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Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said Friday that it sent a robot into the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's No. 2 reactor to perform preliminary checks before the installation of a new thermometer.
TEPCO said that one of the thermometers in the reactor, used to judge whether the reactor is in a state of quasi-cold shutdown, had started to report unusual readings and was thought to be malfunctioning. It was decided to send a robot into the reactor building in order to determine whether or not it was possible to install a new thermometer, TBS reported.
Inside the reactor building, the robot was exposed to around 1-3 milliseiverts per hour of radiation, a figure which TEPCO says was lower than expected. It also said the robot emerged from its inspection undamaged, TBS reported.
Based on that data, TEPCO said that it intends to continue carrying out checks to assess the viability of the proposed installation.
© Japan Today
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Utrack
Correction: The robot was exposed to 1.64 sievert/hour or 1,640 millisieverts/hour.
SquidBert
TEPCO said ..... blah blah ...... "quasi-cold shutdown"
I am glad to hear that "cold shutdown" is not being used and has been changed to "quasi-cold shutdown", did that really come from TEPCO, or was 'quasi' something that was added by Japan Today?
Aqualung
Except for the spot where the concrete is melting we have cold shutdown conditions. If we pump the cold water fast enough no one will notice as long as the robot can break that badly placed thermometer.
gaijinTechie
The are many rescue robot types in Japan, but none for nuclear disasters due to Tepco's "cannot happen in Japan" resistance. The jury-rigged robot with huge heavy shieldings failed inside last summer, and they've been using American robots ever since. I'm glad they finally got up to speed, but I hope this one doesn't trip on the carcass of the previous attempt.i
kurisupisu
'Inside the reactor building, the robot was exposed to around 1-3 milliseiverts per hour of radiation, a figure which TEPCO says was lower than expected'
There have been previous reports of 10 millisieverts an hour outside reactors one and two so how the hell could the inside now be only 1-3 millisieverts?????????
I measure 0.12 millisieverts in my house and that is around background level the above figure is a mistake!
Or maybe disinformation?
Utrack
1,640 Millisieverts/Hr Radiation in #Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 2 Bldg.
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2012/03/1640-millisievertshr-radiation-in.html
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120323_01-e.pdf
BessonovYan
@kurisupisuMar. 24, 2012 - 04:12PM JST
If it true so very bad news. That is means what radioactive material was move from own zone to outside. Inside is less than in outside.
May be they have not reliable information. I can not understand reasons why TEPCO don not use infrared camera as temperature sensor. That method can do more information about reactor. So it difficult problem but TEPCO do not use world experience for solving own problems.
Also i can not understand why Japan, JAXA not start R&D of robots for own atomic electro station while they exists. That is fantastic carelessness.