Date of Award

2021

Degree Type

Capstone Project

First Advisor

Dr. Bahram Nassersharif

Second Advisor

Dr. Cameron Goodwin

Abstract

The focus here is the visual inspection of submerged fuel elements within a nuclear reactor core. The underwater remotely controlled stable platform is a solution to improve the process at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory with regard to fuel element inspection. The design offers a radiation resistant, stable, and buoyancy neutral ROV. The impact the design will have on the sponsors using the ROV is both improved image quality due to the stability and the ability to capture angles previously unattainable. Furthermore, a safer method of inspection as the drone can be controlled from the surface away from the fuel elements. The design discussed throughout, is a development platform that will be paired with another design teams camera housing that forms the complete inspection ROV. The design/prototype is built with the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center reactor pool in Narragansett, RI in mind. Los Alamos National Laboratory is the project sponsor providing funding for the project to develop a prototype of the design. Throughout the course of the design, the team has worked with the RINSC staff in order to ensure the product will be suitable for the service environment consisting of both gamma and neutron radiation. The design provides a method of fuel element inspection using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that will be stable, neutrally buoyant, and suitable for the service environment.

Comments

Team name: Team 10, U.N.I.R.O.D.

Sponsor: Los Alamos National Laboratory

Document Reference: MCE-402-010-2021

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