Employees of the Bochvar High-Tech Research Institute of Inorganic Materials (JSC "VNIINM") are conducting pilot operation of a robot sorter for solid radioactive waste (SRW). It will be used for fourth-generation power complexes.
The main task of the installation is to reliably determine the morphology and radiation characteristics of SRW for their flow sorting into incinerable, compressible and non-compressible or removal from radiation control.
How the sorting system works
Solid waste is loaded into a hopper. Then the waste goes along a conveyor belt to the sorting area. The robot, equipped with a technical vision system, uses a manipulator to grab each fragment and move it to the detector. The sorting process is monitored by an operator, who is located in a separate room.
According to Plisov, the system software identifies SRW fragments containing alpha-emitting radionuclides. They are sent to a special container.
Waste with gamma or beta-emitting radionuclides is distributed into other trays. Then they are sent for processing.
Sorting robot is being modernized
A model of the installation was manufactured at the Central Research and Development Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics (TsNII RTK) and installed at the JSC "VNIINM" site. It was tested on simulators and on real SRW.
Most likely, the installation will change both in terms of dimensions and in terms of configuration.
It is expected that the new robot will reduce the cost of sorting and handling waste. The Research Institute believes that this project has great prospects.