In Japan, the study of the power unit at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has begun: drones inspect the compartment, where robots could not reach
Kyiv • UNN
Japan has begun exploring the first unit of the Fukushima nuclear power plant with a small drone to check for fuel residue in places previously inaccessible to robots.
Destroyed as a result of a powerful earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 nuclear power plant "Fukushima-daiichi" in the city of Okuma in northeastern Japan will be investigated by a small drone, which should check the state of the remaining fuel inside the reactor of the first power unit. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun and the Associated Press.
Details
Units 1 through 3 of the Fukushima nuclear power plant are estimated to contain about 880 tons of molten fuel. To confirm the status of these fuel residues, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) began an investigation on February 28 by placing small drones inside the Unit 1 reactor containment vessel and photographing it from the inside.
The drone flight came after months of preparation and training, which began in July 2023 at a nearby mockup facility outside the factory.
Several drones, each weighing only 185 grams (6.5 ounces), are reported to be very maneuverable. The device is almost a square measuring about 18 centimeters on both sides and 5 centimeters thick, which is equipped with a front-loading high-resolution camera to send live video and higher quality images. TEPCO officials said they plan to use the new data to develop future probe technology.
Two drones were to survey the area around the ship's main structural support, called the pedestal, before deciding whether the other two could be sent inside, to an area inaccessible to previous probes. The pedestal is directly below the reactor core. The goal of the missions is to film the bottom of the core to find out how superheated fuel dripped there in 2011.
In addition, TEPCO's goal is to remove a small amount of molten debris from the least damaged No. 2 reactor as a test case by the end of March using a giant robotic arm.
The company was reportedly forced to postpone this due to difficulties in removing the sediment blocking its entrance. This one-month delay is in addition to an already nearly two-year delay.
Recall
The Fukushima nuclear power plant leaked radioactive water that contained 22 billion radioactive substances such as cesium and strontium that leaked into the surrounding soil.
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