Diakont recently supplied a complete state-of-the-art radiation-tolerant manipulator system for the remote robotic removal of Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) test specimens.
Test specimens are housed within containers that are welded to the inner diameter (ID) surface of the RPV. To retrieve them, it is necessary to perform precision cuts of the welds that fasten the containers to the RPV.
Unlike previous now-obsolete solutions, Diakont’s new manipulator implements technology that eliminates ingress of welding slag and other foreign material into the RPV, eliminating the requirement to conduct extra FOSAR operations at the bottom of the RPV.
Diakont manipulators are equipped with “best-in-class” D40 radiation tolerant cameras, which provide reliable monitoring of underwater operations in the very high radiation work area.
The RPV specimen removal manipulator was designed and fabricated by the same division of Diakont engineers that previously developed a manipulator for the grinding repair of defects on the RPV ID, and that also design Diakont’s refueling machines.
The first manipulator for removing RPV test specimens has already been supplied to the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant. Presently Diakont is manufacturing an identical manipulator to be supplied to the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant.
More information about Diakont Radiation Tolerant Manipulators