Rod Rimando - Opportunities for advanced robotics in nuclear cleanup
1. www.energy.gov/EM 1
U.S. Manhattan Project Legacy:
Opportunities for Advanced Robotics in
Nuclear Cleanup
National Robotics Initiative
Principal Investigators Meeting
November 5, 2015
3. www.energy.gov/EM 3
EM “Lineage”
19
46
Atomic Energy
Commission
Atomic Energy Act of 1946.
Now under civilian control.
1977
Department of
Energy
Formerly ERDA
1989
Environmental
Management
Nuclear weapons legacy
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission
Regulate civilian uses of
nuclear materials
Energy Research and
Development
Administration
Nuclear weapons program
1974
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974
1945
Trinity Test Shot
First detonation of a nuclear
weapon. ≈ 20 kilotons of TNT.
1938
Nuclear Fission
First observed by German
Physicist Otto Hahn and his
assistant Fritz Strassmann
Manhattan Project
Manhattan District of the
US Army Corp of Engineers
19
42
Atoms for Peace
Atomic Energy Act of 1954.
Allowed for a civilian
(peaceful, non-defense)
nuclear industry.
19
54
8. www.energy.gov/EM 8
Uranium Mining and Milling
Monument Valley, AZ, Processing Site
Tuba City, AZ, Disposal Site
Durango, CO, Disposal Site
Durango, CO, Processing Site
Grand Junction, CO, Disposal Site
Grand Junction, CO, Processing Site
Gunnison, CO, Disposal Site
Gunnison, CO, Processing Site
Maybell, CO, Disposal Site
Naturita, CO, Disposal Site
Naturita, CO, Processing Site
Slick Rock, CO, Disposal Site
Slick Rock, CO, Processing Sites
Rifle, CO, Disposal Site
Rifle, CO, New Processing Site
Rifle, CO, Old Processing Site
Lowman, ID, Disposal Site
Ambrosia Lake, NM, Disposal Site
Shiprock, NM, Disposal Site
Lakeview, OR, Disposal Site
Lakeview, OR, Processing Site
Burrell, PA, Disposal Site
Canonsburg, PA, Disposal Site
Falls City, TX, Disposal Site
Green River, UT, Disposal Site
Mexican Hat, UT, Disposal Site
Salt Lake City, UT, Disposal Site
Salt Lake City, UT, Processing Site
Riverton, WY, Processing Site
Spook, WY, Disposal Site
13. www.energy.gov/EM 13
Plutonium Production Reactors
Hanford B Reactor
Hanford C Reactor
Interim Safe Storage
SRS P Reactor
SRS R Reactor
In Situ Decommissioning
9
Reactors
5
Reactors
14. www.energy.gov/EM 14
Reprocessing to Extract Plutonium
Hanford
T Plant
Hanford
PUREX Plant
SRS H Canyon
SRS
F Canyon
6
Radiochemical
Processing Plants
2
Radiochemical
Processing Plants
16. www.energy.gov/EM 16
Conducting Weapons Research and Design
Separations Process
Research Unit
Knolls Atomic Power
Laboratory
Lawrence
Livermore
National
Laboratory
Los Alamos National
Laboratory
Sandia National
Laboratories
20. www.energy.gov/EM 20
Former Manhattan Project Sites
Berkeley, CA, Site
Burris Park, CA, Site
Seymour, CT, Site
Chicago North, IL, Site
Chicago South, IL, Site
Granite City, IL, Site
Madison, IL, Site
Beverly, MA, Site
Indian Orchard, MA, Site
Adrian, MI, Site
Jersey City, NJ, Site
New Brunswick, NJ, Site
Wayne, NJ, Site
Acid/Pueblo Canyon, NM, Site
Bayo Canyon, NM, Site
Chupadera Mesa, NM, Site
Buffalo, NY, Site
New York, NY, Site
Niagara Falls Vicinity Properties,
NY, Site
Tonawanda North Sites, NY, Unit
1 and Unit 2
Columbus East, OH, Site
Fairfield, OH, Site
Hamilton, OH, Site
Oxford, OH, Site
Toledo, OH, Site
Albany, OR, Site
Aliquippa, PA, Site
Springdale, PA, Site
Oak Ridge, TN, Warehouses
Site
Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
23. www.energy.gov/EM 23
Remaining Scope of EM’s Mission
Since 1989, EM has completed its
cleanup mission at 91 of the 107
major nuclear weapons and
nuclear research sites
$152 billion spent
Current Lifecycle Baseline Estimate
of Remaining Mission
$235 billion
2065 completion
26. www.energy.gov/EM 26
Interests: Remote Access
Motion, Mobility and Maneuverability
Systems that provide remote entry into areas and spaces that are
otherwise inaccessible or prohibit direct access by workers due to
Unsafe, unstable, or unknown physical or structural conditions
Configurations that are hard to reach or beyond reach without taking
extraordinary mechanical measures
The presence or potential presence of radiological, chemical, biological, or
physical hazards that will or may result in unacceptable occupational
exposure or increased health or safety risk
Other conditions that preclude safe entry or are otherwise uninhabitable
such as areas or spaces that have or potentially have
Oxygen-deprived environments or other conditions of poor air quality;
Explosive gases, materials or devices
Extreme temperatures
Extreme pressures
Poor or no visibility or no direct line of sight
Submerged or substantially liquid-covered surfaces
27. www.energy.gov/EM 27
Interests: Data, Data, Data
Monitoring, Measuring and Mapping
Non-Destructive Evaluation/Examination and In Situ Characterization
Acoustic, optical, radiographic, thermographic, electromagnetic,
climatic, and other tooling and methods for non-destructive sensing,
detecting, monitoring, measuring, characterizing, and assaying a
wide variety of radiological, chemical, environmental, and physical
parameters
Surveillance and Monitoring
Photography, videography
Change detection
Imaging, Surveying, Mapping, and 3D Rendering
Graphical depictions and representations
Computer-generated replications, simulations and models
28. www.energy.gov/EM 28
Interests: Doing Work
Manipulation and Man-Power
Manipulation and End-Effectors
Systems for remotely performing tasks in harsh environments or
work conditions to keep occupational exposure to hazards as low as
reasonably achievable (ALARA)
Heavy Operations
Systems for performing tasks that are beyond worker capability and
require substantially greater strength, dexterity, reach and access, or
capacity
Task Automation
Systems for more efficiently performing routine or repetitive tasks
and operations such that worker interface is needed only for
performance monitoring and quality control
29. www.energy.gov/EM 29
Interests:
Man-hancements
Wearable and prosthetic-like robotic devices (a.k.a., co-robots) that
Improve worker health and safety or
Enhance worker performance and endurance, or compensate for
physical limitations of extremities by relieving physical stresses on
the body and avoiding occupational injuries such as those caused by
Repetitive and forceful exertions and motions
Frequent, heavy, or overhead lifts or tasks
Ergonomically incorrect work positions
Use of vibrating (shock-inducing) equipment
Muscle fatigue
30. www.energy.gov/EM 30
Interest: CBRNE
Handling of high-hazard, high-consequence materials and waste
Chemical
Biological
Radiological
Nuclear
Explosives
31. www.energy.gov/EM 31
Interest: 3D Tasks
Performing worker/operator tasks that are
Dirty (contaminated, toxic, nuisance)
Dull (routine, labor-intensive, repetitive, mundane)
Dangerous (pose significant occupational hazards)
33. www.energy.gov/EM 33
Interests: Worker Performance
Easing the performance of worker/operator
tasks that are
Physically demanding on or stressful to
human body or
Otherwise ergonomically challenging
Performing tasks that are beyond human
abilities
34. www.energy.gov/EM 34
Interests: 911
Remote access for emergency response, initial re-entry, trouble-shooting,
and recovery, particularly when conditions are unknown.
43. www.energy.gov/EM 43
Remote access
is needed for
initial entry into
the tunnels for
surveying and
characterization
Tunnel #2
Operating Domain: Underground
44. www.energy.gov/EM 44
Operating Domain: Underground
Typical Access Drifts:
40 ft. wide and 14 ft. high
Typical Panel Dimensions:
400 ft. wide and 1,115 ft. long
Typical Placement
Configurations for
Contact-Handled TRU
Waste Containers
Typical Room Dimensions:
33 ft. wide, 300 ft. long, 14 ft. high
49. www.energy.gov/EM 49
Rapid Fire Closing
EM mission success over last 25 years
Significant cleanup challenges ahead
50 years, $235 billion (likely to be longer, more costly)
Technology → smarter and safer mission execution
Robotics is a key mission enabler → rad-hardened, rad-tolerant
EM mission and problem-set cross-cut many robotics applications
Commercial nuclear industry (power, medicine, consumer products)
Nuclear-capable countries
Collaborate with the broader robotics community
Leverage federal expertise and assets
Collaborate with universities and colleges
Attract future workforce generations
Let’s not wait until a nuclear disaster