A Nuclear Explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant?

– Why is
Water So Important to Nuclear Reactors?

With the terrible scenes in Japan today and the growing concern of a nuclear explosion at the
Fukushima Daiichi plant we thought it would be informative to understand what exactly the risk of a
nuclear explosion is and why the presence of water within the nuclear power plant is so crucial to
ensuring the safety of the nuclear processing system.

A nuclear reactor is actually a supply of powerful heat that is produced from the exothermic fission
responses occurring within the core. Consequently a coolant is required in order that this high
temperature is slowly removed and utilised in a suitable way. Water within the reactor will not be
immobile. Cool water is consistently coursing to the reactor as well as heated up through exposure
to the energy rods.

The tremendous level of heat energy contained in the nuclear reactor core is required to be shifted
somehow in order that it is turned into electrical power. This too keeps the functional temperature
with the core inside safe confines for the elements employed in the building of the reactor. For this
reason coolant performs a crucial role in the different parts of nuclear energy plants and will serve
the combined function of taking out the temperature in the reactor in addition to transporting it
towards the electrical energy generation outlet both directly or circuitously according to the form of
nuclear reactor being employed and for the purpose.

It is worth reminding ourselves that nuclear electrical power plants are probably the safest
establishments in today's times (despite the scenes in the Fukushima Daiichi plant). These were
created and designed to resist incredible natural forces including earthquakes and tornados.
They've got redundant security programs and numerous boundaries in order to safeguard the
general public and staff members.

However, several nuclear plants are positioned on coastlines and use the water as a temperature
drain that is effectively limitless and uses no freshwater - this of course makes them susceptible to
the problems faced during the aftermath of an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. This however is
why nuclear power plants are subject to stringent criteria primarily adjusted to cater for the location
of the plant. A nuclear facility such as that sitting across two tectonic plates will require much more
significant counter measures to counter anything Mother Nature can throw at it than a facility in a
more quiet area of seismic activity.

Although at present the cooling system to reduce the temperature of the core continues to not
function as well as would have been liked (at the time of writing) there is a general consensus that a
nuclear explosion resulting from the Fukushima Daiichi plant is unlikely - thankfully....

Our thoughts and wishes today and into the future go to all those affected in Japan.

A Nuclear Explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant? – Why is Water So Important to Nuclear Reactors?