LESSONS LEARNED AND FINAL REPORT FOR HOUDINI VEHICLE REMOTE OPERATIONS AT OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

摘要

In 1996 the first hydraulically powered, remotely operated, track driven vehicle, commonly know as Houdini, arrived at the U.S. Department of Energy -Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This system supported radioactive waste retrieval for the Gunite Tanks Remediation Project. The Houdini-I system underwent cold testing at the Robotics and Process Systems Division's Tanks Technology Cold Test Facility at ORNL. The cold tests allowed the full integration of the Houdini-I system with other remotely operated equipment to complete the Radioactive Tank Cleaning System for the Gunite Tanks Remediation Project. In July 1997 the Houdini-I remotely operated vehicle was deployed, and over the next 8 months the Houdini-I was operated inside two 25-ft diameter tanks in the North Tank Farm and one 50-ft diameter tank at the South Tank Farm at ORNL in a harsh chemical and radiological environment. The system successfully accomplished a variety of tasks that were important for successful waste retrieval, completing the "hot tests" conducted as part of a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Treatability Study. During hot tests, many valuable lessons were learned, which were documented, and later communicated back to RedZone Robotics Inc., the manufacturer of the Houdini I system. A second system, Houdini-II, was in its design stage during the hot tests. Lessons-learned on the Houdini-I drove the design and specifications for the second-generation Houdini-II system. Improvements were targeted at two main areas, reliability and maintenance. These improvements were implemented in order to meet As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) exposure principle requirements, and further improve the Houdini system for use in higher radiation environments. The main redesign focused on improving the ergonomics on the Tether Management And Deployment System and modifying many of the electrical and plumbing features of the vehicle. The Houdini-II system arrived at ORNL in September 1998 for cold testing before its deployment in the larger gunite tanks in the ORNL South Tank Farm. In January 1999 the vehicle was deployed into tank W-7 under the Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC contract. The Houdini-II system successfully completed waste retrieval operations in tanks W-7, W-8, W-9, and W-10. The Houdini-II system required less maintenance than the original Houdini-I prototype. It proved reliable during waste retrieval operations, helping to speed up the process, and its versatility proved valuable in completing the Gunite Tanks Remediation Project ahead of schedule.