#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: TEPCO Sending Quince No.2, Two Packbots to High-Radiation Reactor 1

In fact, they may be inside the reactor building as of now, on July 4, 2012.

TEPCO is sending all the survey robots it has in its possession - Quince No.2 and two Packbots from iRobot - probably to conduct the survey in the area of the Reactor 1 building 1st floor where the company is planning to drill holes to conduct an endoscope survey later to probe inside the Containment Vessel (like it has done in Reactor 2).

The robots will enter from the south-east corner entrance. The area has locations with radiation levels exceeding 1 sievert/hour, with the highest 4.7 sieverts/hour. That is where the steam was gushing from in between the floor and the pipe that goes through the floor to the basement. Packbot observed it in June last year. (At that time, TEPCO said it was 4 sieverts/hour, but the latest press release linked below says it was 4.7 sieverts/hour.)

In June, TEPCO's human workers entered the basement to measure the water levels and temperatures. Near the surface of the water, the radiation level was 10.3 sieverts/hour.

From TEPCO's handout for the press, July 3, 2012:

"Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 Reactor Building First Floor TIP Room and South Area Inspection (July 4, 2012): Scheduled Access Route for the Robot"

Quince 2

-Visual inspection of TIP Room (Acquire images and videos)
-Measure the dose rate, temperature, humidity and dust
density in TIP Room
-Support opening the key to TIP Room (Provide images taken
from different angles)
-Support opening the door of TIP Room (Provide images
taken from different angles)

Packbot (1st)

-Open the key to TIP Room
-Open the door of TIP Room (and keep it open)
-Support the dose rate measurement in the South area
(Confirm the position of the 2nd Packbot)

Packbot (2nd)

-Visual inspection of the South area (Acquire images)
-Measure the dose rate in the South area (at 15cm and
150cm above the floor)

Beautiful collaboration, in the area where the highest radiation level measured was 4.7 SIEVERTS/hour. I wish them luck.

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TEPCO to Do Endoscopy of Reactor 1 Containment Vessel at #Fukushima, in Late August

After the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES) published its analysis that the water level inside the Containment Vessel of Reactor 1 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant may be only 40 centimeters deep, TEPCO announced the plan to probe inside the Containment Vessel with the endoscope, just as they did for Reactor 2.

According to Jiji Tsushin, TEPCO plans to visually inspect the inside (by two endoscopic cameras), take temperature and radiation measurements, and collect the water samples near where the fuel debris (corium) is supposed to be on the floor of the Containment Vessel.

The fuel debris (corium) in the Reactor 1 is considered to have dropped to the concrete floor of the Containment Vessel and eaten into the concrete, as having been disclosed during the workshop organized by the NISA in November last year. TEPCO's estimate is about 65 centimeters into the concrete, and the Institute of Applied Energy's estimate is about 2 meters.

From Jiji Tsushin (part; 5/28/2012):

東京電力福島第１原発の廃炉に向け、８月末から９月中旬に１号機の原子炉格納容器内部を工業用内視鏡で調査し、溶けた核燃料の近くから高濃度汚染水を採取して分析する計画がまとまった。

Toward decommissioning Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, the plan has been agreed upon to probe the interior of the Reactor 1 Containment Vessel using the industrial endoscope and collect the sample of highly contaminated water near the fuel debris for analysis. The work will be carried out sometime between late August and mid September.

...

格納容器内部の調査は今年１、３月に２号機で行われ、水位が底から約６０センチしかないと判明している。

The probe of the Containment Vessel interior was done on Reactor 2 in January and March this year, which revealed the water level to be only 60 centimeters from the floor of the Containment Vessel.

１号機では予備の配管用貫通部にカメラや放射線測定器を挿入して調べるほか、汚染水を採取・分析して溶融燃料の状態を推定する。最後に「熱電対」と呼ばれる金属製温度計を挿入したままにし、内部の水温を継続的に測定する。

In Reactor 1, TEPCO will insert the camera and radiation survey meter through one of the spare penetrations for the pipes, and collect the contaminated water and analyze in order to estimate the condition of the melted fuel. After the probe, a thermocouple will be left inside the Containment Vessel [in the water] to continuously measure the temperature of the water.

The details of the Reactor 1 CV probe are in one of the reference materials (Japanese-only; pages 18 to 25) for the May 28, 2012 meeting of the Working Group for Medium to Long Term Planning. TEPCO will have to build a mock-up first to train the workers. (I'll post some of the pages here later.)

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Video of the 2nd Probe of Reactor 2 Containment Vessel at #Fukushima I Nuke Plant, 3/26/2012

I watched the longer versions, and still couldn't figure out what it was that I was seeing. It looks like yellowish substance is being scraped by the camera or the tube.

Longer versions are at TEPCO's page: http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2012/201203-e/120327-01e.html

For more on this 2nd probe, see my post here (for March 26 operation) and here (for March 27 operation).

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 2: Water Is Only 60-Centimeter Deep in the Containment Vessel

TEPCO did the second endoscopic examination of Reactor 2 Containment Vessel on March 26, 2012, and finally found water. It was 3 meters below where TEPCO had expected to find (which was at the grating), and only 60 centimeters deep from the bottom of the CV.

Mainichi Shinbun (3/26/2012) puts out this cartoon which well reflects what TEPCO said in the evening press conference on March 26:

• Part of the corium is still inside the Reactor Pressure Vessel, and part of it is at the bottom of the Containment Vessel;

• 60 centimeters of water is sufficiently covering the corium at the CV bottom, and the corium is cooled;

• The temperature of the water that's supposedly removing the heat is (incredibly) 48.5 to 50 degrees Celsius:

• The Suppression Chamber is probably damaged and leaking the water being injected into the reactor (9 tonnes/hour).

This is strange, as TEPCO themselves admitted last year that part of the corium of Reactor 2 was on the concrete pedestal, outside the Containment Vessel. That would mean the Containment Vessel (drywell) itself had been breached, not just the Suppression Chamber.

You may ask "Why trust anything TEPCO says?" Well, TEPCO is still the only source of any information about the plant, no matter how flawed or inadequate.

TEPCO has some photographs of the water and inside the water. Water is clear, TEPCO says, but there is yellowish debris in the water.

TEPCO also measured the radiation levels inside the CV, according to the plan, but there is no information on the radiation levels.

It took about 3 hours for the work, 18 TEPCO employees and 16 Toshiba employees, with maximum radiation exposure of 5.29 millisieverts.

From TEPCO's Photos for Press:

Inside of Primary Containment Vessel of Unit 2 (above the water surface):

Inside of Primary Containment Vessel of Unit 2 (under the water surface):

Inside of Primary Containment Vessel of Unit 2 (pipe of power cable and grating):

Survey of Inside of Primary Containment Vessel of Unit 2 (working condition):

From TEPCO's Summary of Findings (3/26/2012):

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Full Video of Inside the Reactor 2 Containment Vessel

For those of you who need to see the full version, not just the digest. TEPCO for some unknown reason uploaded 4 separate videos that are available for download for about a week. The total video length is about 40 minutes, with the last video being the longest (22 minutes). File sizes are big, and I will add to this post as I upload them on Youtube.

The scenes remind me of the movie "Alien".

Again, 40 unnamed workers in 10 teams prepped the site on January 17, receiving 3 millisieverts radiation exposure, and 34 unnamed workers operated the Olympus endoscope right outside the Containment Vessel, receiving 3 millisieverts radiation. Though Reactor 2's radiation levels are tame compared to those in Reactor 1 and Reactor 3, the air radiation level at the job site was over 20 millisieverts, according to TEPCO.

By the way, TEPCO released the photographs of the endoscope that was used, as if it was the hero of the operation.

Part 1 (Oh wait, it is supposed to be 8-plus minute video... What happened? Well enjoy while I try to figure that out.)

Part 2



Part 3



Part 4

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Video of Inside Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 2 Containment Vessel

It's raining inside the Containment Vessel, with water droplets and radiation.

TEPCO has just released the digest version, 1 minute and 14 seconds. In the evening press conference on January 19, TEPCO's Matsumoto said the video footage that they took was about 30 minutes long, but most of it is either totally dark, or white-out as a water droplet was on the camera lens. (Or so he said.)

It took 34 workers (6 TEPCO, 28 affiliate companies) 1 hour and 10 minutes for the video.

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Reactor 2 Containment Vessel Endoscopy Photos

(UPDATE 1/19/2012: For the video digest, go to my latest post on the subject, here.)
==============================

Just released during the press conference, which you can view at this link.

At 9:13AM on January 19, the temperature inside as measured by the endoscope was 44.7 degrees Celsius.

6 TEPCO employees and 28 affiliate workers, with maximum 3.07 millisieverts radiation exposure.

The video will be uploaded tomorrow.

In the photos, white dots are gamma rays.

From TEPCO's handout for the press, January 19, 2011:

Inside the pipe (before the Containment Vessel):




Inside surface of the Containment Vessel. Paint looks peeling:

At the grating (OP. 9500): no water was seen. OP 9500 is the level of the floor. OP 5480 is the bottom of the CV. TEPCO was expecting to see water at OP 9500.


Looking up inside the CV:

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Reactor 2 Containment Vessel Endoscopy Update: They Coudn't See the Water

(UPDATE: Photos inside the CV just released. See my new post.)

=============================

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's press conference is ongoing. TEPCO will have its evening press conference in less than an hour (at 6:00PM JST).

From NISA's press conference, on Reactor 2 Containment Vessel endoscopy carried out on January 19:

TEPCO couldn't see the surface of the water which was supposed to remain in the Containment Vessel.

The water level was probably much lower than expected (5.3 meters from the bottom of the CV).

It was highly humid inside the CV, and water was dripping.

No comment to one reporter's question of whether there is a damage on the CV as the water level was lower than expected.

Blurry image with water drops and high radiation inside.

Inside the CV, temperature was 40 degrees Celsius.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 2 CV Endoscopy Is Done

(UPDATE: Photos inside the CV just released. See my post.)

=========================

At TEPCO's morning press conference on January 19, 2012, TEPCO's Matsumoto said that the endoscope was successfully inserted through the hole created on January 17 on the Reactor 2 Containment Vessel and the survey of the interior was done.

The work started at 9AM, and was done at 10:10AM. More details of the survey will be disclosed at the evening press conference at 6:00PM.

TEPCO thinks it is a partial meltdown in Reactor 2, and there is water up to 5 meter from the bottom of the Containment Vessel.

If you understand Japanese, you can view TEPCO's press conference live at TEPCO's site, here.

The morning press conference starts at 11:00AM JST, and the evening press conference starts at 6:00PM JST. (Even if you understand Japanese, you may find it incomprehensible.)

There's no information from TEPCO about the radiation level at the location that the workers had to work, other than the company expects the radiation exposure level for the workers would be 3 millisieverts.

10 groups of workers (if the Jan 19 crew is the same size as the Jan 17 crew), 1 hour 10 minutes job, and 3 millisieverts expected exposure would indicate one group would spend 7 minutes at the site to get 3 millisieverts radiation, and the radiation level at the site would be about 25.71 millisieverts/hour.

Not bad, compared to other reactors that has locations whose radiation is one to two digits higher.

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TEPCO's Endoscopic Probe of Reactor 2 CV: Mockup Was Done on Novmeber 30, 2011

The picture was released on January 18, 2012. They did the mockup using Reactor 5, and the photo is that of inside the Reactor 5 Containment Vessel.

From TEPCO's handout for the press (1/18/2012), Japanese only for now. The photo on the right side is what you would expect to see in Reactor 2's Containment Vessel. Not.

"Colonoscopy" of Reactor 2's CV using the endoscope from Olympus will be on January 19 in Japan. I don't know the time, and TEPCO is not saying.

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(Birds of a Feather...) Endoscope TEPCO Will Use for Reactor 2 CV Is Made by Olympuss

It was announced on January 17 that boring a hole in the Containment Vessel of Reactor 2 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant was successful.

According to NHK News, it took 10 teams of workers, 4 in each team, who had been trained on Reactor 5 as a "mock-up". They received maximum 3 millisieverts radiation for their effort. No information of how long the work lasted.

Some people in Japan watching the NHK News reporting the event wondered, "Whose endoscope is it?" It turns out, most likely, that it is made by Olympus, of "cooking the books" fame.

First, NHK News (1/17/2012). The video clip of the news is at the link for now. (NHK News links are one of the shortest-lived among the Japanese media, on par with Yahoo Japan News.)

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の廃炉作業に向けて、まだ分かっていない格納容器の内部の状況を内視鏡を使って初めて調べるため、１７日、２号機で内視鏡を入れる穴を開ける作業が行われました。

On January 17, workers at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant bored a hole for the endoscope that would be inserted inside the Containment Vessel of Reactor 2 to survey the condition inside the Containment Vessel for the first time since the accident.

福島第一原発では、メルトダウンが起きた１号機から３号機の溶けた核燃料の状態や、格納容器の内部の詳しい状況が分かっておらず、今後の廃炉に向けた作業や、安定した冷却を続けるうえで、大きな課題となっています。

At Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, the condition of melted fuels in Reactors 1, 2 and 3 and the condition inside the Containment Vessels are not yet known. The information is vital to the future decommissioning work and to the stable cooling of the reactors.

このため東京電力は、まず２号機の格納容器について、高い放射線量に耐えられる工業用の内視鏡を入れて、内部の状況や温度を詳しく調べることになりました。１７日は、１９日に予定している調査に向けて、原子炉建屋１階の北西側に作業員が入り、格納容器に配管などを差し込む予備用の貫通部に内視鏡を入れる穴を開ける作業を行いました。

TEPCO has decided to use an industrial-grade endoscope that can operate under the high radiation and survey the condition inside the Containment Vessel of Reactor 2 and measure the temperature. On January 17, as a preparation for the survey on January 19, workers entered the northwest corner of the 1st floor of the reactor building and bored a hole at a location on the Containment Vessel where pipes would be inserted [as necessary?].

作業は４人１組で、１０組、合わせて４０人の態勢で行い、東京電力によりますと、短時間に作業を終えるため、２号機と同じタイプの５号機などで訓練を繰り返してきたということで、１７日の作業での被ばく線量は最大で３ミリシーベルトだったということです。東京電力では、１７日の作業が順調に進んだことから、予定どおり１９日、格納容器に内視鏡を入れるということで、格納容器の内部が観察できれば、２号機が初めてとなります。

The work was done by 40 workers in 10 teams, with each team consisting of 4 workers. According to TEPCO, they had been training on Reactor 5 as a mock-up exercise in order to complete the work in a short period of time. Reactor 5 is the same type as Reactor 2. The radiation exposure for the workers for the January 17 work was maximum 3 millisieverts. Now that the work has been successfully completed, TEPCO will proceed as scheduled, inserting the endoscope on January 19. If successful, Reactor 2's Containment Vessel interior will be viewed for the first time [since the accident].

(The following images are taken from this blog site.)

Here's the screen shot from the NHK News:

Here's at the Olympus site:

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