Waste Management Symposia: DOE Officials Say Department Carries Out Cleanup With 'Completion Mindset'

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EM Update | Vol. 10, Issue 12 | March 28, 2018

‘We Want to Get Things Done,’ DOE Officials Tell Waste Management Conference
Opportunities Abound to Use Robotics, DOE Representatives Tell Conference
EM Los Alamos Officials Highlight Milestones, Ongoing Cleanup at Conference
Officials Highlight Cleanup Progress at Portsmouth, Paducah
Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Approach to Hanford Tank Waste Moving Forward
Waste Management Showcases Robots That Could Support EM’s Cleanup
WIPP’s Future is ‘Bright,” Officials Say at Waste Management Conference
EM Working to Speed Acquisition Process
Universities Display Robotics Critical to EM Cleanup at Conference

‘We Want to Get Things Done,’ DOE Officials Tell Waste Management Conference

Jim Colgary, chief of staff to Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, speaks during this year’s Waste Management Symposia.

PHOENIX – DOE is carrying out its cleanup program with a “completion mindset,” senior Department and EM officials said here last week, outlining a variety of initiatives underway to continue making significant progress.

“We need to get things done…We want to get things done,” Jim Colgary, chief of staff to Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, said during his plenary address at this year's Waste Management Symposia. “Even if it's small victories, let's get it done.”

Colgary noted a number of visits to EM sites by top DOE leadership in their first year at the Department, including Hanford, Oak Ridge, Portsmouth, Savannah River Site, and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). These trips were “eye opening,” Colgary said, adding they have provided an opportunity to see the “incredible work” being done at EM sites and to learn more about the challenges facing the Department's cleanup program. Colgary also praised the workers at EM sites for their work and safety ethic.

“It takes a special worker to be able to work in this environment,” he said.

Colgary said he is excited about the anticipated benefits of the Department's decision to place EM under the authority of DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar, saying the new organizational structure would further boost cleanup momentum.

“Paul is the right man at the right time in history to get this done,” Colgary said.

Anne White, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as EM Assistant Secretary, also supports a completion approach to cleanup, Colgary said, adding, “I can’t wait to see Anne entrenched in her job.”

Colgary praised Jim Owendoff, EM principal deputy assistant secretary, who has been heading the DOE cleanup program for the past year.

“As acting assistant secretary, he has done an exemplary job of putting DOE on a path to achieving the cleanup mission sooner, safer, and at less cost to the taxpayers,” Colgary said.

Dae Chung, acting EM associate deputy principal secretary for field operations, highlighted a number of planned accomplishments across the complex expected to be realized over the coming year during remarks at the EM “Hot Topics” panel. These include completion of integrated systems testing at the Idaho Integrated Waste Treatment Unit; continued progress on facilities at the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant necessary for the direct feed low activity waste approach to tank waste treatment; and continued progress toward achieving 250 or more shipments of transuranic waste to WIPP.

In his plenary remarks, Colgary stressed the Department will place “a higher expectation” on the contractors responsible for performing work in the field to better ensure success.

“We need these results today,” he said.

Members of the EM “Hot Topics” panel at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.

Safety is 'Top Priority'

DOE and EM officials stressed their commitment to safety across the Department's cleanup efforts through the conference.

“You should expect to see a continued emphasis on safety and promotion of a culture where concerns and ideas for improvements are appreciated and elevated in a timely manner. Safety for our workers and the public is the top priority for the Department and will always be paramount,” Colgary told conference attendees during the plenary session.

During the EM “Hot Topics” panel, Chung discussed several efforts to help further strengthen safety at cleanup sites, including promoting more “real time” sharing of lessons learned and an increased focus on safety performance during monthly project reviews.

“The planning of work with safety in mind is important,” he said.

The December contamination event at Hanford's Plutonium Finishing Plant demonstrated the importance of strong conduct-of-operations programs and the need for a questioning attitude at all levels of workers at EM sites, Chung said.

“There's got to be a better questioning attitude if we're all going to be successful in the long run,” he said.

'Innovation, Not Regulation'

Colgary and EM officials also highlighted efforts underway within DOE concerning regulatory reform.

“Our goal is to increase efficiency without sacrificing safety or quality,” Colgary said, noting that DOE leadership is developing more prudent, responsible, and effective regulations.

“We need innovation, not regulation,” he said.

At the EM “Hot Topics” panel, Mark Gilbertson, associate principal deputy assistant secretary for regulatory and policy affairs, said EM is working to make National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes more efficient and is working to “strengthen” relations with regulators. Going forward, EM wants to discuss and address “true risks” and not “perceived risks,” with stakeholders, he said.

“We're at a cusp with an Administration willing to support us,” Gilbertson said. “Too many times we feel comfortable…We have an opportunity with this Administration's support to look at things a little differently than we have in the past.

-Contributor: Michael Nartker

Opportunities Abound to Use Robotics, DOE Representatives Tell Conference

Rod Rimando, far right, director of EM’s Office of Technology Development, speaks during a panel discussion at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.

PHOENIX – Many opportunities exist to use robotics underwater, inside nuclear facilities, and underground to advance DOE’s cleanup work, Rod Rimando, director of EM’s Office of Technology Development, said here last week during a panel discussion at this year’s Waste Management Symposium.

Thomas Nance, director of research and development engineering at EM’s Savannah River National Laboratory, gave an overview of robotics at the lab over the past year. Employees modified a crawler from 2015 to function in the Savannah River Site’s H Canyon facility. Nance emphasized the need for people to make new technological deployments work. There are many potential future advancements, from remote inspections to remote repairs, he said.

Jason Wheeler, principal member of the research and development staff at Sandia National Laboratories, discussed how wearable robotics might be useful to DOE and its environmental cleanup. Many EM challenges have been addressed, but remaining work is complex, and environmental challenges will be difficult to address, according to Wheeler.

Unique hazards have been managed well through personal protective equipment, but internal muscular skeletal injuries are possible, Wheeler said. Deploying robots to perform tasks could reduce the risk of those injuries, he said. Exoskeletons could benefit EM in glove box work, maintenance of equipment, demolition, emergency response, and soil characterization and handling, he said.

Robotic technologies was one of the highlights at this year’s conference. Other panel sessions included the EM Robotics and Emerging Technologies Roadmap; Robotics and Emerging Technologies: Federal Agencies Engagement; and Remotely Operated Vehicles for Emergency, Disaster and Operational Upset Response.

-Contributor: Paivi Nettamo

EM Los Alamos Officials Highlight Milestones, Ongoing Cleanup at Conference

Los Alamos National Laboratory has changed dramatically over the last several decades, yet its mission has endured.

PHOENIX – As it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2018, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was a featured site at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.

“LANL is the oldest and most complex National Nuclear Security Administration site,” Doug Hintze, manager of the Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (EM-LA), noted during a “Hot Topics” panel presentation. Several LANL panels focused on cleanup and storage of the historic laboratory’s legacy waste.

While discussing legacy cleanup at LANL, Hintze said EM-LA’s mission is to “safely, efficiently, and with full transparency, complete the cleanup of legacy contamination and waste (pre-1999) resulting from nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear research at (LANL).”

In a separate presentation, Hintze highlighted one of LANL’s most significant recent milestones: the successful treatment of the nitrate salts stored there. Multiple organizations from across the country collaborated on issues related to the nitrate salts, from safety and storage to the treatment plan and readiness assessments. Together, a common goal was reached through what Hintze called a “unity of effort.”

Los Alamos National Laboratory's legacy waste is stored at Area G at Technical Area 54.

In total, 60 remediated nitrate salt drums and 27 unremediated nitrate salt drums were safely treated over the last several months at LANL.

Hintze provided an overview of EM-LA’s approach to legacy cleanup and waste management. As one campaign is completed, the next scheduled campaign begins, with multiple campaigns underway simultaneously. Hintze detailed how this approach is tied to the 2016 Compliance Order on Consent with the State of New Mexico, noting that 17 campaigns are identified in the Consent Order.

Several subject-matter experts from EM-LA contractor Los Alamos National Security (LANS) gave presentations on EM’s legacy cleanup and waste management mission at LANL, from the waste disposition program at Technical Area 54 and an in-depth look at the treatment of the remediated nitrate salts to overviews on sediment transport mitigation in watersheds. Technical Program Manager Danny Katzman provided an update on characterization efforts of the hexavalent chromium plume in the regional aquifer on LANL property and the interim measure underway to arrest its migration.

LANL Deputy Director Rick Kacich highlighted key efforts by LANS under its bridge contract with EM, including treating the remediated nitrate salts and addressing the chromium plume. Work under that contract, which began in October 2015, is nearing completion. Kacich noted that transition to the new Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract began on Jan. 25. N3B-Los Alamos, the new cleanup contractor for that contract, is expected to complete transition this spring.

-Contributor: Steven Horak

Officials Highlight Cleanup Progress at Portsmouth, Paducah

Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office and contractor management wrapped up this year’s Waste Management Symposia with a presentation on plans to move forward the cleanup of the gaseous diffusion plants in Portsmouth and Paducah, as well as restart progress at the depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) conversion facilities.

PHOENIX – EM and contractor officials here last week highlighted progress with cleanup projects underway at the former Portsmouth and Paducah gaseous diffusion plants.

EM's Portsmouth and Paducah sites were featured at this year's Waste Management Symposia, along with Los Alamos National Laboratory.

At Portsmouth, a top priority is preparing the first of the plant's former massive uranium enrichment process buildings — known as X-326 — for eventual demolition, according to Robert Edwards, manager of EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO). DOE expects to have X-326 in a “cold and dark” status and declared criticality incredible by the end of this fiscal year, said Joel Bradburne, PPPO deputy manager.

“We intend to drive a stake through the heart [of X-326] this fiscal year,” Bradburne said.

DOE expects to begin bulk asbestos removal from X-326 at the end of this fiscal year, with some demolition activities set to begin in fiscal year (FY) 2019, Bradburne said. DOE is working to align demolition activities at X-326 with an onsite disposal cell being built at Portsmouth. Bulk soil excavation and infrastructure installation for the cell are scheduled for completion in FY 2019, with the cell expected to be operational in FY 2020 and begin accepting debris from the demolition of X-326 in FY 2021.

Work has begun to prepare the second of the three former uranium enrichment process buildings at Portsmouth — X-333 — for demolition, including “passivating” uranium hexafluoride deposits in piping and initiating non-destructive assay measurements, according to Jeff Stevens, deputy site director for Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth (FBP), the site deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) contractor. Work is also underway to prepare to size reduce large pieces of uranium enrichment equipment, known as convertors, inside the building, with that work set to begin in August, according to Bradburne. DOE and FBP's goal is to have X-333 ready for demolition in spring 2021.

“We've got a trained workforce and a path to closure,” Stevens said.

In his remarks at a panel discussion on the Portsmouth and Paducah sites, Stevens noted the immense size of many of the buildings at the Portsmouth site. Citing his past work at the former Rocky Flats site in Colorado, which EM successfully cleaned up in 2005, Stevens said all of the buildings there could fit inside two of Portsmouth's three former enrichment process buildings.

“You can take five H-Canyons at Savannah River and put them in our maintenance building,” Stevens said.

Paducah Learning Lessons From Portsmouth, Oak Ridge

Jennifer Woodard, PPPO’s Paducah site lead, discussed the work performed in recent years to develop an integrated site baseline for cleanup activities following the return of all the plant's former enrichment facilities to DOE in 2014. The new baseline takes a 10-year approach to tackling key priorities, including remediation, deactivation activities, and utility optimization, she said.

A key project focuses on the C-400 Cleaning Building, which sits atop the source for what is considered to be the largest plume of trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination in groundwater in the DOE complex. While DOE is using pump-and-treat systems to attempt to reduce the contamination, with some success, demolition of the C-400 will allow the Department to better investigate and ultimately address the contamination source, Woodard said. Paducah cleanup contractor Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership currently expects C-400 to be ready for demolition by September, according to Bill Kirby, president and project manager.

Paducah is also looking to take lessons learned from D&D activities at Portsmouth and Oak Ridge as deactivation activities begin, Woodard said. She noted that the four former enrichment process buildings at Paducah are believed to contain approximately 30,000 pounds of uranium deposits that will need to be addressed before the buildings can be demolished.

DUF6 Effort is 'Seven Lines, One Project'

Reinhard Knerr, EM federal project director at PPPO, discussed work to return the two depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) plants at Portsmouth and Paducah to full operation following a safety-related shutdown in 2015. The plants are intended to convert tens of thousands of metric tons of DUF6 material into a more stable form for eventual disposition. All four conversion process lines at the Paducah plant are operating, and early this year, the first of the three conversation process lines at the Portsmouth plant resumed operation, according to Knerr.

A major Department challenge has been instituting cultural and programmatic changes at the two plants to prepare for full operation, Knerr said. DOE has worked to ensure identical processes at the two plants, and the Department continues to work to make sure corrective actions developed in response to an issue at one facility are quickly applied to the other.

“That key parameter is going to make these plants successful — the sharing of information back and forth,” Knerr said.

DOE and the plants' new operating contractor, Mid-America Conversion Services (MCS), manage the two plants using a mindset of “Seven Lines — One Project.”

“Getting that workforce to look at itself as a single unit is critical,” Knerr said.

“It's absolutely the way to run this project,” added MCS President and Project Manager Alan Parker.

Parker said he expects to have the last of three conversion process lines at the Portsmouth plant operating by early May.

“We want to operate these plants safely, efficiently, and meet our production goals,” he said.

DOE has set a target to have the two plants meet a goal to process 31,500 metric tons of material annually, Knerr said, adding he expects to reach that target in the 2020-2021 timeframe.

“I think we have the technical capability and the contractor to get to that goal,” Knerr said.

-Contributor: Michael Nartker

Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste Approach to Hanford Tank Waste Moving Forward

Brian Vance, the manager of the EM Office of River Protection, speaks at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.

PHOENIX – The Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) is on track to vitrify tank waste as soon as December 2021, Brian Vance, the manager of the EM Office of River Protection, said here last week.

“Our focus now is on the transition from construction to operations,” Vance said during the EM “Hot Topics” panel at this year’s Waste Management Symposia. “It’s crucial that our workforce be in the right mindset and feel the urgency of operations.”

EM is focused on the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste (DFLAW) path that supports a phased mission progression toward the treatment of the low-activity waste (LAW) portion of Hanford’s 56 million gallons of chemical and radioactive tank waste. Addressing the LAW first allows for that most mobile form of tank waste to be immobilized, helping prevent leaks from the single-shell tanks and freeing up double-shell tank space for future operations.

The DFLAW approach will place about 75 percent of the plant into operations, including the support facilities that run the plant, called Balance of Facilities. The resulting operational experience also provides valuable lessons learned to aid startup and commissioning of the remaining portions of the WTP – and it allows EM to begin treatment of tank waste in advance of completion of the entire plant.

A key factor in implementing the DFLAW approach will be the employment of a pretreatment capability to separate cesium and solids from the tank waste and provide feed to the WTP Low Activity Waste Facility. DOE is currently considering the initial use of at-tank capabilities to provide initial feed, according to Vance.

“We are looking at a tank-side cesium removal system based on proven technology being used at Fukushima,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department is currently reviewing the design for the planned Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS), which is intended to be a larger facility to provide feed for the LAW Facility. DOE is reviewing the design with the aim of making it simpler and to identify cost efficiencies, according to Vance.

Vance said contractor proposals were being reviewed for the tank-side system, and a proposal for the simplified LAWPS facility from Hanford tank operations contractor Washington River Protection Solutions is due this week.

“We recognize the urgency of the cleanup mission,” Vance said, “And we’re committed to continuing to work with regulators and our other stakeholders to keep making progress and increase confidence in achieving DFLAW operations.”

-Contributor: Yvonne Levardi

Waste Management Showcases Robots That Could Support EM’s Cleanup

Featured at the Waste Management Symposia 2018 in Phoenix, the NASA Valkyrie weighs 300 pounds, and stands 6 feet, 2 inches tall. While EM is many years from using a humanoid robot, Valkyrie’s highly dexterous arms could replace gloves in EM glove boxes, making work easier and safer for laboratory technicians and workers. Tele-operated robotic arms and manipulators could provide key advances in glove box and hot cell design and operations. NASA and EM have been partnering on this and other robotics projects for more than 2 years.

On display at the Waste Management Symposia 2018, the Gemini-Scout from Sandia National Laboratories is a robotic system that could support mine rescue teams. Equipped with cameras and sensors, it can provide feedback to first responders and serve as a two-way communications device with trapped miners while providing critical lifesaving information. The High Consequence Automation and Robotics (HCAR) group at Sandia developed the robot. The concept would allow for exploration and assessment of mine conditions ahead time.

The Pipe Crawler, which can be activated by a smart phone, can travel through the air supply line that leads to the central plenum of the tanks at Hanford. This robot, featured at the Waste Management Symposia 2018, provides information regarding the health of the tank floor around the center of the tank. The crawler’s movement mimics that of an inchworm and can navigate through several 90-degree elbows, reducers, and vertical runs. It also houses a camera for video feedback.

The Robotic Rabbit was on hand at the Waste Management Symposia 2018. It was designed, built, and deployed at Exelon Generation, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station, in collaboration with the State University of New York Oswego. The goal was to create a simple-to-operate, easily modified, remote surveillance unit that can reduce collective radiation exposure to workers, obtain particulate air samples, and perform surveillances in high heat areas in search of steam leaks.

The Sandia Hand, developed by Sandia National Laboratories, is low-cost, dexterous, and modular, enabling it to support a variety of applications including glove box manipulation, search and rescue, casualty care, and explosive ordnance disposal. The hand, shown at the Waste Management Symposia 2018, consists of a frame that supports a set of identical fingers that magnetically attach and detach from the frame.

WIPP’s Future is ‘Bright,” Officials Say at Waste Management Conference

Waste handlers at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant emplace containers of transuranic waste 2,150 feet underground in Panel 7. Waste containers shipped from DOE generator sites across the country are stacked in waste panels mined out of an ancient salt bed.

PHOENIX – EM and contractor officials discussed here last week the path forward for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) following the resumption of waste shipments to the facility.

During a panel discussion at this year’s Waste Management Symposia, officials discussed the road to resuming waste emplacement in January 2017, including the implementation of new waste acceptance criteria and progress since waste shipments resumed in April 2017.

“WIPP is an incredibly robust facility for disposal,” said EM Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) Manager Todd Shrader.

“WIPP is now operating in ‘the new normal,’” said Bruce Covert, president and project manager of Nuclear Waste Partnership, the management-and-operations contractor at WIPP.

“Safety is paramount in everything we do,” Covert said. “We’re operating very well. We’re operating safely and compliantly.”

More than 180 shipments have been made to WIPP since waste shipments resumed, with emplacement rates ramping up to about eight shipments per week. Shipments have been received from Idaho, Oak Ridge, Savannah River Site, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Waste Control Specialists.

Panelists highlighted the resumption of mining operations in January 2018. More than 3,600 tons of salt have been mined from Panel 8. Waste is currently being emplaced in Panel 7, which will take about three years to fill.

They also discussed the supplemental ventilation system startup, which was necessary for mining to begin. The system provides additional underground airflow by creating an unfiltered air exhaust pathway for portions of the mine. Previously, all exhaust was directed through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter units, which results in a lower airflow. Also, de-dusters were installed to remove salt dust suspended in the air during mining operations. This reduces the frequency with which HEPA filters must be replaced.

The panel also covered WIPP capital projects, including a new safety significant confinement ventilation system and utility shaft. Together, these would replace the existing, aging ventilation system and provide sufficient airflow for simultaneous mining, waste emplacement, and maintenance activities. The utility shaft would also allow for a supplemental hoisting capability.

Other plans highlighted by the panel included keeping safety at the forefront, addressing facility infrastructure needs, and ramping up waste emplacement rates with an emphasis on the integration of DOE waste complex resources.

- Contributor: Victoria Parker

EM Working to Speed Acquisition Process

PHOENIX – As part of EM's commitment to more timely decision-making, work is underway to identify ways to accelerate the competing and award of cleanup contracts, an EM representative said here last week.

Currently, it takes almost two-and-a-half years to conduct a procurement for an EM contract, Tamara Miles, assistant director at the EM Consolidated Business Center, said during a panel presentation at this year's Waste Management Symposia. EM is working to cut that time by approximately 50 percent.

“EM must remain focused on high-quality acquisitions and not just accelerated timelines,” she said.

Among the steps EM is taking to accelerate acquisitions is the development of updated source selection guidance, which Miles said is intended to provide a “more step-by-step” approach to conduct acquisitions. To further ensure consistency between procurements, EM is updating a variety of procurement-related templates, such as those used for acquisition plans, source selection plans, source evaluation board reports, and other documents. The program also is seeking to standardize clauses in requests for proposals.

“It's important for us to be consistent from procurement to procurement,” Miles said.

Efforts are advancing to develop what Miles described as a “cadre of technical resources,” including trained source selection officials, source evaluation board chairs, and other subject-matter experts, to help streamline procurements. Such a program is expected to build the proficiency of technical members through involvement on multiple procurements, according to Miles.

EM is also working to further improve how proposals for cleanup contracts are prepared and evaluated, Miles said.

“We're asking for too much,” she said.

For example, EM is considering changes to the evaluation criteria used to assess proposals to eliminate the experience evaluation factor, Miles said, adding that the National Nuclear Security Administration already uses such an approach. The intent would be to focus on those evaluation factors that are true discriminators among proposals – chiefly technical approach and key personnel and organization. Since typically experience is the lowest-ranked evaluation criteria in EM procurements, its elimination is expected to have little overall impact on how proposals are evaluated yet save a significant amount of time and effort, Miles said.

EM is also considering ways to streamline the development and evaluation of cost proposals. Such proposals are typically expensive for offerors to prepare and one of the more difficult parts of the evaluation process, she said.

Miles said EM's goal is to have various improvements to speed acquisitions in place by the end of the year.

“We want to continue to produce high quality, consistent, acquisition outcomes,” she said.

-Contributor: Michael Nartker

Universities Display Robotics Critical to EM Cleanup at Conference

NASA's humanoid robot, Valkyrie, gathers with participants in this year's Waste Management Symposia, including Rod Rimando, director of EM’s Office of Technology Development, at left of Valkyrie.

PHOENIX – A wide range of robotics developed by universities and used in EM’s cleanup were on display at this year’s Waste Management Symposia.

One of three Florida International University robots deployed at EM sites, the Mini Rover is a miniature robotic system designed for inspection of double-shell tank floors at the Hanford Site. It can be deployed to slots from the annulus and provides visual feedback as it maneuvers through bends to reach the central plenum. The system can house a variety of sensors, including those for temperature and radiation.

Activated by a smartphone, the Pipe Crawler can travel through the air supply line that leads to the central plenum of the tanks at Hanford. It provides information regarding the health of the tank floor around the tank’s center. The crawler’s movement mimics that of an inchworm and can navigate through several 90-degree elbows, reducers, and vertical runs. It also houses a camera for video feedback.

The Wall Crawler is a low-cost system with a camera capable of traversing both flat and curved surfaces for monitoring and inspection. It can navigate upside down or on vertical surfaces. This robot assists in the inspection of the Savannah River National Laboratory H-Canyon tunnel.

Drones

Unmanned aerial systems, or drones, have become an asset in hazardous facilities. They have many capabilities, including mapping, sampling, and source localization.

Mapping includes collecting high-resolution images and data of environments through safe navigation and control. Sampling is safely accomplished by using drones with a human controller in which the drone finds a clear elevation, flies through cluttered space, and stops for a controlled sample. Active and decommissioned nuclear sites, and those scheduled for decommissioning, are critical facilities requiring inspections involving radiometric surveying. Drones enable remote access, radiation mapping, and radioactive source localization.

University of Reno-Nevada, Carnegie Mellon University, and Purdue University featured these robots at the conference’s Robotics Pavilion.

Manipulators

NASA, Northeastern University, and University of Massachusetts Lowell work together on the cooperative control of humanoid robots for remote operations in nuclear environments. The team demonstrated the Valkyrie robot’s capabilities at the conference. Working with glove boxes is common in operations at nuclear facilities. This task poses potential contamination hazards to workers. Use of robotics under human supervision could provide a safer alternative.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory developed dexterous dual-arm robots. The laboratory’s team demonstrated a robot’s limb coordination system, which enables independent control of the robot arms and coupled motion required to hold and manipulate equipment.

Using the virtual reality headset and stereo video, an operator can walk up to the control console, pick up the controllers, engage the manipulators, grasp a tool with one or both robot arms, and easily move them in unison to perform tasks. The team’s anticipated benefits of the robotic system for deactivation and decommissioning operations include improved situational awareness, increased mission complexity, and reduced operator training time, workload, and task execution times.

-Contributor: Paivi Nettamo

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