Our submersible ROV helps maintains the fuel storage pool within acceptable activity limits.
Imagine you’re watching the latest sci-fi blockbuster. You may see a team of heroic experts exploring the vast expansions of outer space or the deepest corners of the ocean self-powered robots, inspecting impossible-to-reach areas with precision and collecting invaluable data. In reality the applications for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are limitless. That is why our teams of robotics experts at Westinghouse are working hard to adapt this technology for the nuclear industry.
Scarab, our new robotic cleaning crawler, is one such innovative tool. This low profile, submersible-tracked ROV is the key component of our Spent Fuel Cleaning System. Outfitted with customizable enhancements, the crawler is designed to vacuum debris and retrieve foreign objects from under the spent fuel racks. As Scarab navigates the under-rack lanes, a vacuum port and articulating arm effector gathers debris and foreign objects. If objects cannot be vacuumed, an articulating arm on the mechanical gripper gathers the objects and places them in a specially constructed foreign object container.
The Scarab is also equipped with a submersible video camera system with capabilities to pan, tilt and zoom while capturing photos and video. The crawler and camera system are each coupled to a modular control system to remotely operate the vehicle and archive the recorded imagery.
As our Scarab and other ROV designs are deployed, their benefits will continue to be realized. Field personnel are made safer by decreased exposure to high-dose areas of the plant, while operators can realize increased efficiencies in their cleaning processes, leading to time and cost improvements.
Key Benefits
- Innovative technologies maximize cleaning efficiencies
- Remotely operated cleaning capabilities minimize required technicians on site
- Customizable design tailored to address your plant's specific concerns
