NDA PhD BursaryDecommissioning Working Group (DWG) Research Themes - Presenters

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Penny Birtle, Magnox Ltd & Christina Alexander, EDF (DWG Co-Chairs / Introduction)

Dr Paul Mort PhD MBA MIMechE CEng Fnucl, Sellafield Ltd

Andrew Cooney, Sellafield Ltd

30th September 2015

NWDRF Decommissioning Working Group (DWG)

• Promoting cross-industry sharing and learning of nuclear decommissioning technologies and experience covering the full life cycle of decommissioning.

• Represented by NDA SLCs (Magnox, DSRL, LLWR, Sellafield Ltd) other nuclear operators (EDF, AWE), organisations (GDS) and NDA.

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Decommissioning Working Group (DWG) Research Themes

• Characterisation & Analysis- Identifying ‘what’ is ‘where’ – the ability to take measurements at the workface within

enclosed radiological environments.

• Waste Treatment Methods- Consolidation of contamination / cheap to employ with minimal infrastructure.- Remote tools for size reduction, dismantling, waste segregation, handling, penetrating

vessels and pipework simply.

• Decontamination- Interest in dry methods, avoiding chemicals & minimising generation of liquid / aerial

discharges.

• Robotics & Autonomous Systems (RAS)

- to enable entry into difficult to access / contaminated environments to support characterisation, waste treatment and other decommissioning activities.

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Problem statement

“There are a number of plant areas on numerous sites where manual work cannot be undertaken owing to challenging radiological and conventional safety environments. There is a need for remote capability for dismantling / deconstruction of plant, size reduction and waste segregation to enable decommissioning of these areas”

4Minimal space and high radiation environments

Complex plant architecture

Different materials in different geometries

Limited penetrations / access points and limited visualisation by operators

Solution Wish List

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• Ease of device management across its lifecycle (i.e. easy to build, deploy, maintain and decontaminate).

• Minimal intervention required to deploy.• Radiation tolerance.• Reliability – minimised downtime.• Cost effectiveness – can control systems be used on multiple bits of kit from

different suppliers.• Low cost solutions.• Visualisation of “invisible” plant areas by operators.• Ability to use in complex and congested spaces.• Interchangeable tooling – one device that can be re-tooled to do everything

(cutting, unbolting and grabbing).• Effective cutting technology for different materials and geometries.

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Robotics

 • ‘These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in

dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behaviour, and/or cognition.’

• To day robotics is the ‘body’ of the system which includes the sensors, tools and deployments systems, with no or limited automatic behaviour.

• The operator has complete control of the device and interprets the sensors, moves the deployment system and operates the tools.

What is Robotics and Autonomous systems

Autonomous intelligence

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• ‘An autonomous agent is an intelligent agent operating on an owner's behalf but without any interference of that ownership entity.’

• To day an autonomous intelligent system can be thought of as the ‘brain’ of a system, but requires inputs to act on (Sensors), and links to the outside world to interact with via ‘deployment systems’ (e.g. arms and vehicles) and tools (e.g. grippers and shears).

Sellafield RAS Vision

• ‘Robust, RAS technologies delivering operations on site that is, safer for the operative, the facilities and the environment and reduces the site hazard quicker and cheaper.’

(under development)

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RAS Strategy goals

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• Predictable costs and timescales: – Tried and test RAS capabilities ready for use.

• Performance improvements to existing capabilities:– Applying seamlessly new technologies and processes to existing capabilities

• Generate a paradigm shift in future business:– Looking into the future and predicting what it might look like and making it

happen.

• The first choice for nuclear operations: – Making RAS technologies more efficient than sending a human operative into a

harsh environment.

Key Challenges

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• Incremental changes– Identifying risk in the Life Time Plan and mitigating them– Identify needs and providing for them

• Future Scenarios– Opportunities (focus today)

VISION OF THE FUTURE

Understand our challenge

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Future Scenario

Help to Define

Site Challenge: Manual

decommissioning operations

Site Challenge: Characterisation of the facilities

Site Challenge: Remote

decommissioning Operations

Site Challenge: POCO cleaning

the plant of Decommissioning

Typical Sites Challenges

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• Manual Cell entry– Operator safety– Tools available– Time at the work face– Secondary waste– Weight of material that

can be handled

Typical Site Challenges

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• Remote Decommissioning– High cost– Long time to deployment– Slow compared to man entry– Bespoke (difference system

need for each task)– Needs a structured environment– Hard to predict cost (high

financial risk)

RAS

Same approach with a twist!!!

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Future vision of the use of RAS

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• This area needs development but here is some present thoughts– Enhanced operator cell entry– Enhanced remote – Intelligent hand tools– Search and characterise cells and environments

These are just a few ideas to get your thoughts going

Protective suit

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Hand tools

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Big data Analysis

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Operator enhancements

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Real time information as it is needed

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Remote Handling

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Characterization and analysis

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Transform to suit the tasks

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Characterization

• Characterization in hard to reach environments or increase the numbers for clean-up activities

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From Vision to Reality

• Start off with a vision of how your development will work as a whole

• Break it down into the functional requirements needed to achieve your vision

• Then develop the functional requirement

The next couple of slides gives an example

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Future Scenario Development

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Future Vision Main Functional requirement

Sub-Functional Requirement

Main Functional requirement

Sub-Functional Requirement

Main Functions

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Future man entry into a hazardous

environment (Man in a cell)

Protect the Operative in a

cell

Stop the Cell interacting

with the man

Man in the cell using

tools

Pre-task Plan

Task support

Sub functions

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Protect the Operative in a

cell

Protective suits

Intelligent materialsSelf cleaning

Self repair

Head up displaysHazard detection

Environment status (Inside Suit and external to suit)Suit condition

Recovery systems

Life Support(Breathing, hazard

avoidance)

Sub function

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Task support

Control of tools

Dismantling plan

Cut plan

Image recognitionStrategy planningRoute planning

Heads up display management

Image recognitionCut planning

Off line planningHeads up display

Image recognitionCut planning

Off line planningHeads up display

Disruptive external technologies

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Inventory and Characterisation

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Protecting People

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Decontamination

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Waste water treatment by SMS Facet

Dismantling 1

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Dismantling 2

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Care and Maintenance

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Remediation of Contaminated Land

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Tech transfer opportunities

• Tech transfer opportunities from space

• High radiation• People in hazardous environments• Autonomy/sensors in planetary explorers• Low energy again in planetary explorers

• Tech transfer from military• Armour/protection• Command and control• Shaped explosives• Seeing through walls

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