Fukushima’s Giant Ice Wall Can’t Get Cold Enough to Freeze
Source: gizmodo.com
Remember how Japan decided to build that crazy ice wall to contain the Fukushima nuclear plant’s radioactive water leaks? Well, its construction is behind schedule—because its engineers can’t achieve temperatures low enough to freeze the ice.
The ice wall was to be constructed by driving vertical pipes, spaced about a meter apart, between 20 and 40 meters into the ground. Then, coolant was to be pumped through them, effectively creating a barrier of permafrost around the affected buildings, keeping the contaminated water in and groundwater out.
But now, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has admitted that an initial, smaller inner ice wall—a proof-of-concept, if you like—is proving difficult to construct. A TEPCO spokesperson has explained that:
"We have yet to form the ice stopper because we can’t make the temperature low enough to freeze water. We are behind schedule but have already taken additional measures, including putting in more pipes, so that we can remove contaminated water from the trench starting next month."
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Read the full article at: gizmodo.com
