NDA PhD Bursary
Decommissioning Working Group (DWG)
Research Themes - Presenters
Penny Birtle, Magnox Ltd & Christina Alexander, EDF
(DWG Co-Chairs / Introduction)
Dr Paul Mort PhD MBA MIMechE CEng Fnucl, Sellafield Ltd
Andrew Cooney, Sellafield Ltd
30th September 2015
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NWDRF
Decommissioning Working Group (DWG)
• Promoting cross-industry sharing and learning of nuclear
decommissioning technologies and experience covering the
full life cycle of decommissioning.
• Represented by NDA SLCs (Magnox, DSRL, LLWR, Sellafield
Ltd) other nuclear operators (EDF, AWE), organisations (GDS)
and NDA.
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Decommissioning Working Group (DWG)
Research Themes
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Characterisation & Analysis
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Waste Treatment Methods
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Consolidation of contamination / cheap to employ with minimal infrastructure.
Remote tools for size reduction, dismantling, waste segregation, handling, penetrating
vessels and pipework simply.
Decontamination
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Identifying ‘what’ is ‘where’ – the ability to take measurements at the workface within
enclosed radiological environments.
Interest in dry methods, avoiding chemicals & minimising generation of liquid / aerial
discharges.
Robotics & Autonomous Systems (RAS)
- to enable entry into difficult to access / contaminated environments to support
characterisation, waste treatment and other decommissioning activities.
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Problem statement
“There are a number of plant areas on numerous sites where manual work cannot be
undertaken owing to challenging radiological and conventional safety environments. There is a
need for remote capability for dismantling / deconstruction of plant, size reduction and waste
segregation to enable decommissioning of these areas”
Different materials in different geometries
Complex plant architecture
Limited penetrations / access points and limited
visualisation by operators
Minimal space and high radiation environments
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Solution Wish List
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Ease of device management across its lifecycle (i.e. easy to build, deploy,
maintain and decontaminate).
Minimal intervention required to deploy.
Radiation tolerance.
Reliability – minimised downtime.
Cost effectiveness – can control systems be used on multiple bits of kit from
different suppliers.
Low cost solutions.
Visualisation of “invisible” plant areas by operators.
Ability to use in complex and congested spaces.
Interchangeable tooling – one device that can be re-tooled to do everything
(cutting, unbolting and grabbing).
Effective cutting technology for different materials and geometries.
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What is Robotics and Autonomous systems
Robotics
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‘These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in
dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance,
behaviour, and/or cognition.’
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To day robotics is the ‘body’ of the system which includes the sensors, tools and
deployments systems, with no or limited automatic behaviour.
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The operator has complete control of the device and interprets the sensors, moves the
deployment system and operates the tools.
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Autonomous intelligence
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‘An autonomous agent is an intelligent agent operating on an owner's
behalf but without any interference of that ownership entity.’
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To day an autonomous intelligent system can be thought of as the
‘brain’ of a system, but requires inputs to act on (Sensors), and links
to the outside world to interact with via ‘deployment systems’ (e.g.
arms and vehicles) and tools (e.g. grippers and shears).
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Sellafield RAS Vision
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‘Robust, RAS technologies delivering operations on site that is,
safer for the operative, the facilities and the environment and
reduces the site hazard quicker and cheaper.’
(under development)
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RAS Strategy goals
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Predictable costs and timescales:
– Tried and test RAS capabilities ready for use.
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Performance improvements to existing capabilities:
– Applying seamlessly new technologies and processes to existing capabilities
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Generate a paradigm shift in future business:
– Looking into the future and predicting what it might look like and making it
happen.
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The first choice for nuclear operations:
– Making RAS technologies more efficient than sending a human operative into a
harsh environment.
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Key Challenges
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Incremental changes
– Identifying risk in the Life Time Plan and mitigating them
– Identify needs and providing for them
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Future Scenarios
– Opportunities (focus today)
VISION OF THE FUTURE
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Understand our challenge
Site Challenge:
Characterisation
of the facilities
Site Challenge:
POCO cleaning
the plant of
Decommissioning
Help to
Define
Future
Scenario
Site Challenge:
Manual
decommissioning
operations
Site Challenge:
Remote
decommissioning
Operations
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Typical Sites Challenges
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Manual Cell entry
– Operator safety
– Tools available
– Time at the work face
– Secondary waste
– Weight of material that
can be handled
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Typical Site Challenges
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Remote Decommissioning
– High cost
– Long time to deployment
– Slow compared to man entry
– Bespoke (difference system
need for each task)
– Needs a structured
environment
– Hard to predict cost (high
financial risk)
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RAS
Same approach with a twist!!!
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Future vision of the use of RAS
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This area needs development but here is some present thoughts
– Enhanced operator cell entry
– Enhanced remote
– Intelligent hand tools
– Search and characterise cells and environments
These are just a few ideas to get your thoughts going
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Protective suit
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Hand tools
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Big data Analysis
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Operator enhancements
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Real time information as it is needed
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Remote Handling
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Characterization and analysis
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Transform to suit the tasks
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Characterization
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Characterization in hard to reach environments or increase the
numbers for clean-up activities
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From Vision to Reality
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Start off with a vision of how your development will work as a
whole
Break it down into the functional requirements needed to achieve
your vision
Then develop the functional requirement
The next couple of slides gives an example
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Future Scenario Development
Future Vision
Main Functional
requirement
Sub-Functional
Requirement
Main Functional
requirement
Sub-Functional
Requirement
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Main Functions
Protect the
Operative in
a cell
Pre-task Plan
Future man entry
into a hazardous
environment (Man
in a cell)
Task support
Man in the
cell using
tools
Stop the Cell
interacting
with the man
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Sub functions
Protective
suits
Life Support
(Breathing,
hazard
avoidance)
Protect the
Operative in
a cell
Intelligent materials
Self cleaning
Self repair
Head up displays
Hazard detection
Environment status (Inside Suit and
external to suit)
Suit condition
Recovery systems
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Sub function
Image recognition
Cut planning
Off line planning
Heads up display
Cut plan
Task support
Image recognition
Cut planning
Off line planning
Heads up display
Dismantling
plan
Image recognition
Strategy planning
Route planning
Heads up display
management
Control of
tools
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Disruptive external technologies
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Inventory and Characterisation
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Protecting People
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Decontamination
Waste water treatment
by SMS Facet
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Dismantling 1
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Dismantling 2
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Care and Maintenance
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Remediation of Contaminated Land
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Tech transfer opportunities
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Tech transfer opportunities from space
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High radiation
People in hazardous environments
Autonomy/sensors in planetary explorers
Low energy again in planetary explorers
Tech transfer from military
• Armour/protection
• Command and control
• Shaped explosives
• Seeing through walls
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