Robotic Solutions for Remote Access and Retrieval of High-Level Radioactive Waste - 19544
This paper describes the ongoing development of robotic solutions for accessing and retrieving high-level radioactive waste from underground storage bins as part of the Calcine Retrieval Project at the INL Site. The waste is in the form of a solid powder, referred to as calcine, stored in a set of stainless steel bins within an underground concrete vault. Due to the radiation field produced by the calcine, all operations must be performed remotely. The Calcine Retrieval Project is currently carrying out proof-of-concept testing of methods for the various stages of calcine retrieval. The bins were designed with no means for access, so retrieval operations will require welding access riser pipes to the bins, followed by cutting through the bin walls from within the risers. These tasks are complicated by the fact that four of the risers must be placed off center on a domed surface, resulting in a weld joint that is curved and tilted relative to the riser axis. The Access Riser Connection robot is being developed to perform these operations using interchangeable welding and plasma cutting attachments. The majority of the calcine will be removed using a vacuum system and pneumatically transferred to storage. This system is not described in this paper. However, the bins contain several internal features that are expected to retain calcine, most notably circumferential stiffening rings on the walls and radial ribs on the floors. One of the solutions being developed for the task of retrieving this residual calcine is a vacuum crawler, a wheeled robot using vacuum to adhere to the interior walls of the bins. The vacuum crawler would use a separate vacuum system to remove residual calcine or would use compressed air to move calcine to a location from which it can be retrieved more easily. While comparable welding and wall-climbing robots have been developed before, this particular application has several constraints that are not satisfied by existing systems. For this reason, both the access riser welder and the vacuum crawler, although still under development, may be of interest to other projects faced with similar constraints. (author)