Japans Tschernobyl: I would live a zone of 200 km
 

In German media [1] you can read, that it will be quite sure, that the nuclear station will explode an countermines a big zone like Tschnobyl. I would live a zone of minimum 200 km around the reactor Fukushima I.

[1] Havarie an Japans Akws Fukushima I + II: Kühlung von 6 Reaktoren ausgefallen - taz.de

reactors
 

As pointed out in other thread, Chernobyl reactor of RBMK-type has another design than Fukushima one. RBMK wasn't in hard containment.

quote :

On 26 April 1986, at 01:23 a.m. (UTC+3), reactor four suffered a catastrophic power increase, leading to explosions in the core. This dispersed large quantities of radioactive fuel and core materials into the atmosphere[6]:73 and ignited the combustible graphite moderator. The burning graphite moderator increased the emission of radioactive particles, carried by the smoke, as the reactor had not been contained by any kind of hard containment vessel (unlike all Western plants). The accident occurred during an experiment scheduled to test a potential safety emergency core cooling feature, which took place during the normal shutdown procedure.

Chernobyl disaster

With a nuclear meltdown it won't matter what kind of containment you have. Eventually the vessel will fail. Right now the seawater being poured is only buying time but it will destroy what remains of any machinery required to provide a constant cooling medium to the core.

Unless a way can be found to provide desalinized cooling water, a melt down of the core is all but inevitable.

meltdown
 

With a containment you can prevent Chernobyl-like explosion of reactor. Meltdown inside core takes place everytime when cooling system is broken.

Yes, the meltdown may not be preventable but how it's contained can restrict the outside damage considerably. This core was built with that in mind. The Russian one wasn't because it was built dureing Stalinist era and safety considerations for the local plebes wasn't high on the "to do" list.

..........

I have to find a way to help get my friends out of Japan as soon as possible. Most networks including C-span the biggest international non spin network say that the meltdown could result in an explosion of the plant! that could mean a nuclear explosion. i don't want my friends stuck there if that happens!

It's not going to be a nuclear explosion like a Nuclear bomb. There would be a hydrogen explosion that would blow the outer cement structure off. It will have radioactive elements in it yes, but not like a actual thermonuclear weapon. It's called "weapons grade uranium or plutonium" because it takes a certain purity level and a certain amount to make such a huge reaction.

A meltdown can contaimnate a large area but it's a different type of destruction...Radiation posioning is what would result. Not saying that's not seriously bad, just trying to differentiate what they mean by "explosion" here.

This might help those on the West Coast of N. America:

NRC: Home Page

I live in Ukraine, and also watching the situation in Japan, I hope that everything will cost, good luck to you!

reactors
 

quote :

The V.I. Lenin Nuclear Power Station (Russian: Чернобыльская АЭС им. В.И.Ленина) as it was known during the Soviet times, consisted of four reactors of type RBMK-1000, each capable of producing 1000 megawatts of electric power (3.2 GW of thermal power), and the four together produced about 10% of Ukraine's electricity at the time of the accident.[1] The Chernobyl station is 18 km (11 mi) northwest of the city of Chernobyl, 16 km (10 mi) from the border of Ukraine and Belarus and about 100 km (62 mi) north of Kiev. Construction of the plant and the nearby city of Pripyat to house workers and their families began in 1970, with reactor No. 1 commissioned in 1977. It was the third nuclear power station in the Soviet Union of the RBMK-type (after Leningrad and Kursk), and the first ever nuclear power plant on Ukrainian soil.

Wiki

Joseph Stalin died in 1953.

Other reactors of RBMK-design still work on a former Soviet soil without any problems.

I ment his political way of thinking, wich persisted through out the 60's 70's and into the early 80's.

As far as I know Chernobyl was more modern than some of the western types at this time. The danger is not the expolsion of the reactor, it is the fallout. About 30.000 to 60.000 peopel died becuse of the fallout (The Other Report on Chernobyl).

Chernobyl disaster
 

Actually, it was a mistake of personnel during accomplishing of experiment of switching reactor to unusual resumes of work.
Similar RBMK reactors have been working without any problems in St. Petersburg and Kursk regions. No failures att all.

Rubbish. Where did you find those calculations?

Oh wow.. Last I heard I was under the impression that the engineers would have it all under control.

I have no idea what the implications of a meltdown or partial meltdown are. But I hope it doesn't happen.

As mentioned the information is from The Other Report on Chernobyl ( Torch: THE OTHER REPORT ON CHERNOBYL ). I think it is only cynical to discus if 16.000 ore 60.000 people died because of Chernobyl.

victims of Chernobyl
 

Not cynical but a very stupid thing to write about some 60 000 victims of Chernobyl. Your source is a plain fake.
Something like this one picture :

You may read the summary first
Torch: THE OTHER REPORT ON CHERNOBYL