An integrated systems approach to remote retrieval of buried transuranic waste using a telerobotic transport vehicle, innovative end effector, and remote excavator
- Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- RAHCO International, Spokane, WA (United States)
Between 1952 and 1970, over two million cubic feet of transuranic mixed waste was buried in shallow pits and trenches in the Subsurface Disposal Area at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Radioactive Waste Management Complex. Commingled with this two million cubic feet of waste is up to 10 million cubic feet of fill soil. The pits and trenches were constructed similarly to municipal landfills with both stacked and random dump waste forms such as barrels and boxes. The main contaminants are micron-sized particles of plutonium and americium oxides, chlorides, and hydroxides. Retrieval, treatment, and disposal is one of the options being considered for the waste. This report describes the results of a field demonstration conducted to evaluate technologies for excavating, and transporting buried transuranic wastes at the INEL, and other hazardous or radioactive waste sites throughout the US Department of Energy complex. The full-scale demonstration, conduced at RAHCO Internationals facilities in Spokane, Washington, in the summer of 1994, evaluated equipment performance and techniques for digging, dumping, and transporting buried waste. Three technologies were evaluated in the demonstration: an Innovative End Effector for dust free dumping, a Telerobotic Transport Vehicle to convey retrieved waste from the digface, and a Remote Operated Excavator to deploy the Innovative End Effector and perform waste retrieval operations. Data were gathered and analyzed to evaluate retrieval performance parameters such as retrieval rates, transportation rates, human factors, and the equipment`s capability to control contamination spread.
- Research Organization:
- Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-94ID13223
- OSTI ID:
- 34322
- Report Number(s):
- INEL-94/0173; ON: DE95008667; TRN: 95:009626
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Feb 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Test plan for the remote conveyance and innovative end effector demonstration
DEMONSTRATiON OF A SUBSURFACE CONTAINMENT SYSTEM FOR INSTALLATION AT DOE WASTE SITES
Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES
STORAGE FACILITIES
REMEDIAL ACTION
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
WASTE RETRIEVAL
TRANSPORT
RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
REMOTE CONTROL
DATA ACQUISITION
ROBOTS
DESIGN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS