Abstract
Robotic systems have been successfully applied in the nuclear industry for several decades as a safe
approach to minimize the exposure dose of human operators. As nuclear waste management and
decommissioning gathers pace, there is an emerging interest integrating modern off-the-shelf industrial
robots in nuclear robotic systems which make use of complex electronics and software to improve
functionality over traditional machines. The use of the industrial robots will significantly increase the pace
of development of automated waste management systems at a reduced cost, and although these off-theshelf
robots are proven robust in typical industrial environments, performance in radioactive environments
is less clear. This paper investigates the performance degradation of a lightweight industrial robot (KUKA
iiwa 7 LBR 800) in a controlled radiation field, aiming to simulate conditions in highly radioactive nuclear
waste handling facilities. The degradation of the industrial robot’s performance is identified while
measuring the air kerma dose-tolerance of sensitive components, via a systematic experimental
methodology. The experience from this experiment has demonstrated the significant capabilities of
industrial robots, which tolerated a large gamma dose of 164 Gy before a system failure. Future tests are
planned, aiming to enable faster, safer and sooner waste management and decommissioning using complex
robotic systems
approach to minimize the exposure dose of human operators. As nuclear waste management and
decommissioning gathers pace, there is an emerging interest integrating modern off-the-shelf industrial
robots in nuclear robotic systems which make use of complex electronics and software to improve
functionality over traditional machines. The use of the industrial robots will significantly increase the pace
of development of automated waste management systems at a reduced cost, and although these off-theshelf
robots are proven robust in typical industrial environments, performance in radioactive environments
is less clear. This paper investigates the performance degradation of a lightweight industrial robot (KUKA
iiwa 7 LBR 800) in a controlled radiation field, aiming to simulate conditions in highly radioactive nuclear
waste handling facilities. The degradation of the industrial robot’s performance is identified while
measuring the air kerma dose-tolerance of sensitive components, via a systematic experimental
methodology. The experience from this experiment has demonstrated the significant capabilities of
industrial robots, which tolerated a large gamma dose of 164 Gy before a system failure. Future tests are
planned, aiming to enable faster, safer and sooner waste management and decommissioning using complex
robotic systems
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Waste Management Symposia |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 17 Feb 2020 |
Event | Waste Management Symposia - Phoenix, Arizona, United States Duration: 8 Mar 2020 → 12 Mar 2020 |
Conference
Conference | Waste Management Symposia |
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Abbreviated title | WM2020 |
Country/Territory | United States |
City | Phoenix, Arizona |
Period | 8/03/20 → 12/03/20 |