Test using ROV and lifter for recovery waste of HASWS wet waste

Sano, Kyohei; Tameta, Yuito ; Akuzawa, Tadashi; Kato, Soma; Takano, Yugo*; Akiyama, Kazuki 

High Active Solid Waste Storage Facility (HASWS) at the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) is a facility for storing highly radioactive solid waste generated from the reprocessing operation. Wet cells in HASWS store hull cans that contain fuel cladding tubes (hull) and fuel end pieces remained after the spent nuclear fuel shearing and dissolving, as well as used filters and contaminated equipment. Dry cells in HASWS store analytical waste containers that contain waste jugs and the other waste generated from analytical operation of samples in TRP. Since HASWS does not have waste recovery equipment from the cells, it is considered that recovery equipment to be installed. In the wet cells, methods of recovery wet-stored waste are being considered that utilize a ROV, which has been used in decommissioning in the UK, and a lifter, which is used in the marine industry to float and transport items sinking to the bottom of the sea. To confirm the feasibility of the recovery method that combines the functions of the ROV and the lifter, tests for removing waste were conducted in steps that came closer to the real environment: a "unit test" to confirm the functions required of each of the ROV and the lifter, a "combination test" to combine the ROV and the lifter to move waste underwater, and a "comprehensive test" to retrieve waste in an environment simulating the hull storage facility. Through this test, the ROV and the lifter were able to perform a series of tasks required to recovery waste - cutting the wires attached to the waste, attaching a lifter to the waste, moving the waste to under the opening, and attaching the recovery device to the moved waste - in series, confirming the feasibility of the method for recovery wet-stored waste using the ROV and the lifter.