High radiation levels in Fukushima nuclear plant suggest core leak – ‘Water entombment’ procedure started anyway
By arevamirpal::laprimavera
27 April 2011 Fukushima 1 nuke plant: 1120 millisieverts/hr – That high level of radiation would indicate the highly radioactive water from the Pressure Vessel may be leaking outside the Containment Vessel, but TEPCO has decided to go ahead with the plan. From Yomiuri Shinbun (1:17 PM JST 4/27/2011):東京電力は２７日、福島第一原子力発電所１号機の原子炉に行っている注水の量を一時的に増やす試験を始めた。 On April 27, TEPCO started the test to increase the amount of water being injected into the Pressure Vessel of the Reactor 1 at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. 注水量の増加に伴う水位などの変化を調べるのが目的。格納容器の上部まで水を満たして原子炉ごと冷やす「水棺」の本格化に向けた作業となる。 The purpose of the test is to observe the change in water level by increased water injection. It is a step toward the “water entombment” that will involve filling the Containment Vessel with water to cool the Pressure Vessel. 注水量は２７日午前１０時、従来の毎時６トンから１０トンに増加した。同午後４時過ぎには１４トンに増やす。この状態を１８時間続けた後、２８日朝に６トンに戻して試験を終了させる。その後、ロボットを使い、漏水などが起きていないか調べる。 The amount of water was increased from the previous 6 tons/hour to 10 tons/hour at 10:00AM on April 27. It is to be increased to 14 tons/hour starting at 4:00PM for 18 hours, and then to be decreased to 6 tons/hour again in the morning of April 28. After that, the robots will go in to check whether there is any leak. 東電は、２６日のロボットを使った事前調査で、建屋内の数値としては最高の毎時１１２０ミリ・シーベルトの放射線量を記録した場所があったことを 明らかにした。原子炉からの高濃度の汚染水が漏れている可能性があるが、東電は約２時間にわたる調査で漏れ箇所が発見できなかったとして、水棺作業の実施 を決断した。 TEPCO disclosed that during the preliminary survey of the reactor building using the robots on April 26 there was a location that registered 1,120 milli-sieverts/hour, the highest so far for the radiation level inside the plant buildings. It is possible that the highly radioactive water is leaking from the reactor, but TEPCO decided to go ahead with the “water entombment” after no leak was found during the 2-hour survey.
Total 312 tons of water is to be injected before the test is over. We’ll find soon enough if there’s more Murphy…
