A robotic sorter of solid radioactive waste for fourth-generation energy complexes is undergoing pilot operation at Russia’s AA Bochvar Research Institute of Inorganic Materials (VNIINM – Visokotechnologicheskii Nauchno Issledovatelskii Niorganicheskikh Materiolov).
“The robotic installation for sorting and certification of solid radioactive waste is being developed by the Central Research and Development Institute of Robotics & Technical Cybernetics [St Petersburg], together with our institute as part of the Breakthrough Project,” said Vladislav Plisov, leading process engineer of the measurement department, accounting and control of radioactive substances and radioactive waste at VNIINM. “The main task of the installation is reliable determination of the morphology and radiation characteristics of solid radioactive waste for stream sorting into incinerated, pressed, non-pressed or removal from radiation control. In this way, sorting costs are minimised, waste volumes and waste management costs are reduced.”
The installation is equipped with a technical vision system and a manipulator. It consists of several modules controlled remotely. The operator controls the process while sitting at the remote controls in a separate room.
Solid waste is loaded into a receiving hopper with a vibrating feeder, from there the waste is moved on a conveyor belt to the technical vision zone, which determines its morphology. The manipulator drives up to each fragment in turn, captures it and moves it to the detection unit.
“Based on the measurement results, the software primarily determines whether the waste fragment contains alpha-emitting radionuclides. If so, it is immediately sent to the appropriate container,” explained Plisov. “Fragments that are not contaminated with alpha-emitting radionuclides, but contain gamma or beta-emitters, depending on the morphology, are distributed into three intermediate trays to determine specific activity. From the tray, wastes with the same morphology enter the barrel. The filled barrel is transferred for further processing. Waste fragments which do not contain radionuclides are exempted from radiation monitoring as industrial.”
The model of the installation was manufactured at Central Research and Development Institute of Robotics & Technical Cybernetics and was installed last year at the Bochvar Institute. The institute was chosen because Bochvarov residents have extensive experience in characterising radioactive waste packages and they have their own waste and licences to work with it. The layout was tested on simulators and real wastes.
“In the pilot operation, plant performance and sorting efficiency were evaluated. A number of technical problems have been identified for additional study. Options for solving them already exist, so the installation will be modernised in the near future, Plisov noted. “Most likely, the installation will change both in terms of overall dimensions and in terms of configuration.”
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