Foolosophy wrote on Apr 3
rd, 2011 at 7:06am:
For example, an analysis by a French energy company revealed far more about the condition of the plant’s reactors than the Japanese have ever described: water levels at the reactor cores dropping by as much as three-quarters, and temperatures in those cores soaring to nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to burn and melt the zirconium casings that protect the fuel rods.
Scientists in Europe and America also know from observing the explosions of hydrogen gas at the plant that the nuclear fuel rods had heated to very dangerous levels, and from radioactive plumes how far the rods had disintegrated. [/i][/b]
Let's give Tepco its due. It advised that water levels had been low all the way through this incident.
Some of the first reports indicated low levels of water. This one if from March 12, and subsequent reports were more specific, talking about half the electrodes being exposed.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/11031228-e.htmlI doubt if temperatures got anywhere near as high as 5000 degrees C at any stage.
Remember that the Control Rods were fully inserted. I suspect that the outer zircaloy cases cracked under the pressure of boiling iodine and other volatiles.
By the way, one of the factors that increased the intensity of the fire at Chernobyl was the fact that the control rods were made of graphite. These burned furiously in the mangled wreck of the reactor core, resulting in the release of enormous clouds of exhaust gases carrying radiation across a large part of Northern Europe. In the case of Fukushima they use boron carbide (B4C) rods, which is an extremely hard refractory substance that doesn't burn.
Yes, let's give TEPCO its due!
It has history, "for not telling the whole truth & nothing but the truth"!
TEPCO also built a Nuclear Plant in a very unstable Earthquake & Tsunami region and therefore they had an onus of responsibility to take all steps possible to make sure the plant was safe.
That said, notwithstanding that there had been a large Japanese Tsunami in the area and others in the region, that exceeded the capacity of the Fukushima sea walls, they DID NOT UPGRADE THEIR MITIGATION LEVELS.
That's your estimation, there are others (experts & none experts), who have different estimations.
In any event, the containment vessels could well come under much stress at temperatures less than that, particularly if they have already come under stress from the Earthquake/s or the Tsunami!
And, as you would well know, this situation may change abruptly, both for better or for worse, in a very short amount of time!
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