scholarly journals Development of a novel tool for automation of the contamination measurement

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 29-30
Author(s):  
Alena Wernke ◽  
Sascha Gentes
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Distance Measurements ◽  
Radiation Level ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Wall Area ◽  
Laser Sensors ◽  
Hazardous Environments ◽  
Measurement Results

Abstract. Considering that about 100 000 m2 of wall area per nuclear facility must be decontaminated (Hübner et al., 2017), the automation of mechanical decontamination work offers high potential to support people in performing their work and reduce errors in the decommissioning process. Furthermore, the exposure potential for people in contaminated environments is reduced and they are protected from health hazards (Petereit et al., 2019). In the ROBDEKON project, a competence center is being established in Germany to develop practical robotic systems for decontamination work in hazardous environments. To this end, four research institutions are working with industrial partners on the development of (partially) autonomous robotic systems for the decommissioning and decontamination of nuclear facilities, the handling of waste, and the remediation of landfills and contaminated sites (Petereit et al., 2019). At the Institute for Technology and Management in Construction (KIT-TMB), the focus is on development of an automated solution for the (clearance) measurement of near-surface contaminations. A mobile elevating working platform is used as the robotic platform with a contamination array as the tool. The array measures the surface activity on the wall areas and verifies compliance with the thresholds. The contamination array is based on two sensor concepts: measurement and localization. Up to four hand-held contamination-measuring devices are attached to the array to parallelize the measurement. In order to avoid damaging the sensitive detector window foil of the contamination probes, the wall surface to be measured is first examined for imperfections with the help of a laser scanner. For localization of the array, up to four laser sensors are used for distance measurements. Measurement results are automatically saved after each measurement in a table specific to the measurement method and are available to users for documentation purposes at any time. In the further course of the project, the measurement results depending on the radiation level will be overlaid with a geometric 3D environment mapping.

scholarly journals Development of a mobile, automated, optical inspection system for radioactive barrels

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
Tania Barretto ◽  
Eric Rentschler ◽  
Sascha Gentes
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Surface Condition ◽  
Inspection System ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Damage Development ◽  
Usual Practice ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Automated Optical Inspection ◽  
Interim Storage ◽  
Storage Facilities

Abstract. Due to the delayed construction and commissioning of a German repository for intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste, waste inventories from several decades are now located at the interim storage sites, the safe custody of which must also be ensured for an indefinite period of interim storage. The usual practice in the interim storage facilities is recurrent inspections, which are carried out almost exclusively manually and without electronic comparative recordings as well as without mechanical documentation and archiving. Remote or automated inspection does not take place. The inspections are carried out visually and are therefore very subjective and thus subject to errors. Manual performance is labor intensive and requires the use of personnel exposed to radiation. Neither are uniform inspection criteria of the visual inspections applied, nor are the inspections performed uniformly between sites. Based on these facts, the Institute for Technology and Management in Construction, Department of Deconstruction and Decommissioning of Conventional and Nuclear Buildings, together with the Institute for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, is developing an automated drum inspection system as part of the funding measure FORKA – Research for the Deconstruction of Nuclear Facilities. EMOS is a mobile inspection unit that remotely and automatically records the entire surface of the drum, including lid and bottom, optically; evaluates it analytically; and both stores it electronically and outputs the results in the form of an inspection report. In this way, recurring inspections of the drum stock can be completed under the same inspection conditions each time. A decisive advantage is the possibility of carrying out the inspection remotely in order to reduce the radiation dose to the employees on site. The optical evaluation, display and output of the results will ensure a more precise inspection and analysis of the drum surfaces through software to be specially developed than is possible through manual and visual inspections as currently performed in the interim storage facilities. The continuous monitoring of the stored drums will be facilitated and also the tracing of possible damage development through the comparison of archived measurement results is a novel and powerful tool that helps to increase and ensure the safety aspects of interim storage in the long term. Changes in drum geometry as well as in the surface condition (e.g. corrosion formation, etc.) can be identified at an early stage with the help of the inspection unit, and measures can be taken at an early stage to counteract the loss of integrity of the storage containers.

scholarly journals Safe Documentation of Historical Monuments by an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 738
Author(s):  
Vít Krátký ◽  
Pavel Petráček ◽  
Tiago Nascimento ◽  
Michaela Čadilová ◽  
Milan Škobrtal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Historical Buildings ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Historical Monuments ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
The Church

The use of robotic systems, especially multi-rotor aerial vehicles, in the documentation of historical buildings and cultural heritage monuments has become common in recent years. However, the teleoperated robotic systems have significant limitations encouraging the ongoing development of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The autonomous robotic platforms provide a more accurate and safe measurement in distant and difficult to access areas than their teleoperated counterpart. Through the use of autonomous aerial robotic systems, access to such places by humans and building of external infrastructures like scaffolding for documentation purposes is no longer necessary. In this work, we aim to present a novel autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle designed for the documentation of hardly attainable areas of historical buildings. The prototype of this robot was tested in several historical monuments comprising scanned objects located in dark and hardly accessible areas in the upper parts of tall naves. This manuscript presents the results from two specific places: the Church of St. Anne and St. Jacob the Great in Stará Voda, and St. Maurice Church in Olomouc, both in the Czech Republic. Finally, we also compare the three-dimensional map obtained with the measurements made by the 3D laser scanner carried onboard UAV against the ones performed by a 3D terrestrial laser scanner.

scholarly journals Experience in the development and operation of facilities for primary characterization of waste from nuclear facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
L. Jbanek ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Regulatory Control ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Radiation Characteristics ◽  
Waste Characterization ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Radioactive Waste Characterization ◽  
The One

The article focuses on methodological and hardware support of radioactive waste characterization, including the one associated with radiation characteristics of materials measured to support the decision-making on its release from regulatory control. The study provides an assessment of uncertainties and their influence on the measurement results. It presents the experience of the Czech company JSC VF in the development of automated installations allowing to address this problem with some examples of such installations operating in various countries being provided.

scholarly journals Scenarios and Pathways of Radionuclide Releases from Near-Surface Waste Disposal Facilities: A Brief Overview of Historical Evidence

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
D. Bugai ◽  
R. Avila
Keyword(s):  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Historical Evidence ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Soil Covers ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Radionuclide Release ◽  
Early Degradation

The very low-level waste (VLLW) produced during decommissioning of nuclear facilities can be suitable for disposal in landfill type facilities. Considering the similarities in design, the experience gained in near-surface disposal of radioactive waste in trenches and vaults is relevant to the issue of VLLW disposal in landfills. This paper presents a brief review of internationally reported cases of radionuclide releases from near-surface disposal facilities. Based on this review, the conclusions are made that the following radionuclide release and exposure scenarios should be accounted for in safety assessment of VLLW disposal in landfills: i) leaching from waste to groundwater by atmospheric precipitations; ii) bath-tubing scenario; iii) scenarios caused by extreme meteorological and hydrological events (erosion, flooding, etc.); iv) human intrusion. The gaseous transport deserves attention for a number of relevant radionuclides, such as (C-14, Rn-222, etc.). In addition, the possibility of early degradation of engineered containment structures (soil covers, bottom seals) should be cautiously considered.

Enlargement of the Baldone Near-Surface Radioactive Waste Repository

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Dreimanis
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Radiation Level ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
The Public ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Compensation Mechanisms ◽  
Technical Features

A unified analysis of the enlargement of the Baldone near-surface radioactive waste (RW) repository RADONS considers the interplay of the existing engineering, safety and infrastructure premises, with the foreseen newly socio-technical features. This enlargement consists in construction of two additional RW disposal vaults and in building a long-term storage facility for spent sealed sources at the RADONS territory. Our approach is based on consecutive analysis of following basic elements: - the origin of enlargement – the RADONS safety analysis and a set of optimal socio-technical solutions of Salaspils research reactor decommissioning waste management; - the enlargement – a keystone of the national RW management concept, including the long-term approach; - the enlargement concept – the result of international co-operation and obligations; - arrangement optimization of new disposal and storage space; - environmental impact assessment for the repository enlargement – the update of socio-technical studies. The study of the public opinion revealed: negative attitude to repository enlargement is caused mainly due to missing information on radiation level and on the RADONS previous operations. These results indicate: basic measures to improve the public attitude to repository enlargement: the safety upgrade, public education and compensation mechanisms. A detailed stakeholders engagement and public education plan is elaborated.

scholarly journals Fusion of range measurements and semantic estimates in an evidential framework / Fusion von Distanzmessungen und semantischen Größen im Rahmen der Evidenztheorie

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (s1) ◽  
pp. 102-106
Author(s):  
Sven Richter ◽  
Sascha Wirges ◽  
Hendrik Königshof ◽  
Christoph Stiller
Keyword(s):  
Data Processing ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Information Redundancy ◽  
Distance Measurements ◽  
Image Domain ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Scene Representation ◽  
Efficient Data ◽  
Real Traffic

AbstractA detailed reconstruction of the environment is a crucial component of mobile robotic systems and enables higher level scene understanding. To achieve information redundancy heterogenous sensors need to be used with each sensor having specific strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, the goal of this work is to fuse information from multiple lidars, radars, a stereo camera and semantic camera information into one common scene representation. In contrast to past publications, we focus on the combination of distance measurements and semantic estimates in the image domain in one common evidential framework. Grid maps are used as common fusion structure which enable efficient data processing. The approach is validated on an automated driving plattform in real traffic scenarios. Experiments show that the scene reconstruction precision increases while still retaining the real-time capability.

MiRoR—Miniaturized Robotic Systems for Holistic In-Situ Repair and Maintenance Works in Restrained and Hazardous Environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 978-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragos Axinte ◽  
Xin Dong ◽  
David Palmer ◽  
Adam Rushworth ◽  
Salvador C. Guzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Hazardous Environments

Structure Deformation Measurement with Terrestrial Laser Scanner at Pathein Bridge in Myanmar

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuntikorn Kitratporn ◽  
◽  
Wataru Takeuchi ◽  
Koji Matsumoto ◽  
Kohei Nagai
Keyword(s):  
Point Cloud ◽  
Cloud Model ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Suspension Bridge ◽  
Suspension Bridges ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanner ◽  
Bridge Structure ◽  
Surface Geometry ◽  
Deformation State ◽  
Measurement Results

In Myanmar, defects and possible deformation were reported in many long-span suspension bridges. The current state of bridge infrastructure must be inspected, so that deterioration can be stalled and failure can be prevented. A 3D laser scanner, specifically the terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), has demonstrated the ability to capture surface geometry with millimeter accuracy. Consequently, TLS technology has received significant interest in various applications including in the field of structural survey. However, research on its application in large bridge structure remains limited. This study examines the use of TLS point cloud for the measurement of three deformation behaviors at the Pathein Suspension Bridge in Myanmar. These behaviors include tower inclination, hanger inclination, and deflection of bridge truss. The measurement results clearly captured the deformation state of the bridge. A comparison of the measurement results with available conventional measurements yielded overall agreement. However, errors were observed in some areas, which could be due to noise and occlusion in the point cloud model. In this study, the advantages of TLS in providing non-discrete data, direct measurement in meaningful unit, and access to difficult-to-access sections, such as top of towers or main cables, were demonstrated. The limitations of TLS as observed in this study were mainly influenced by external factors during field survey. Hence, it was suggested that further study on appropriate TLS surveying practice for large bridge structure should be conducted.

scholarly journals 3-D SURVEY APPLIED TO INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY BY TLS METHODOLOGY

2017 ◽  
Vol XLII-5/W1 ◽  
pp. 449-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Monego ◽  
M. Fabris ◽  
A. Menin ◽  
V. Achilli
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Spatial Knowledge ◽  
Functional Restoration ◽  
Reference Network ◽  
Architectural Heritage ◽  
Distance Measurements ◽  
Industrial Archaeology ◽  
Machine Room

This work describes the three-dimensional survey of “Ex Stazione Frigorifera Specializzata”: initially used for agricultural storage, during the years it was allocated to different uses until the complete neglect. The historical relevance and the architectural heritage that this building represents has brought the start of a recent renovation project and functional restoration. <br><br> In this regard it was necessary a global 3-D survey that was based on the application and integration of different geomatic methodologies (mainly terrestrial laser scanner, classical topography, and GNSS). <br><br> The acquisitions of point clouds was performed using different laser scanners: with time of flight (TOF) and phase shift technologies for the distance measurements. The topographic reference network, needed for scans alignment in the same system, was measured with a total station. For the complete survey of the building, 122 scans were acquired and 346 targets were measured from 79 vertices of the reference network. Moreover, 3 vertices were measured with GNSS methodology in order to georeference the network. For the detail survey of machine room were executed 14 scans with 23 targets. <br><br> The 3-D global model of the building have less than one centimeter of error in the alignment (for the machine room the error in alignment is not greater than 6 mm) and was used to extract products such as longitudinal and transversal sections, plans, architectural perspectives, virtual scans. <br><br> A complete spatial knowledge of the building is obtained from the processed data, providing basic information for restoration project, structural analysis, industrial and architectural heritage valorization.

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