TEPCO, the operator of the troubled Fukushima nuclear power station, believes that after the earthquake, a supply of radioactively-contaminated water going from a spent nuclear fuel pool to the tank at the No. 4 reactor stopped when the water flowed oppositely into the reactor containment vessel. TEPCO said the incident did not affect the cooling of the spent nuclear fuel pool.

[link to mdn.mainichi.jp]

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I think this is bogus unless it was lost in translation.

we are talking about re-circulated coolant between the SFP and a tank, returned through filters and scrubbers.

According to tepco, they think the water stopped and changed directions, flowing into the reactor vessel.

Why was the water so 'radioactive' if it was returning from the tank through filters and scrubbers?

Why is the reactor vessel part of the loop if the reactor vessel is cool and down for maintenance with the fuel assemblies in the SFP??

What physically could cause the water in a pressurized loop system to flow backwards?(oppositely) earthquake or no earthquake.

Did they lose power?


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