that are fighting a vital battle, which is better than giving up and running away like Kan and Abe…
    2. “It was a temporary spontaneous fission, which can be observed even at a stopped reactor”…this admission scared the hell out of me if it is true.

  3. I sent an email to Arnies website about the reactivity of Cesium with Zirconium under high temperature and pressure. The kind that might be present in fuel rods that are in the process of getting extremely hot. We know that a lot of cesium 137 and the much more (15 times i think) radioactive sister nuclide Cs134 was emitted/emission in comparison to other fallout and that it must have been volatilised at some point or ongoing as i suspect is the case with the geometry of the fuel being in tatters in some areas resulting in the likely micro-fissioning i also suspect.

    In this scenario, the boiling point temperature of cesium is already exceeded and so just like the process of distilling Johnny Walker Wisky, the fuel pellets are still intact and so is the Zirconium cladding, however, the cesium has volatilised out of the pellets and so the explosive reaction begins with idea of lots of cesium gas and condensed or precipitated cesium against the internal walls of the overheated Zirconium cladding material.

    Although Arnie & Associates provided a swift reply, the question was not solved and i categorically do not endorse an experiment the likes of which Arnie was legendary in providing very early on. In any case, it would be great to have the expert opinion of an industrial nuclear chemist amongst the knowledge icons.

    A brief video about the reactivity of this alkaline metal Cesium To save Arnie having to do it.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uixxJtJPVX

    Some background on the reactivity of Zirconium
    http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/8183

    Some background for Cesium.
    http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/348

    Check out Cesium reactivity in the web page. Hmmm….I am still thinking about this more than one year on and any assistance would be appreciated especially some with chemistry background since mine is not fully fledged although there somewhat. Beyond that i am trying to find a suitable forum for the question/theory/possibility.

    Please note both are highly reactive with each other in certain conditions which i suggest may have been met beyond any generic Zirconium Hydrogen reaction followed by simple hydrogen explosion. I suspect nuclear life is not that simple.

    Sorry if my info seems a bit scattered after a frenetic day.

    1. I also would add that to please note that i am not talking about all the possible chemicals and compounds of Cesium that might have different boiling/sublimation points. Just pure Cs and again that it would sure be good to get some expert opinion on the matter as i am not an industrial nuclear chemist, just someone with a passion for scientific/objective answers with no extras for effect. Vincit Veritas

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About this site

This website updates the latest news about the Fukushima nuclear plant and also archives the past news from 2011. Because it's always updated and added live, articles, categories and the tags are not necessarily fitted in the latest format.
I am the writer of this website. About page remains in 2014. This is because my memory about 311 was clearer than now, 2023, and I think it can have a historical value. Now I'm living in Romania with 3 cats as an independent data scientist.
Actually, nothing has progressed in the plant since 2011. We still don't even know what is going on inside. They must keep cooling the crippled reactors by water, but additionally groundwater keeps flowing into the reactor buildings from the broken parts. This is why highly contaminated water is always produced more than it can circulate. Tepco is planning to officially discharge this water to the Pacific but Tritium is still remaining in it. They dilute this with seawater so that it is legally safe, but scientifically the same amount of radioactive tritium is contained. They say it is safe to discharge, but none of them have drunk it.

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