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Title: Use of a remotely operated vehicle (submarine) for nuclear plant inspections

Abstract

This paper describes the use of a specialized remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to perform visual inspections underwater in nuclear power plant. An underwater ROV, or minisubmarine, for visual inspections has several advantages over the more traditional camera-on-a-pole techniques and can perform some inspections easily that in the past were considered too difficult to conduct remotely. Other advantages include radiation dose savings, outage critical path savings, and reduced manpower and expenses. Some of the principal advantages of the ROV is its maneuverability, accessibility, and stability. This ROV is remarkably stable and has some stationary positioning capabilities. A necessary inspection inside a boiling water reactor (BWR) steam drier would not have been practical using other techniques. Containment suppression pool inspection was once considered nearly impossible using conventional remote inspection equipment; however, the ROV has reduced this mammoth task to one of a few person-days without the risk of having a diver in the water. Inside the BWR vessel this unit can inspect everything above the top guide. Because of the radiation-resistant color camera, the ROV proved extremely helpful during fuel movement for fuel assembly identification, orientation, and core verification. Fuel pools, reactor cavities, and storage pools all have liner seam welds thatmore » the ROV can readily inspect while they are flooded without interfering with other work occurring simultaneously.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5267972
Report Number(s):
CONF-890833-
Journal ID: CODEN: TANSB; TRN: 90-002818
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Supplement; (USA)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 59; Conference: 14. biennial conference on reactor operating experience: plant operations - the human element, Charlotte, NC (USA), 6-9 Aug 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; BWR TYPE REACTORS; REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS; INSPECTION; ROBOTS; USES; CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS; ECONOMICS; FUEL POOLS; LINERS; MODIFICATIONS; PRESSURE SUPPRESSION; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION PROTECTION; REMOTE VIEWING EQUIPMENT; SUBMARINES; TRAINING; VERIFICATION; WELDED JOINTS; CONTAINMENT; COOLING SYSTEMS; DOSES; ENERGY SYSTEMS; ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT; JOINTS; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTORS; SHIPS; WATER COOLED REACTORS; WATER MODERATED REACTORS; 210100* - Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Light-Water Moderated, Boiling Water Cooled

Citation Formats

Duink, S S, and Adam, J D. Use of a remotely operated vehicle (submarine) for nuclear plant inspections. United States: N. p., 1989. Web.
Duink, S S, & Adam, J D. Use of a remotely operated vehicle (submarine) for nuclear plant inspections. United States.
Duink, S S, and Adam, J D. 1989. "Use of a remotely operated vehicle (submarine) for nuclear plant inspections". United States.
@article{osti_5267972,
title = {Use of a remotely operated vehicle (submarine) for nuclear plant inspections},
author = {Duink, S S and Adam, J D},
abstractNote = {This paper describes the use of a specialized remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to perform visual inspections underwater in nuclear power plant. An underwater ROV, or minisubmarine, for visual inspections has several advantages over the more traditional camera-on-a-pole techniques and can perform some inspections easily that in the past were considered too difficult to conduct remotely. Other advantages include radiation dose savings, outage critical path savings, and reduced manpower and expenses. Some of the principal advantages of the ROV is its maneuverability, accessibility, and stability. This ROV is remarkably stable and has some stationary positioning capabilities. A necessary inspection inside a boiling water reactor (BWR) steam drier would not have been practical using other techniques. Containment suppression pool inspection was once considered nearly impossible using conventional remote inspection equipment; however, the ROV has reduced this mammoth task to one of a few person-days without the risk of having a diver in the water. Inside the BWR vessel this unit can inspect everything above the top guide. Because of the radiation-resistant color camera, the ROV proved extremely helpful during fuel movement for fuel assembly identification, orientation, and core verification. Fuel pools, reactor cavities, and storage pools all have liner seam welds that the ROV can readily inspect while they are flooded without interfering with other work occurring simultaneously.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5267972}, journal = {Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Supplement; (USA)},
number = ,
volume = 59,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989}
}

Conference:
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