Telerobot tool maintenance using master-slave manipulators

Technical Report · Thu Aug 20 04:00:00 EDT 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7179671· OSTI ID:7179671

Kriikku, E M

The Savannah River Site (SRS) will process large bulky transuranic (TRU) waste items with a robotic gantry manipulator. The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) built a TRU Waste Test Facility (TWTF) to demonstrate this concept. The test robot uses several tools (i.e. plasma torch, chain saw, and gripper) to open, size reduce, and repackage simulated waste items. Waste processing campaigns in the TWTF show the various robot tools require periodic maintenance, such as replacing the torch tip and replacing saw blades. The primary objectives of this test were to determine if standard master-slave manipulators (MSMS) can complete remote robot tool maintenance, and if so, how long does the maintenance take. Test results show that MSMs completed 5 of 8 tool maintenance tasks attempted, and each task took 15 minutes or less. The three tasks that couldn't be completed involved specially designed tools, and these tools could be redesigned to allow remote MSM maintenance. MSMs can complete robot tool maintenance in a reasonable amount of time. This conclusion supports the SRS philosophy of remotely processing large bulky TRU waste items using a robotic gantry manipulator.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 7179671
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR-92-428; ON: DE93002693
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
42 ENGINEERING
420203* -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
CUTTING TOOLS
EQUIPMENT
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MAINTENANCE
MANAGEMENT
MANIPULATORS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PACKAGING
PERFORMANCE
PROCESSING
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
ROBOTS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
TOOLS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES