From: Sent: To: Subject:

ET02 Hoc Tuesday, April 05, 2011 8:45 AM ET07 Hoc FW: Cooling Fukushima Daiichi reactors through the steel head of the drywell?

From: ET01 Hoc Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 8:45:12 AM To: ET02 Hoc Subject: FW: Cooling Fukushima Daiichi reactors through the steel head of the drywell? Auto forwarded by a Rule

From: Sheron, Brian Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 8:45:11 AM To: ET01 Hoc; RST01 Hoc Subject: FW: Cooling Fukushima Daiichi reactors through the steel head of the drywell? Auto forwarded by a Rule

Another idea from one of DOE's "Science Group". From: Richard L Garwin [mailto:rlg2@us.ibm.com] Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 5:29 PM To: DL-NITsolutions Subject: Fw: Cooling Fukushima Daiichi reactors through the steel head of the drywell?

Earlier communications on this point, folks. Dick Garwin

Forwarded by Richard L GarwinANa son/ContrilBM on 04/04/2011 05.10 PM ..... ----From: To: Cc: Date: Subject: Richard L GarwinfWatsonlContr/IBM Nam T Dinh <Nam.Dinh@inl.gov>, <phillip.finck@inl.gov> *Peterson, Per' <peterson@nuc.berkeley.edu> 04/0412011 12:26 PM Cooling Fukushima Daiichi reactors through the steel head of the drywell?

Dear Nam Dinh and Phillip Finck, In my 03/31/2011 email to Steve Chu's "science group," I observed that "removal of the refueling plug and flooding of the top of the steel drywell liner is a real possibility. But needs to analyze the heat transfer impedance by a permanent gas bubble in the drywell."

So I am asking you or others at INL to carry out such a preliminary analysis. I have a good deal of experience in this field, because in the 1950s I published some work on "thermal rectifiers" which actually pertained to the temperature range below 2 degrees Kelvin, using superfluid helium. But my analogy in the presentations was to the ordinary pressure cooker, or lidded saucepan, in which heating from below transferred heat very effectively from the water and steam to the lid, but heating from above would simply melt the lid. In the case of the steel containment liner of the BWR, we certainly have heating to generate steam, but the question is the impedance presented by a hydrogen bubble to the condensation of steam on the inside of the lid of the containment liner. Evidently one could remove the concrete refueling plugs, and that space is intended to be flooded with water, so that is not, in principle, a problem. Any openings in the rubber seal could be plugged by shredded polyethylene garbage bags, which would then be held in place by the hydrostatic pressure in the refueling well. And the steam from that pool will be clean and could perfectly well be vented to the atmosphere. But the question is what needs to be done to vent any permanent gas. Is there a valve at the top of the liner dome? If there is no valve, I can envision boring a hole with a sealed tool, and threading in such a valve that could be controlled mechanically or preferably pneumatically/hydraulically from the outside. Now that TEPCO really seems to be moving on procuring 10,000 ton tanks and barges, perhaps they would be receptive to an analysis of long-term cooling through the metal containment dome. I look forward to anything you can provide me/us on this score. Thanks very much. Dick Garwin

Forwarded by Richard LGarwin:VatsonfContrilM on 04/04/2011 11:04 AM . ..... From: Richard L Garwin/Watson/Contr/IBM To: Bob Budnitz <rjbudnitz@lbl.gov>, "Adams, Ian" <lan.Adams@Hq.Doe.Gov> Cc: "Brinkman, Bill" <Bill.Brinkman@science.doe.gov>, "Narendra, Blake" <Blake.Narendra@nnsa.doe.gov>, "Hurlbut, Brandon" <.randon.Hurbut@Hq.Doe.Gov>, "Sheron, Brian" <Brian.Sheron@nrc.gov>, "Butnitz, [~b767 , "Smith, Haley" <Haley.Smith@Hq.Doe.Gov>, "McFarlane, Harold" <harold.mcradane@inl.gov>, "Adams, an" <Ian. ams0H.De.Gov>. John E (NE <JohnE.Kelly@Nuclear.Energy.Gov>, "Grossenbacher, John (INL)" <john.grossenbacher@inl.gov>, I(b)(6) "Chambers, Megan (S4)" <Megan.Chambers@science.doe.gov>, "Owens, Missy" <Missy.Owens@Hq.Doe.Gov>, "Miller, Nelle' <Neile.Miller@nnsa.doe.gov>, "Fitzgerald, Paige" <Paige.Fitzgerald@Hq.Doe.Gov>, "Peterson, Per" <peterson@nucberkeley.edu>, "Lyons, Peter" <Peter.Lyons@Nuclear.Energy.Gov>, "Finck, Phillip" <phiItip.finck@inl.gov>, "Garwin, Dick (EOP)" 11b_)JLe Richard (NRC)" <Richard.Lee@nrc.gov>, "Budnitz, Bob" <RJBudnitz@lbl.gov>, "Szilard, Ronaldo" <ronaldo.szilard@inl.gov>, Ib6) "Aoki, Steven" <StevenAoki@nnsa.doe.gov>, "Binkley, Steve" <Steve.Binkley@science.doe.gov>, "Mustin, Tracy" <Tracy.Mustin@nnsa.doe.gov> Date. 03/31/2011 06:04 PM Subject: RE: Nuclear science group call - Today at 4:00prm EDT

The Millstone-1 BWR refueling plugs just lie in place, according to this response from Millstone. So removal of the plug and flooding of the top of the steel drywell liner is a real possibility. But need to analyze the heat transfer impedance by a permanent gas bubble in the drywell. Dick Garwin

Forwarded by Richard LGarwin/Watson/ContrIlBM on 03/31/2011 06:03 PM----From: Skip J Jordan <skip.j.jordan@dom.com> 2

'-To: Cc: Date: Subject:

Richard L GarwinNWatson/Contr/IBM@lBMUS Jeff D Semancik <jeff.d.semancik@dom.comrn, 03/31/2011 05:42 PM RE: Urgent question.

"SChu@hq.doe.gov" <SChu@hq.doe.gov>

Dick, The shield plugs above the reactor head were interlocking and stepped out slightly in diameter to fit into place. The Refueling Deck crane on the 108 foot level was capable of removing the shield blocks. From: Richard L Garwin rmailto:rla2us.ibm.com] Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2011 4:51 PM To: Skip J Jordan (Generation - 6) Cc: Jeff D Semancik (Generation - 4); SChu@hq.doe.gov Subject: Urgent question. Skip, regarding the shield plug above the reactor head. These need to be removed for refueling; are they bolted down or can they just be lifted by the main crane (or a massive construction crane)? Thanks very much. Dick Garwin