Glimpses inside containment vessel

April 17, 2015

Water inside containment vessel filmed by robot

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150417_42.html

Apr. 17, 2015 - Updated 14:46 UTC+2

A second robotic probe into a reactor containment vessel at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant has captured a clear image of tainted water at its bottom.

Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company released the footage on Friday.

It sent the remote-controlled robot into the vessel at the No.1 reactor 2 days ago to assess its interior damage and radiation levels.

The 1 minute and 20 second footage shows water reflecting the light from the robot. The operator says the water is about 2.8 meters deep, judging from the position of the reflection. The figure is similar to data obtained by other means.

The footage also shows a platform in the vessel covered with a large amount of rust. Equipment surfaces have deteriorated severely.

The utility says the surface was painted before the nuclear accident. The paint might have come off due to severe heat from the meltdown.

The utility dispatched the first robot last Friday but after going in about a dozen meters it couldn't move.
The firm plans to use the second robot still inside the vessel to again film the area where the first robot conducted an incomplete survey.