Research and education for human resource development in integrated remote robot and measurement technologies for fuel debris removal (Contract research); FY2024 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), has been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") from FY2019. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2024, this report summarizes the research results of the "Research and education for human resource development in integrated remote robot and measurement technologies for fuel debris removal" conducted in FY2024. This research aims to develop robotic technologies, sensors, and radiation measurement techniques to remotely characterize and assess the properties of fuel debris at 1F reactor, and to cultivate personnel capable of integrating these technologies into systems. Furthermore, it seeks to establish SEEM science and deploy it in actual educational settings. Achievements in FY2024 include: optimizing neutron detectors with high radiation resistance ; constructing a simulator capable of appropriately generating radiation incident events; designing and developing a rover for generating 3D volume models; building physical environments for remote operation support; examined sensor configurations for radiation distribution estimation; proposal of a multi-arm orbital structure as a transport-capable modular orbital structure; development of lightweight arms and examined interfaces for multi-view remote control systems and orbital planners; image processing methods for full-scale environmental structure modeling; investigation on image data transmission methods; development of an integrated DX platform; studies on sensor and robot modularization; development of rigid-body and elastic-body analysis methods; characterization and waste management strategies and investigation of the applicability of geopolymers as backfill materials; establishing SEEM education.