The Pit Viper - a remote operations waste retrieval system - was developed to replace manual operations in the valve pits of waste storge tanks at the Hanford Site. The system consists of a typical industrial backhoe fitted with a robotic manipulator arm and is operated remotely from a control trailer located outside of the tank farm. Cameras mounted to the arm and within the containment tent allow the operator to view the entire pit area and operate the system using a joystick. The arm's gripper can grasp a variety of tools that allow personnel to perform cleaning, debris removal, and concrete repair tasks -- a more efficient and less dose-intensive process than the previous "long-pole" method. The project team overcame a variety of obstacles during development and testing of the Pit Viper system, and deployment occurred in Hanford Tank C-104 in December 2001.
Revised: January 9, 2009 |
Published: June 30, 2002
Citation
Roeder-Smith L. 2002.Pit Viper strikes at the Hanford site. Pit maintenance using robotics at the Hanford Tank Farms.Radwaste Solutions 9, no. 3:33-39.PNNL-SA-36232.