Sampling robot for primary circuit pipelines of decommissioned nuclear facilities
Loading...
Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Abstract
Nuclear power plants, as one of the cornerstones of today's global and, most importantly, European energy sector, place considerably high demands on all stages from design and construction, through operation and control, to safe decommissioning at the end of the facility's life. A relatively large decommissioning process is underway in Europe, which will increase over the coming decades. This process of decommissioning nuclear facilities is closely linked to the objective assessment of the efficiency of decontamination processes. The present paper deals with techniques and technologies for obtaining samples from the hard-to-reach inner surface of the primary circuit of a nuclear reactor. Sampling by a service robot fitted with sampling probes is assumed to be performed under relatively dry conditions, i.e. before the application and after the discharge of the decontamination solution. The basis of the electro-pneumatic robot for default pipes with a diameter of 500 mm is an eight-wheel mobile platform with self-stabilizing capability thanks to inclined wheels. The robot is equipped with a pair of unique sampling probes and a fixing arm to position the robot in the pipeline during the sampling. The basis of the article is the technical solution of the service robot, with an emphasis on the functioning and efficiency of the sampling probes. The presented comprehensive system constitutes a proven knowledge base for the decommissioning of nuclear power facilities.
Description
Subject(s)
Decommissioning, Nuclear power plant, Radioactive contamination, Sampling probe, Service robot
Citation
ISSN
9265805