Challenges for Robotics in Nuclear Decommissioning

Abstract

Decommissioning the UK's legacy nuclear facilities that can be over 50 years old is one of the most complex engineering tasks that the UK currently faces. Nuclear decommissioning is difficult as the radiation levels in a vast number of facilities are too high to allow manual operations, so remote or robotic solutions are required. While there have been many successes in remote decommissioning, there are continuing challenges to overcome. Remote solutions need to: be deployed through small penetrations but operate at heights or distances >10 m; operate in restricted and congested environments while completing aggressive operations (such as cutting, shearing or scabbling); and work in high-radiation fields yet be reliable, reusable and disposable. Advanced robotic techniques may provide benefit by reducing the need for centralised communication, enhancing adaptability in uncertain conditions or increasing the productivity and reliability of deployments. This article discusses the common difficulties of remote and robotic decommissioning through examples of legacy operations and current research and development. Though this article does not come to any conclusions, in identifying the challenges of decommissioning legacy facilities, it is anticipated that optimised solutions can be developed.