Houdini: Site and locomotion analysis-driven design of an in-tank mobile cleanup robot

Conference · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:653987

Schempf, H

This paper describes design and locomotion analysis efforts to develop a new reconfigurable and collapsible working machine, dubbed Houdini, to remotely clean up hazardous-waste and petroleum storage tanks. The tethered robot system is designed to allow remote entry through man-way openings as small as 0.61 m in diameter, after which it expands its locomotors and opens up its collapsible backhoe/manipulator and plow to subsequently perform waste or material handling operations. The design is optimized to meet stringent site and safety requirements, and represents a viable alternative to (1) the long-reach manipulation systems proposed for hazardous storage tank cleanup, and (2) confined-entry manual cleanup approaches. The system development has been funded to provide waste mobilization and removal solutions for the hazardous waste storage tanks in the Department of Energy (DoE) Fernald and Oak Ridge complexes. Other potential applications areas are the cleanup of heavy-crude petroleum storage tanks. The author has developed a fully operational prototype which is currently undergoing testing.

• Research Organization: Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AR21-95MC32092
• OSTI ID: 653987
• Report Number(s): CONF-951006--41; ON: DE98004747; BR: EW4035000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
05 NUCLEAR FUELS
42 ENGINEERING
CLEANING
DESIGN
OPERATION
PETROLEUM
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMEDIAL ACTION
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
ROBOTS
STORAGE FACILITIES
WASTE RETRIEVAL