Remote Underwater Characterization System - Innovative Technology Summary Report
Characterization and inspection of water-cooled and moderated nuclear reactors and fuel storage pools requires equipment capable of operating underwater. Similarly, the deactivation and decommissioning of older nuclear facilities often requires the facility owner to accurately characterize underwater structures and equipment which may have been sitting idle for years. The Remote Underwater Characterization System (RUCS) is a small, remotely operated submersible vehicle intended to serve multiple purposes in underwater nuclear operations. It is based on the commercially-available "Scallop" vehicle 1 , but has been modified by the Department of Energy's Robotics Technology Development Program to add auto-depth control, and vehicle orientation and depth monitoring at the operator control panel. The RUCS is designed to provide visual and gamma radiation characterization, even in confined or limited access areas. It was demonstrated in August 1998 at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) as part of the INEEL Large Scale Demonstration and Deployment Project. During the demonstration it was compared in a "head-to-head" fashion with the baseline characterization technology. This paper summarizes the results of the demonstration and lessons learned; comparing and contrasting both technologies in the areas of cost, visual characterization, radiological characterization, and overall operations.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-94ID13223
- OSTI ID:
- 9034
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/EXT-98-01279; ON: DE00009034
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 8th International Topical Meeting on Robotics and Remote Systems, Pittsburgh, PA, April 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES
99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
Fuel Storage Pools
Gamma Radiation
Nuclear Reactors
nuclear reactors
fuel storage pools
deactivation and decommissioning
Remote Underwater Characterization System (RUCS)
submersible vehicle
auto-depth control
visual characterization
radiological characterization
gamma radiation