Nuclear Storage Cask Inspection Robotics As a Case Study in System Design Challenges

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Bracken ◽  
Sean Brennan ◽  
Ian Van Sant ◽  
Clifford Lissenden ◽  
Karl Reichard
Keyword(s):  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Geometric Constraints ◽  
Radiation Environment ◽  
Inspection System ◽  
Nuclear Waste Storage ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Design Challenges

Spent nuclear fuel, after cooling within a pool storage system, is generally stored in stainless steel dry storage casks. Some dry storage casks have been in regular use for decades, causing increasing interest in technologies to inspect these units. This work presents a case study on the design and prototyping challenges of a robotic inspection system known as PRINSE. PRINSE is designed for in-use dry nuclear waste storage casks, and its development was motivated by a recently completed multi-university NEUP study to develop, deploy, and test sensor systems enabling novel inspection capabilities. The field deployment situation presented particular design challenges not commonly seen in robotics for three reasons: geometric constraints to enter the in-situ cask environment, severe operational temperatures within the cask inspection area, and a high-radiation environment requiring stand-off human tele-operation and remote actuation of the robot from outside the cask. From a design standpoint, project hurdles included the teaming across multiple universities, the need to rapidly develop new prototype systems, and the novel design constraints which had to be managed carefully with the technology development process. This paper presents the specific mechanical engineering design challenges related to this complex system built to inspect dry storage casks. Additionally, it presents insights gained during the completion of the project, with specific focus on the challenges and methods used to achieve design coordination across sub-teams. Key experiences from this project are presented in a design-centric analysis of the management of technical constraints and how these constraints were distributed among the sub-teams.

In-Service Inspection of Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Part I: Crawler Technology Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Meyer ◽  
Jeremy Renshaw ◽  
Jamie Beard ◽  
Jon Tatman ◽  
Matt Keene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Majority Population ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Extended Operation ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
Physical Access

Abstract This paper describes development and demonstration of remote crawling systems to support periodic examinations of interim dry storage system (DSS) canisters for spent nuclear fuel in the USA. Specifically, this work relates to robotic crawler developments for “canister” based DSS systems, which form the majority population of DSSs in the USA for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel. Consideration of potential degradation of the welded stainless-steel canister in these systems is required for continued usage in the period of extended operation (PEO) beyond their initial licensed or certified terms. Challenges with performing the periodic examinations are associated with physical access to the canister surface, which is constrained due to narrow annulus spaces between the canister and the overpack, tortuous entry pathways, and high temperatures and radiation doses that can be damaging to materials and electronics. Motivations for performing periodic examinations and developing robotic crawlers for performing those examinations remotely will be presented, and several activities to demonstrate robotic crawlers for different DSS systems are summarized.

Inservice Inspection of Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Part II: NDE/Sensor Technology Development and Codification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Meyer ◽  
Jeremy Renshaw ◽  
Kenn Hunter ◽  
Mike Orihuela ◽  
Jim Stadler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Nondestructive Examination ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Safety Function ◽  
Majority Population ◽  
The Usa

Abstract This paper describes development and demonstration of nondestructive examination (NDE) technologies to support periodic examinations of interim dry storage system (DSS) canisters for spent nuclear fuel in the USA to verify continued safe operation and that the canister confinement is intact and performing its intended safety function. Specifically, this work relates to NDE technology development for “canister” based DSS systems, which form the majority population of DSSs in the USA for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel. Consideration of potential degradation of the welded stainless-steel canister in these systems is required for continued usage in the period of extended operation (PEO) beyond the initial license or certified term. Physical access to the canister surface is constrained due to narrow annulus spaces between the canister and the overpack, tortuous entry pathways, and high temperatures and radiation doses that can be damaging to materials and electronics related to inspections. Several activities to demonstrate NDE technologies for the inspections of different DSS systems are summarized.

Using of Air Natural Convection for Cooling of Casks with Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry Storage System

2015 ◽  
Vol 816 ◽  
pp. 103-107
Author(s):  
Jozef Bocko ◽  
Pavol Lengvarský
Keyword(s):  
Natural Convection ◽  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Basic Parameters

The paper is devoted to the description of project of storage system for the spent nuclear fuel. The proposed dry storage system is based on the natural convection of air so no additional fans are needed for the cooling. In the paper basic parameters of the storage as well as some preliminary computations verifying its concept are described.

scholarly journals Technical Options and Cost Estimates for Spent Nuclear Fuel Management at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plants

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Shadwan M. M. Esmail ◽  
Jae Hak Cheong
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Investment Cost

In the planning and management of the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel, the technical and economic parameters that are involved have a significant role in increasing the efficiency of the storage system. Optimal parameters will reduce the total economic costs for countries embarking on nuclear energy, such as the UAE. This study evaluated the design performance and economic feasibility of various structures and schedules, to determine an optimal combination of parameters for the management of spent nuclear fuel. With the introduction of various storage technology arrangements and expected costs per unit for the storage system design, we evaluated eight major scenarios, each with a cost analysis based on technological and economic issues. We executed a number of calculations based on the use of these storage technologies, and considered their investment costs. These calculations, which were aligned with the net present value approach and conducted using MS Project and MATLAB software programs, considered the capacities of the spent fuel pools and the amount of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) that will be transferred to dry storage facilities. As soon as they sufficiently cool, the spent nuclear fuel is to be stored in a pool storage facility. The results show that applying a centralized dry storage (CDS) system strategy is not an economically feasible solution, compared with using a permanent disposal facility (PDF) (unless the variable investment cost is reduced or changed). The optimal strategy involves operating a spent fuel pool island (SFPI) storage after the first 20 years of the start of the permanent shutdown of the reactor. After 20 years, the spent fuel is then transferred to a PDF. This strategy also results in a 20.9% to 26.1% reduction in the total cost compared with those of the other strategies. The total cost of the proposed strategy is approximately 4,307 million USD. The duration of the fuel storage and the investment cost, particularly the variable investment cost, directly affect the choice of facility storage.

scholarly journals Toward Robotic Inspection of Dry Storage Casks for Spent Nuclear Fuel

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Lissenden ◽  
S. Choi ◽  
H. Cho ◽  
A. Motta ◽  
K. Hartig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Crack Detection ◽  
Guided Waves ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽  
Guided Wave ◽  
Radiation Environment ◽  
Breakdown Spectroscopy ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Horizontal Wave

Extended dry storage of spent nuclear fuel makes it desirable to assess the structural integrity of the storage canisters. Stress corrosion cracking of the stainless steel canister is a potential degradation mode especially in marine environments. Sensing technologies are being developed with the aim of detecting the presence of chloride-bearing salts on the surface of the canister as well as whether cracks exist. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) methods for the detection of Chlorine are presented. In addition, ultrasonic-guided wave detection of crack-like notches oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the shear horizontal wave vector is demonstrated using the pulse-echo mode, which greatly simplifies the robotic delivery of the noncontact electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs). Robotic delivery of both EMATs and the LIBS system is necessary due to the high temperature and radiation environment inside the cask where the measurements need to be made. Furthermore, the space to make the measurements is very constrained and maneuverability is confined by the geometry of the storage cask. In fact, a large portion of the canister surface is inaccessible due to the presence of guide channels on the inside of the cask's overpack, which is strong motivation for using guided waves for crack detection. Among the design requirements for the robotic system are to localize and track where sensor measurements are made to enable return to those locations, to avoid wedging or jamming of the robot, and to tolerate high temperatures and radiation levels.

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