Nuclear reactors are the need of the hour. In today’s world they are a necessity. But the problem is, these reactors are complex things when it comes to inspecting them. Immersed in a pool of coolant water and to moderate the nuclear reaction, the reactor and the water vessel that contains it, requires periodic cleaning and inspection to ensure that it’s safe and operating efficiently which is a very expensive and labour intensive task. Adding to that the fear of exposure to radiation always hangs in the air. In order to let workers do their job, special bridges need to be hauled in and installed over the pool of coolant so that workers can walk out with poles tipped with tools and instruments.

In a bid to make this whole burdensome process safer, cheaper and faster GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has developed a free-swimming robot “Stinger” that can replace humans for cleaning and inspecting reactor vessels. The “Stinger” swims about using an advanced camera and remote positioning technology and an operator controls it sitting in a tent far away from the radiation area.

This not only removes the need for a bridge, but also allows refuelling operations to continue uninterrupted. Jerry Dolan, Senior Tooling Manager at GE explained, “Stinger uses a hydrolaser to blast welds with water before it shoots HD video of the weld. This video is then beamed near real-time to Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved inspectors at our global Center of Excellence in Wilmington, NC, where they are analyzed. Stinger literally replaces eight people standing on the bridge of the reactor lowering cameras and brushes with ropes and pulleys. It is much faster and more accurate than previous methods while also significantly reducing radiation dose.” Science does indeed serve humanity in a wonderful manner.

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Author:Technology Blog