The robot started to examine the first reactor the Japanese nuclear power plant “Fukushima-1”
TOKYO, March 14. /Offset. TASS Igor Belyaev/. The company-operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) on Tuesday began inspection of the first reactor of the nuclear power plant accident “Fukushima-1” using a special radio-controlled robot. This is stated in the message of the company.
The main task of the robot to explore the space between the inner shell of the reactor and its building, where, according to estimates by Japanese experts, must be melted in the accident 2011 nuclear fuel. Then it burned the inner lining of the reactor and fell to the bottom of the housing. There’s also accumulated large volumes of water that were used by liquidators to cool the reactor. It is expected that the robot will spend in the reactor vessel for four days, gathering video and photo.
Previously such work was conducted by TEPCO and to the second reactor, however, sent to the inspection apparatus has failed in its mission. Before it was sent to the other robot, which was supposed to clear the road, but it has failed due to high radiation levels.
The accident at the NPP “Fukushima-1” occurred in March 2011, when the tsunami hit the station has failed the power supply systems and cooling. As a result, three reactors melted fuel, which burned through the protective shell of the reactor. This was accompanied by hydrogen explosions and the release of large amounts of radioactive substances that led to the contamination of surrounding area. Currently, nuclear power plants are liquidation work continues on the decontamination of the affected areas.