I wrote:
He said that venting the steam from the reactor is difficult. If air gets into the reactor vessel, it could cause an explosion which could fracture the steel vessel . . .
I guess it would be more accurate to say, he said that if a recombination explosion occurs in the reactor vessel while steam is being vented it might fracture the steel vessel . . . I don't think air can leak back into it while they are venting.
Not sure what he meant, but anyway, the point is that danger is elevated while they are venting.
Also, the vented steam carries a lot of radioactive contamination, as you can imagine, since the reactor core has partially melted. I imagine the core is "rubblized." That is how they described the Three Mile Island reactor core when they finally got a look at it, years after the accident. The experts were taken aback. They didn't know that could happen to fuel rods! They learned a lot from that accident. Experience is a dear teacher but a fool will learn at no other. Perhaps that is too harsh.
- Jed
