Adaptation of the IBM ECR (electric cantilever robot) robot to plutonium processing applications

Conference · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6237631

Armantrout, G A; Pedrotti, L R ^[1]; Halter, E A; Crossfield, M ^[2]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
2. International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY (USA)

The changing regulatory climate in the US is adding increasing incentive to reduce operator dose and TRU waste for DOE plutonium processing operations. To help achieve that goal the authors have begun adapting a small commercial overhead gantry robot, the IBM electric cantilever robot (ECR), to plutonium processing applications. Steps are being taken to harden this robot to withstand the dry, often abrasive, environment within a plutonium glove box and to protect the electronic components against alpha radiation. A mock-up processing system for the reduction of the oxide to a metal was prepared and successfully demonstrated. Design of a working prototype is now underway using the results of this mock-up study. 7 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6237631
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-105782; CONF-910223-13; ON: DE91007614; TRN: 91-006076
• Resource Relation: Conference: 4. topical meeting on robotics and remote systems, Albuquerque, NM (USA), 24-28 Feb 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOTE HANDLING
ROBOTS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
ACCURACY
ALPHA PARTICLES
AUTOMATION
CONTAINERS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
ENVIRONMENT
GLOVEBOXES
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY
MAINTENANCE
MANIPULATORS
MODIFICATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION DOSES
REGULATIONS
REPAIR
US DOE
USA
USES
ACTINIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
DOSES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
054000* - Nuclear Fuels- Health & Safety
052001 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Processing
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
440200 - Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems