Fernald silos remote retrieval tool development

Venugopal K. Varma, Benjamin E. Lewis, Jack Hughes

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

A long-reach tool was developed to remove discrete objects from the silos at the Fernald Environmental Management Project in Ohio. If not removed, the objects can potentially cause problems during the retrieval and transfer of waste from the silos. Most of the objects are on top of the Bentogrout cap inside the silos at or near the primary opening Into the tank and will therefore require only vertical lifting. The objects are located about 20 ft from the top of the silo. Although most of the objects can be retrieved from 20 ft, the long-reach tool was designed to for a reach up to 40 ft in case objects roll towards the walls of the tank or in case the objects need to be removed during heel retrieval operations. This document provides a detailed description of the tool that was developed, tested, and demonstrated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Tanks Technology Cold Test Facility. Scaffolding was erected over two experimental cells to simulate the 40-ft maximum working depth anticipated in the silos at Fernald. Plastic bottles and a plastic sheet simulated the debris that could be encountered during waste retrieval operations. This paper describes the functionality of the tool and proposed modifications to improve its operability.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)550-555
Number of pages6
JournalConference on Robotics and Remote Systems- Proceedings
Volume10
StatePublished - 2004
Event10th International Conference on Robotics and Remote Systems for Hazardous Environments - Gainesville, FL, United States
Duration: Mar 28 2004Mar 31 2004

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