Project Plan 7930 Cell G PaR Remote Handling System Replacement

Kinney, Kathryn A¹ 

[1] ORNL

关键词: CALIFORNIUM 252;    CONTAMINATION;    GLOVES;    HFIR REACTOR;    MAINTENANCE;    MANIPULATORS;    MINING;    NATIONAL SECURITY;    NUCLEAR FUELS;    POSITIONING;    PROCESSING;    PRODUCTION;    RECOMMENDATIONS;    REMOTE HANDLING;    REMOVAL;    REPAIR;    TARGETS Radiochemical Engineering Development Center;    californium 252 production;    remote handling system;   

DOI  :  10.2172/970923
RP-ID  :  ORNL/TM-2009/258
PID  :  OSTI ID: 970923
Others  :  Other: ST6001030
Others  :  NEST001
Others  :  TRN: US1001115

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

For over 40 years the US Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors have made Californium-252 ({sup 252}Cf) available for a wide range of industries including medical, nuclear fuels, mining, military and national security. The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) located within the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) processes irradiated production targets from the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). Operations in Building 7930, Cell G provide over 70% of the world's demand for {sup 252}Cf. Building 7930 was constructed and equipped in the mid-1960s. Current operations for {sup 252}Cf processing in Building 7930, Cell G require use of through-the-wall manipulators and the PaR Remote Handling System. Maintenance and repairs for the manipulators is readily accomplished by removal of the manipulator and relocation to a repair shop where hands-on work can be performed in glove boxes. Contamination inside cell G does not currently allow manned entry and no provisions were created for a maintenance area inside the cell. There has been no maintenance of the PaR system or upgrades, leaving operations vulnerable should the system have a catastrophic failure. The Cell G PaR system is currently being operated in a run to failure mode. As the manipulator is now 40+ years old there is significant risk in this method of operation. In 2006 an assessment was completed that resulted in recommendations for replacing the manipulator operator control and power centers which are used to control and power the PaR manipulator in Cell G. In mid-2008 the chain for the bridge drive failed and subsequent examinations indicated several damaged links (see Figure 1). To continue operations the PaR manipulator arm is being used to push and pull the bridge as a workaround. A retrieval tool was fabricated, tested and staged inside Cell G that will allow positioning of the bridge and manipulator arm for removal from the cell should the PaR system completely fail. A fully functioning and reliable Par manipulator arm is necessary for uninterrupted {sup 252}Cf operations; a fully-functioning bridge is needed for the system to function as intended.