Development of a Miniature Inspection Tool for the AY-102 Double-Shell Tank at the Hanford DOE Site

摘要

In 2012, small amounts of radioactive waste were found in the annulus of the AY-102 double-shell tank at the Hanford Site. The waste leaked from the primary tank into the refractory channels and subsequently flowed into the annulus. To date, the location and exact cause of the leak is unknown. This has prompted a research effort at Florida International University (FIU) that seeks to develop tools that gain access to the tank annulus and air refractory channels and identify the location of the leak. One of these efforts includes the development of a magnetic miniature rover with capability of traveling through the refractory cooling channels under the primary tank and provides video feedback.