High Temperature Inspection System

The Remote and Specialty Equipment Section (RSES) of the Savannah River Technology Center has developed a High Temperature Inspection System (HTIS) for remotely viewing the interior of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) melter pour spout. The DWPF is a vitrification facility at the Savannah River Site where radioactive waste is processed, mixed and melted with glass frit in an electrically heated melter, and poured into canisters for long-term storage. The glass mixture is transferred from the melter to the canisters via the pour spout, a vertical interface between the melter and the canisters. During initial operation of the melter, problems were experienced with wicking of the glass stream to the sides of the pour spout resulting in pluggage of the pour spout. A removable insert was developed to eliminate the wicking problem. Routine cleaning of the pour spout and replacement of the insert requires that the pour spout interior be inspected on a regular basis. The HTIS was developed to perform the inspection. The HTIS provides two video images: one view for aligning the HTIS with the pour spout and the other for inspecting the pour spout wall condition and other surfaces. The HTIS is carried into the meltermore » cell using an overhead crane and is remotely connected to the cell's telerobotic manipulator (TRM). An operator uses the TRM to insert the HTIS into the 2-inch (5.08 cm) diameter pour spout, rotate it 360 degrees, and then remove it. This application created many challenges for the inspection device, especially regarding size and temperature. The HTIS design allows the video cameras to stay below a safe operating temperature during use in the 1100 degrees C environment. Many devices are designed to penetrate a wall and extend into a heated chamber only a few inches, but the HTIS is inserted into the heated chamber 22 inches (55.88 cm). Other devices can handle the insertion length and small diameter, but they are not designed to handle the high temperature. This paper will discuss the development, unique features, and field use of the HTIS.« less