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RADWASTE | ROBOTICS & REMOTE TECHNOLOGY


Far left: NAVISWORKS Model showing the robot preparing an empty waste container by removing the 28 lid bolts


Centre: Robot at the test facility aligning the on-board tool changer with the bolting tool located in the tool rack


Left: Robot aligning the on-board vision system with waste container bolt storage holes. This is a pre-test prior to using the bolting tool with waste container lid bolts


when they were removed from the reactor for reprocessing. The silo also holds significant quantities of Magnox swarf and other items, which were not recorded in detail. The atmosphere inside the silo is inerted with naturally


fire-suppressant argon gas. Cavendish Nuclear has been contracted to access the legacy waste, remove it and load it into containers ready for transfer to safer, longer term storage.


While the presence of radiation and unknown materials behind the sealed doors of the compartments making up the PFCS make it “one of the most significant radiological challenges in the UK”, according to Cavendish Nuclear, the project is, at heart, about transferring hazardous material from a legacy storage facility into high integrity containers ready for long term storage. The Cavendish team decided that the best way of delivering the project was to keep it simple: to employ straightforward manufacturing techniques and use established technology and equipment that is as near to being standard commercial off-the-shelf as practical. “The PFCS is similar in design to a Canadian grain silo but


rather more robust; a lot of thought went into it,” says Glenn Moss, engineering manager at Cavendish Nuclear. “The waste has been in the silo for 50-plus years and it was not built with emptying in mind. Delivering the project is very, very difficult.” Cavendish was keen from an early stage to use


automation, robots and remotely-guided vehicles, to minimise risk to personnel. Human labour would not be feasible when dealing with radioactive material.


The process and methodology were rehearsed on a


replica and training retrievals facility site at Babcock International’s facility in Rosyth, Scotland. “The new containers are transported into the cell via an


automated guided vehicle where the KUKA KR150 robot arm unscrews all the bolts on the lid,” says Moss. “The container is then moved along to a vertical access shaft, where it is lifted 14 metres to the first storey level and the lid removed prior to sealing onto the retrievals module,” he continues. “A crane, located at first floor level, reaches into the silo,


removes waste material and places it into the container. When it is full, the lid is replaced and container is lowered back to ground level.” Dave Burns, nuclear technical sales at KUKA Robotics,


adds: “The KR150 replaces the lid bolts and tightens to predetermined torque levels. It then rubs a swab around the outside of the lid’s seal, which is analysed for any contamination.” Although the KUKA KR150 robot itself is working in a


radiologically clean area, it is exposed to radiation from the filled waste containers. So, it is slightly modified so that components that might be compromised by radiation are relocated away from it and shielded. These are primarily the PCBs; the motors and hydraulics have not, in KUKA’s extensive experience, been affected by radiation. The staff operating the process have received special


training and gained new skills in operating automated equipment. More importantly, they have a much safer working environment. ■


All photos courtesy Cavendish Nuclear


Far left: Robot at the test facility being taught the swabbing sequence manually via the Robot KRC4 controller


Centre: Robot being taught the swabbing sequence, as above. This sequence will be followed with a swab in the gripper once the operator is satisfied with the set-up


left: Software engineer pre-checking the robot control panels outside of the test cell


www.neimagazine.com | August 2021 | 31


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