Steam explosion at Unit 3 of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

White smoke is observed at around 10 AM at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. According to TEPCO employees who saw the image, this is a steam explosion. Also, it is thought that white smoke is rising in the vicinity of Unit 3.

Details are as below.
2011/03/16 10: 45
According to NHK News, before 10 AM, NHK helicopter found white smoke near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. TEPCO told the conference "Local employees can not check the smoke because they can not go outside the building" "When I saw the video, I saw the water vapor explosion near the Unit 3, but I will confirm details from now Thing.

It has been confirmed that white smoke is rising yesterday around Unit 3.

From the first nuclear power plant "White smoke" NHK News

2011/03/16 10: 54
Tokyo Electric Power Company Press Conference.

The fire time confirmed in Unit 4 this morning is 5:45. We reported to the prefecture at 6:10, Tomioka fire department reported at 6:20. A fire engine arrived at the main gate at 8:14 and three fire engines arrived at the main gate at 8:30.

It is assumed that the amount of heat generation is smaller for Unit 3 than at Unit 4, although it can not be confirmed whether the temperature of the spent fuel pool at Unit 3 is rising, but the possibility of pool water splashing out due to earthquake shaking , Since there is an uncertain factor such as explosion after all, it can not say anything.

2011/03/16 11: 02
The current figures of Units 1 to 3 are as follows.
Water level of Unit 1: -1800 mm, gauge pressure (difference from 1 atm): 0.167 MPa, dry well pressure: unknown, pressure suppression room: unknown (as of 6:55)
Water level of Unit 2: -1400 mm, gauge pressure: -0.061 MPa, dry well pressure: 0.045 MPa, pressure suppression room: down scale (as of 6:55)
Water level of Unit 3: -2300 mm, gauge pressure: 0.110 MPa, dry well pressure: 275 KPa, pressure control room: down scale (as of 9:20)

2011/03/16 11: 11
The state of Unit 4 photographed on March 15th has been reported at NHK. Shooting is by TEPCO.


2011/03/16 11: 22
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shigeo Edano measured the numerical value of 1,000 mSv in the vicinity of the main gate yesterday, but it settled down to about 800 to 600 this morning. "From today around 10 o'clock, It rose and it got up to the unit of millisieverte. " "(* Unit is interview mom)

At the moment it is said that at minimum 10:44 this number is starting to fall, at the moment that the necessary minimum workers are temporarily evacuated to safe areas.

2011/03/16 11: 27
At the moment the accident is similar to the "level 6" accident at the local time 15 days (Japan time 16 days), Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), the most serious thing We have reported that there is a possibility of reaching level 7 ".

Institute for Science and International Security> ISIS Reports> Japan> ISIS Statement on Events at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Site in Japan

Fukushima nuclear power plant, the worst "Level 7" also pointed out the US think tank - 47 NEWS (Yoana News)

2011/03/16 11: 44
Chief Cabinet Secretary Chief Cabinet Secretary "It is highly probable that radioactive water vapor is rising from Unit 3 containment vessel"

2011/03/16 12: 05
At the conference at NISA, it is probably a misunderstanding about the unit at the Chief of the Chief Cabinet Secretariat of Edo, and it is a view that it will be a microseib belt.

2011/03/16 12: 11
According to a report received from TEPCO by Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, NISA seems to have raised white smoke at Unit 3, the cause is unknown. In addition, it is said that the dose increased because it was influenced from Unit 2, and its cause was not confirmed. In Unit 2, the pressure suppression room was broken and there was a possibility that it came out there.

The dose transit around the main gate is as follows.
10:00 hourly 810.3 microsievert
10:10 hourly 908.5 microsie belt
10:20 hourly 2399 microsie belt
10:30 hourly 1361 microsievert
10:45 6400 microsieverts per hour (6.4 mSv per hour)
10:54 2300 microsievert per hour
10:55 2900 microsieverts per hour
11:00 hourly hour 3391 microsie belt

2011/03/16 12: 44
The vicinity of the main gate of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant had reached 10 mSv per hour at 10:40.

Asahi.com (Asahi Shimbun): Fukushima Dai 1, nearly temporary main gate near 10 mil sievert detection - society

2011/03/16 13: 21
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology conducted a survey in Namie Town, and he observed 250 to 300 micro sievert per hour even at a distance of 19 km to 21 km from the nuclear power plant. This information has been reported to the official residence. About the health damage of the inhabitants, it was said that "Director Yukio Edino has not been asked to comment."

East Japan great earthquake: radiation dose is high even at 20 kilometers from nuclear plant - every day jp (Mainichi Newspaper)

2011/03/16 14:13
【Radioactivity Leakage】 "Local Flow, Can not Decide Helicopter Flight" Defense Minister at Fukushima Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 Water Defense Minister - MSN Sankei News

"The locality is playing and we can not decide the helicopter flight"
"I will switch from helicopter to helicopter if it needs more powerful watering from the ground while watching the effect."

2011/03/16 15: 22
Science: YOMIURI ONLINE (Yomiuri Shimbun) Science: Unit 4 firefighting trump card, big helicopter with boric acid loading preparation: science: YOMIURI ONLINE

TEPCO also requests the Self Defense Force to inject boric acid powder that suppresses fission reaction into the storage pool of nuclear fuel rods in the building from the top of Unit 4.
There is a crack in the upper part of the building of Unit 4, but no clear hole has been confirmed. For this reason TEPCO suggested placing 50 to 60 tons of boric acid powder in the upper part of the building and allowing it to penetrate from the crack into the interior. In the SDF, as soon as the order comes out, we are studying ways to place boric acid on the top of the building with a large helicopter.

2011/03/16 15:23
NHK News from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant to Discharge

Shortly there was a prospect that water discharge will be carried out from the ground using the US military sprayer. In addition, Minister Kitazawa stated that "water is discharged from the ground, while seeing its effect, if more powerful water discharge is needed, we will switch over to the discharge from the helicopter," if the water effect from the ground does not improve enough , I showed an idea to consider that the helicopter of the SDF will be discharged from the sky.

2011/03/16 16: 00
The contents of the material TEPCO announced at 14 o'clock seems to be as follows.

TEPCO Presentation 0316 / 1400-3 on Twitpic


· Continued
Self-Defense Force Helicopter to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant for Water Drop