#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 2: 116 Degrees Celsius at the RPV Bottom

Some "cold shutdown". But you see, the thermometer that "determines" the state of cold shutdown is not this particular one that exceeded 100 degrees Celsius. So everything is fine and dandy at Fuku I. (Forget the leaks here and there, and trenches full of contaminated water.)

From Kyodo News (1/13/2011):

東京電力は１３日、福島第１原発２号機の原子炉圧力容器底部近くにある温度計の一つで、数値が上昇し１００度を超えたと発表した。付近の温度計は４０～５０度で安定しているため、計器不良とみている。

TEPCO announced on January 13 that one of the thermometers near the bottom of the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Reactor 2 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant registered the temperature exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. The nearby thermometers show a steady temperature between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, so TEPCO considers it as malfunctioning.

　東電によると、数値が上がったのは、制御棒を動かすための装置が入った管に取り付けられた温度計。１２日午後５時に４８・４度だった温度が、同日午後１１時に１０２・３度と急上昇、１３日午前５時には１１６・４度を示した。

According to TEPCO, the thermometer that showed the high temperature is the one attached to the pipe that contains the equipment to operate control rods. It was 48.4 degrees Celsius at 5PM on January 12. It rose sharply at 11PM to 102.3 degrees Celsius, and at 5AM on January 13 it registered 116.4 degrees Celsius.

　冷温停止状態の基準となる圧力容器底部を計測する温度計は４８度台で安定。東電は、溶けた燃料が動いたり、再臨界が起きたりした可能性は低いとしている。

The thermometer that measures the temperature at the bottom of the RPV shows stable 48 degrees Celsius. That measurement is used as determining the cold shutdown state. TEPCO thinks it is unlikely that the melted fuel has shifted or the recriticality is happening.

So far I cannot find TEPCO's press release on this.

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