Penetration from the robotic telescope. (Image Credit: TEPCO)
Telesco, a remote-controlled extendable robot, recently retrieved a small amount of melted fuel from a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. According to the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), Telesco collected a piece of gravel measuring approximately 0.2 inches atop a mound of molten fuel resting at the bottom of the primary containment vessel of reactor No. 2. Its frontal grippers held onto the piece of fuel before storing it in an enclosed container.
An earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused the Fukushima Daiichi plant to lose one of its cooling systems, leading to meltdowns in its three reactors. There are still 880 tons of radioactive molten fuels in the reactors. TEPCO has sent in robotic probes to determine the best way to retire the plant.
This was the first time the melted fuel was collected from the containment vessel. However, the task only ends when the melted fuel sample radioactivity falls beneath the required standard and is stored inside a container. The robot will need to return to the reactor if the radioactivity level is too high and grab another sample.
The small sample can provide insight into building the right technology and robots, planning a decommissioning strategy, and how the incident occurred.
The robot extends its arms 22 meters, reaching the target to grab a sample of the melted fuel. It uses a device with tongs hanging over the robot’s tip to achieve this.
Originally set in August, the mission experienced some technical issues, causing it to temporarily halt. For starters, the pipes designed to push the robot were placed in the wrong order, and they couldn’t be corrected before radiation exposure. Later on, two cameras that provided a video feed of the target stopped working; this meant the robot had to be removed for camera replacements.
TEPCO and the government established a 30 to 40-year cleanup timeline. However, experts believe this may seem too optimistic and needs to be revised. There aren’t any plans to completely remove the fuel debris or its final disposal.
Have a story tip? Message me at: http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell