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First drone probe of melted fuel inside Fukushima Daiichi reactor halted due to equipment glitch

24 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

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24 Comments
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The radiation level is 15 SIEVERTS per hour.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Drones the size of a human hand being flowing into very small spaces. Extremely limited wifi range requiring robotic relay devices. All in a highly radio active area. No easy task just to take a peek, not to mention the cleanup. Would just get harder with dead drones and robots to maneuver around.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Now who could have possibly predicted such a thing?

Was it yesterday or the day before J-T had an article about the plan to send drones into the reactors and many replied why it hadn't happened sooner. But in such a highly radioactive environment with no line of sight comms directly to the operator, requiring a different robot to act as a comms relay, it is not so easy a thing to do.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

This is what happens when you have the clowns running the circus. I’m not saying it is an easy task but aren’t they supposed to be experts?

Obviously they are not experts and you are completely correct in pointing that out and ridiculing them. However, please don't be cruel and contact them some time, maybe just give them a few pointers. They need advice from a real expert.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

The truth is hidden somewhere in the quote from the article above. Is the crawler stalled and actually blocking the single entry/exit(?):

"The first two drones Wednesday captured images showing enough space for the other two to reach the particular area that TEPCO's experts wanted to examine.

Thursday's flights were canceled after a snake-shaped crawling robot, designed to transmit data from a drone's high-definition camera to the control room, stalled before reaching a targeted position, said TEPCO spokesperson Kenichi Takahara.

The cause of its failuire is under investigation, Takahara said without elaborating."

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They need time to clear up

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Mr KiplingToday 07:01 am JST

Why not ask the Russians or Iranians to borrow some of their drones. They seem to be quite able to find their targets.

So can Ukrainian ones. No need to turn to fascist countries for drones.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

So it's not a glitch

What was it then?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Nothing has happened like this before so TEPCO is short on technical knowledge. Each time there is a failure lessons are learned for the next attempt. This will go on for more than 50 years.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Seal that darned thing with a concrete dome.

Not possible because of underground water. The molten fuel needs a constant supply of cooling water for decades. A tunnel under the damaged reactors would be needed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Unfortunate, but glitches like this are to be expected. The important thing is to keep going and, as the decommissioning chief says, be careful.

LindsayToday 07:26 am JST

I’m not saying it is an easy task but aren’t they supposed to be experts?

Yes, they are experts but this is totally unprecedented work even for experts, from any country. Things like this will happen.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Lindsay

After 13 years they have made their first attempt at sending a drone in to inspect the radioactive debris and it failed

Is that true? Got a source for the claim? My understanding was that they tried robots many times, but they always fail (like this one) because of the extremely strong radiation.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

ok1517Today 05:40 am JST

Not too much news here!

It's the "Never-ending-story"!

Seal that darned thing with a concrete dome.

Or does TEOCO want to restart it once everything is taken care of - which would be in +50 years?

It's going to melt through any floor that is under it without continuous water applied and we know how easy it has been to get rid of the water...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Japan should rely on Chinese drones for reliability.

Where did you test that reliability? Are you hiding broken reactors over there, comrade?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Go cry me a safety spring.

If you smell burnt toast immediately call 119.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

ZaphodToday 02:26 pm JST

My understanding was that they tried robots many times, but they always fail (like this one) because of the extremely strong radiation.

Yes, you're right that they've tried multiple times. I did a quick search, and it seems not all of these efforts have failed (though some definitely have). For instance, here's an article from 2017 that talks of a "successful robotic exploration of the Unit 1 Primary Containment Vessel:"

https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2017/1398202_10469.html

And here's an overview of the robots in use, for anyone interested:

https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/decommision/principles/robot/index-e.html

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So it's not a glitch

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

After 13 years they have made their first attempt at sending a drone in to inspect the radioactive debris and it failed. This is what happens when you have the clowns running the circus. I’m not saying it is an easy task but aren’t they supposed to be experts?

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

everytime I see "Unfortunate, buts" "glitches…" incoming

it smells like-sniffsniff

just like it sounds.

Go cry me a safety spring.

Always another fresh batch of reasons about easy cheap safe

and always another round of … unfortunate buts

Hm posts go fast n furious in here like (snapchattoday)

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Fried by radiation blast no doubt.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Not too much news here!

It's the "Never-ending-story"!

Seal that darned thing with a concrete dome.

Or does TEOCO want to restart it once everything is taken care of - which would be in +50 years?

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Japan should rely on Chinese drones for reliability. the Japanese incompetence is annoying....

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Why not ask the Russians or Iranians to borrow some of their drones. They seem to be quite able to find their targets.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

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