Wednesday morning update... Fukushima Daiichi

TEPCO will be increasing the amount of water injected to No. 1 plant incrementally and checking the results, preparatory to filling the primary containment (dry well) high enough to cover the fuel rods. Prior to doing this, they sent the robots in for a more detailed search and TEPCO has released for press use four photos of the robots' tour in No. 1 reactor building.

Below, one robot photographs another about to enter a pump room.


Next, a robot's camera looks at a local gauge reading dry well pressure - it appears to be 0.06 mPa.


Here is a shot taken of electrical cable conduit running to the dry well. They're looking for water leakage from the penetration, through or near the cable way.


Finally, a shot of a large equipment access hatch, again looking for water leakage.


TEPCO has released the fact that the robots detected a rad field of 112 R/hr inside the No. 1 reactor building, although it is not apparent just where this was.

In another development, TEPCO is becoming sure that the spent fuel pool at No. 4 plant is leaking somewhere, since the rate at which it's adding water can't be evaporating fast enough to account for the daily level loss. You'd have to wonder if the pool is cracked, or a spent fuel pool cooling system pipe leaking from quake / hydrogen burn damage.

More details as they're available.

6:00 AM Eastern Wednesday 4/27
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