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International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning found no nuclear fuel nor water in Fukushima reactor 1

IRID SAW no fuel or water remaining in reactor core of Reactor 1  http://fukushima-diary.com/2015/03/irid-saw-no-fuel-or-water-remaining-in-reactor-core-of-reactor-1/   Iori Mochizuki Following up this article.  Tepco to start “scanning” inside of Reactor 1 in early February by using muon [URL] IRID (International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning) and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization announced they could not find a potential part of nuclear fuel in Reactor core of Reactor 1.

On 3/19/2015, they released the prompt report of their “scanning” test implemented until 3/10/2015.

The report tells they could not find anything longer than 1m in reactor core, where originally fuel assemblies were set.

The muon equipment was installed in North of Reactor 1 and also in North-West of Reactor 1. However, neither of them detected a potential fuel assembly.

Also, no water is retained in the reactor core of RPV (Reactor Pressure Vessel). These facts found strongly supports the possibility that the molten fuel has already dropped onto the bottom of Primary Containment Vessel. They did not mention the further possibility that the molten fuel has already gone through the outer wall of the vessel.

About the state of Spent Fuel Pool 1, they did not conclude more than “assuming the fuel remains inside the pool, but the size is not identified”.

March 21, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Fukushima 2015