Automated Stores Inspection Robot

The Challenge

Our client, Sellafield, and other sites both nationally and internationally, recognise that comprehensive and reliable characterisation of nuclear environments has become increasingly important as plants transition from operations through to decommissioning. Monitoring of waste containers in interim storage facilities is an important task; the containers may be in these facilities for up to 100 years and knowing the condition of the containers and the waste inside is essential to safe operation of these sites. A range of parameters such as visual condition, temperature and humidity need monitoring to understand what is happening with the waste in the containers. Currently, for our client, the containers are only monitored via visual inspection using a camera lowered between stacks of containers on an overhead crane.

The Solution

Utilising the existing overhead crane, a small lightweight device carrying a range of COTS sensors can be moved within the vertical gaps between stacks of waste containers allowing in-situ inspection of the waste containers. As well as being small enough to fit in the channels between the vertical stacks of containers, the device has an extendable arm that can reach into the horizontal gaps between the containers which has only an only 80mm gap height. This means the containers can be monitored on all surfaces.

The system tracks its movement within the facility using LIDARs, and so measurements from the sensors have a known position associated with them. This allows data to be compared across multiple surveys to monitor changes over time. The system can also be automated, making it simpler and quicker to collect data, whilst ensuring inspections can be repeatable and reliable.

A re-configurable modular sensor package has been designed to meet customer requirements and can be adapted according to changing needs, ensuring a future-proof solution. The system is able to interface with COTS cameras, lighting and sensors which are already tried and tested and is designed to interface with existing overhead crane infrastructure making it easy to deploy in existing facilities.

Benefits / Highlights

• Capable of interfacing with crane control to allow autonomous movement on the gantry.

• Multi-DoF system with ability to extend payload arm up to 750mm and rotate 180 degrees in

both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.

• Able to position payload in close proximity to features of interest within confined spaces with

as small as an 80mm vertical gap height.

• Designed with recoverability in mind with detachable top section housing all electronics and

power components, so no dangerous elements can be left behind in active areas.

• Modular design & interface allows for various configurations of lighting, cameras, and sensors.

• Accurate position sensing using LIDARs allows comparison of data from multiple surveys.

Future Work & Applications

Although the solution is uniquely designed for Sellafield’s use case and specially designed for the geometry of their site, the underlying technology is versatile and can be expanded to work for the wider nuclear material storage sector. Nuclear material storage facilities across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) estate would benefit from low cost, low risk, automated routine inspections, made possible by the proposed technology. The benefits to site licensees are huge, as characterisation of any given area gives the potential to move away from ‘worst case’ assumptions, allowing for a more fit-for-purpose solution to be developed.

Sellafield’s interim storage facility has over 500 containers, each needs to be regularly monitored in-situ. However, the challenges faced in this project are found in waste container storage facilities across multiple countries and the solution devised aims to be easily applicable across these facilities. Our solution will be suitable for commercialisation across the wider UK nuclear market as well as global markets. We have an established route to market and on-site deployments through the existing framework contracts, established relations with various nuclear industry clients well as access to a network of nuclear industry experts across the globe, with particular focus on the Japanese and French markets.

Non-Nuclear Applications

Our robot has been designed to be future proof and adaptable to a range of payload configurations, thus can additionally be adapted to conduct inspections in various configurations of crane-operable, human-inaccessible environment. The modular nature of the payload interface and software stack allows for a system which can be extended and modified to meet the needs of any client requiring a crane-mounted system deployable in confined spaces and gaps.

To facilitate on-site deployment, Amentum is looking to further develop the design as it stands and produce a CE / UKCA marked production ready unit of the “Automated Stores Inspection Robot”. Our in-house Robotics team has previous experience in handling the testing, validation, certification, and export control related processes for our robotic products and have plans to apply this knowledge to this project as well.