Monju: The In-Vessel Transfer Machine Has Been Pulled Out

3rd time charm.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency who runs the Monju Fast Breeder Reactor announced the In-Vessel Transfer Machine (IVTM) was successfully pulled out of the reactor at 4:55AM JST on June 24.

More about → Monju: The In-Vessel Transfer Machine Has Been Pulled Out

Monju: Pull-Out of In-Vessel Transfer Machine Still On-Going

(UPDATE: The technical glitch that delayed the start of the operation was a argon gas leak at the bottom of the container that would hold the IVTM as it was being pulled out of the reactor. Argon gas fills the reactor to prevent air from entering the sodium-cooled reactor. Information from Fukui Shinbun.)

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The attempt to remove the 3.3-ton In-Vessel Transfer Machine from the Monju fast breeder reactor was supposed to start in the morning of June 23 JST, and the operation was supposed to be over by now (3:00AM JST on June 24). However, some technical glitches delayed the start, and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) who runs the reactor decided to halt the operation until June 23 night.

From Fukui Shinbun, local newspaper in Fukui Prefecture where Monju sits (5:59PM JST 6/23/2011):

高速増殖炉「もんじゅ」（福井県敦賀市）で原子炉容器内に炉内中継装置が落下したトラブルをめぐり、日本原子力研究開発機構が２３日午後に行う予定の引き抜き作業は、機器類の調整などに手間取り、夜以降にずれ込んだ。同日中に作業が始まり順調に進めば、翌２４日午前には回収を終える見通し。

The operation to pull out the In-Vessel Transfer Machine from the Monju Fast Breeder Reactor, which was scheduled to commence in the afternoon of June 23 was delayed till after the nightfall due to delay in preparing the necessary equipment for the operation. If the operation starts sometime on June 23 and everything goes smoothly, the IVTM will be out of the reactor sometime in the morning of June 24.

The operation is supposed to last for 8 to 9 hours.

According to the press release from the JAEA, the operation finally started at 8:50PM JST on June 23. There is no explanation of the cause of the delay. The press release has one picture of the operation, taken at 9:30PM:

There have been doubts expressed whether the operation is technically feasible.

More about → Monju: Pull-Out of In-Vessel Transfer Machine Still On-Going

Monju: They Will Try to Pull Out the In-Vessel Transfer Machine on June 23

(UPDATE: Operation started late, and it is still on-going as of 11:24AM Pacific Standard Time in the US. See my post.)

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The 3.3-ton In-Vessel Transfer Machine (IVTM) dropped back inside the Reactor Vessel of Monju Fast Breeder Reactor in August last year, when they were finishing up on exchanging the fuel rods. The past 2 attempts to pull out the IVTM were unsuccessful.

This time, by removing the "sleeves" (part of the lid) with the 12-meter-long IVTM, they think they can pull the whole thing out and without any air entering the reactor.

According to Fukui Shinbun (6/22/2011), they will pull out very slowly (6 centimeters/minute), and the entire process is expected to last 8 to 9 hours.

The coolant of this reactor is sodium, which burns on contact with air. The reactor uses MOX-fuel.

Information from Monju site on how to pull out the In-Vessel Transfer Machine (blue rod in the diagram):

TV Asahi did a documentary on Monju in June, in which you get to see the inside of Monju:

増殖炉事故 [もんじゅ] 現場で何が・・・内部取材 by sean2010jp

About 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the documentary, a local councilman shouts at the Monju operators after the sodium leak and fire accident in 1995: "A courage to climb the mountain? You need a courage to quit, you idiot!"

About 10 minutes into the documentary, you get to see the inside of the Containment Vessel of Monju. Brightly lit, cavernous hall. We cannot assume the safety of the reactor, but if there is no radiation leak, it means it is safe, says the engineer.

17, 18 minutes into the documentary, you see the public buildings built by Tsuruga City with the money from the government for having nuclear reactors. The documentary then shows the local fishermen reluctant to say anything about Monju. One elderly man says "Safe, of course it's safe." One elderly woman says "I can't answer anything", when asked about the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

More about → Monju: They Will Try to Pull Out the In-Vessel Transfer Machine on June 23