Temperature at Reactor 2's RPV Bottom Shoots Up to 75 Degrees Celsius

TEPCO's plant parameters on temperatures haven't been updated yet to reflect the number, but Jiji Tsushin reports that the temperature at the bottom of the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Reactor 2 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant shot up to 74.9 degrees Celsius as of 11PM on February 11, Japan Time.

The temperature at this location has been trending in the upper 60s, but TEPCO's Matsumoto and his junior PR manager (who can only read what's given to him) have been saying the temperature "is trending down". In TEPCO-speak, remaining at a high temperature is clearly "trending down", because it is not going up.

From Jiji Tsushin (2/11/2012):

東京電力は１１日、福島第１原発２号機の原子炉圧力容器底部に３カ所ある温度計のうち、６０度台後半で推移していた温度計が同日夕から再び上昇し始めたため、冷却水の注入量を毎時１トン増やして同１４．６トンとした。同温度計は１１日午後１１時に７４．９度を示す一方、同じ高さにある残り２カ所の温度計は３５度程度で推移しているという。

One of the three thermometers at the bottom of the Reactor 2 Pressure Vessel that had been trending in the upper 60s started to rise again in the evening of February 11. In response, TEPCO has increased the amount of water being injected into the RPV by 1 tonne per hour to 14.6 tonnes per hour. As of 11PM on February 11, the thermometer showed 74.9 degrees Celsius, while the other two thermometers placed at the same height were trending around 35 degrees Celsius.

The temperature is the highest since the rising trend started on February 1, and the amount of water being injected into the Reactor 2 RPV now is the highest ever since March 11, 2011.

Since the margin of error may be as much as 20 degrees either way, 5 more degrees to go until the temperature at that location may be reaching 100 degrees Celsius.

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