Editor;
After watching Dr. Carl Gibbons’ comment on the Japanese reactor crisis, I am surprised that no mention was made about more efficient ways of cooling – like why liquid nitrogen is not used to cool down Japanese reactors? It is not flammable when it turns into gas, it’s chemically neutral, used extensively to purge pipes prior to welding and extremely cold in liquid form, plus it’s cheep.
The large cylinders should be lowered by double rotor helicopters right into the cooling system and first used externally (as super cool H2O+liquid N blended slash) to avoid rapid buildup of pressure if pumped directly into the cooling system. Only when temps drop by external cooling, in an industrial blender water should be blended with a small amount of liquid nitrogen and in a form of super cool slash pumped into the cooling system. The whole process must be done gradually to avoid rapid cool down and cracking of cooling tubes and fuel rods. Also nitrogen would dilute generated hydrogen below explosive levels.
Yours truly, always watching.
Greg
