Originally Posted by
zombietooth
Couldn't this have been caused by a primary (or secondary) coolant loop steam explosion (or overpressure rupture with catastrophic expansion of the overheated coolant)? The primary loop could have had enough crud (isotopic solids and ions) in it to explain the releases of radiation, no?
True, though to be honest I would be surprised if they find it acceptable to have material released into that loop/coolant bath over time (years).
Either they allowed that material to get into the primary coolant loop over time (during normal operation) or material got from the fuel into the primary coolant as the housing separating it leaked. This would mean the official statements that have been made about the reactor vessel remaining in tact would still be true, but that the fuel inside the core hadn't stayed where it should (and that the coolant pipe subsequently broken hence the steam - as per your suggestion).
Something I don't really understand about these reactor vessels that they say are fully contained is that there is still a pipe going in and a pipe coming out, so if the collant pipe breaks and the fuel has leaked into the coolant, there is a path for that coolant to get out - isn't there?
I can't see how material would get from the primary to secondary cooling loops as these liquids shouldn't mix - instead just using a heat exchange.
{I'm no expert}