We can all thank "Sarry" if things work out at the quake-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.
We can all thank "Sarry" if things work out at the quake-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co.
That is the name of a new system to purify highly radioactive water at the crippled facility northeast of Tokyo. TEPCO gave "Sarry" a trial run Aug. 16.
Developed by Toshiba Corp. and other companies, "Sarry" was brought in to stabilize the disposal of contaminated water in tandem with decontaminating equipment manufactured by Areva SA, the world's largest nuclear power service company, and a cesium absorber developed by Kurion Inc., a U.S. company handling waste disposal. These two devices have been in operation since mid-June.
The name stands for simplified active water retrieve and recovery system.
The new system features a structure similar to the cesium-absorber. Titanium silicate and synthetic zeolite--which absorb radioactive substances--are inserted into cylindrical containers, which are connected in line. Contaminated water is purified as it flows through the containers.
According to a road map released July 19 by the Japanese government and TEPCO, reactors at the plant will be brought to a stable state known as cold shutdown by January at the latest.