I have my doubts about what this actually means. A cold shutdown is considered to be 93 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. So the reactor is still technically cool, and I doubt if it would mean much if it went up to even 500 degree Fahrenheit because that is a factor of three below its operating temps of 2,300 degrees or the 5,500 degrees in their operation range. Still there is an “ooga booga” factor in there somewhere.
Rising temperatures trigger concern at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant
By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo
3:28PM GMT 07 Feb 2012
Water temperatures at Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant have risen more than 20 degrees Celsius over the past week.
Concerns are growing in relation to conditions at the plant, in northeast Japan, which was declared in a state of cold shutdown in December last year.
Temperatures at the bottom of the No. 2 reactor have climbed to over 70 degrees Celsius, marking a rise of more than 20 degrees since the start of February.
Boric acid has been injected into the reactor by workers of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operators of the plant, in order to prevent an accidental chain reaction.
The rate of cooling water injected into the unit was also increased as part of the plant workers’ attempts to stem the surge in temperatures in the reactor.
The government declared that the power plant was in a state of cold shutdown on December 16, nine months after a major earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear crisis.
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Go there and read. More tomorrow.
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