DOE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT: WALKING ON WALLS
A computer with input grid
coordinates controls the cable lengths, adjusting them as necessary
for efficient locomotion of the unit across large vertical surfaces
with a high degree of precision.
The ETEC demonstration entailed the decontamination
and surface removal from the walls of a 27 foot (8 M) deep concrete
waste storage vault. The WallWalker was fitted with a scabbling
module that scarified the walls of the waste storage vault in 14-inch
(35 cm) passes at a 1/8-inch (3 mm) removal depth. All hazardous debris was contained by the
vacuum seal between the robot and wall surface and conveyed by hose
directly into Pentek's self-cleaning, self-drumming VAC-PAC
HEPA vacuum and waste collection system. The WallWalker's integral
radiation monitoring instrumentation performed pre- and post-decon
surveys. An ETEC paper presented to the American Nuclear Society
concluded that it "is significantly cheaper (by about a factor of
eight) to perform scabbling operations" with WallWalker than with
conventional vacuum blasting machines. This is consistent with a
recent DOE Decommissioning Benchmarking Study, which found Pentek's
automated scabbling technology to be five to ten times more productive
than traditional concrete decontamination methods. WallWalker technology provides Pentek's DOE and industrial customers with new opportunities for dramatic improvements in production and cost containment. WallWalker's precisely maneuverable central work module can be configured for completely dustless scabbling operations, hydroblasting, CO2 blasting, flashlamps, abrasive blasting technology, and other cleaning operations. WallWalker's first commercial assignments include reactor cavity decontamination and ship hull painting. |
