Robotics application for in-service inspection of the ALMR. [Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor (ALMR)]

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:7368613

Kwant, W; Ramsour, N L ^[1]; Sweeney, F J ^[2]

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1. General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (United States). Nuclear Energy Div.
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

The US Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor (ALMR) Program is developing and licensing a reactor system that is compact for factory fabrication and modular construction. The design includes provisions for in-service inspection to verify performance and safety capabilities throughout the life of the plant. A DOE sponsored robotics team, comprised of members from the universities of Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas and from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is developing advanced inspection equipment using robotics for nuclear application. This equipment is compact and remotely operated and particularly suited for inspection of the ALMR. Extensive 3D simulations are used to refine and demonstrate the inspection methods. This paper focuses on inspection methods for the reactor vessel and the reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS). Inspection capabilities are included for visual inspection of the reactor vessel outer surface and volumetric inspection of the welds. The robotics team is devising a compact crawler design with the capabilities to perform these inspections. Similarly, various robot concepts are being evaluated for accomplishing the RVACS visual inspection and cleaning procedures.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 7368613
• Report Number(s): CONF-930352-20; ON: DE93015186
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500 -- Power Reactors
Breeding
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
42 ENGINEERING
420203 -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
AUTOMATION
CONTAINERS
CONTROL
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
IN-SERVICE INSPECTION
INSPECTION
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
MAINTENANCE
MANIPULATORS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR MAINTENANCE
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR VESSELS
REACTORS
REMOTE CONTROL
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
REMOTE VIEWING EQUIPMENT
ROBOTS
SAFETY
SODIUM COOLED REACTORS