Development of a radiological characterization submersible ROV for use at Fukushima Daiichi

Nancekievill, M.*; Jones, A. R.*; Joyce, M. J.*; Lennox, B.*; Watson, S.*; Katakura, Junichi*; Okumura, Keisuke ; Kamada, So*; Kato, Michio*; Nishimura, Kazuya*

In order to contribute to the development of technology to search fuel debris submerged in water inside the primary containment vessel of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, we are developing a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) system equipped with a compact radiation detector and sonar. A cerium bromide (CeBr) scintillator detector for dose rate monitoring and ray spectroscopy was integrated into ROV and experimentally validated with a Cs source, both in the conditions of laboratory and submerged. In addition, the ROV combined with the IMAGENEX 831L sonar could characterize the shape and size of a simulated fuel debris at the bottom of the water pool facility.