Rosatom deploys robotic “spider” for reactor weld inspections
“Nuclear Spider” sounds like the title of a 1950s-era science-fiction movie, but it’s actually a fairly accurate description of a new robotic system deployed by Atommash, the mechanical engineering division of Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear utility.
The spiderlike robot is designed to inspect welded joints in nuclear reactors and steam generators by using ultrasonic testing to look for defects, some of which are as thick as 30 centimeters. According to Rosatom, it can accomplish this task three times faster than previous methods.
Invisible welds: The robot, equipped with an advanced control unit, can crawl over a variety of surfaces at different angles in areas that are otherwise difficult to reach and see, such as the narrow interiors of reactor vessels, Rosatom reported. Its next-generation ultrasonic transducer can detect deep internal defects in the welds that are invisible during regular visual inspections, in which technicians slowly move scanning devices over the surface of the welds to look for problems.
Saving time and money: Oleg Shubin, Atommash’s director of quality control, said that the company is in the process of developing and implementing about 30 other robotic digital technologies for the improved construction, inspection, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. Atommash expects these technologies to result in substantial savings in time and money.
“By implementing robotics, we not only improve production efficiency but also create the work environment of the future,” said Shubin. “To achieve a quantum leap in development, we must create products that will shape the future. Digitalization is becoming the key tool for this. A modern plant is a place for innovation and the implementation of bold projects. The spider robot is a clear example of how technology serves the safety of the nuclear energy industry.”
Other systems: Rosatom is not alone in its use of robot technology to aid human skill in the nuclear industry. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ A-UT robot is being used to perform ultrasonic inspections of welds inside the high-temperature, high-radiation environments of reactor vessels that are filled with water. At the U.K.’s Sellafield site, Spot—Boston Dynamics’ “robotic dog”—has been used for radiation mapping, decontamination, and visual inspections as part of the decommissioning and clean-up process.
From something as relatively simple as the drones used for inspections around the world to robotic crawlers in Japan assisting with cleanup at Fukushima Daiichi and successful tests of robotic waste retrieval at Idaho National Laboratory, robots are becoming an increasingly pervasive and important component of nuclear plant and waste disposal safety.
