Robotic Excavation of Radioactive Waste for Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

In 1995 CEG completed and installed an air-vacuum excavation unit for use with Lockheed – Martin’s Cooperative Telerobotic Retrieval system at the INEEL Robotic Lab. CEG’s system provided the capability to remotely excavate and remove spoil from a 60-foot square pit of buried waste up to 15 feet deep. The equipment skid is electrically powered and provides compressed air and vacuum suction to the digging unit. The digging unit is mounted on a boom crane that provides the means to move the unit horizontally over the entire surface of the pit and it uses its own telescoping boom with an excavating head to loosen and lift material from the pit. Material is continuously discharged from the collector onto a secondary conveyor for loading into containers for disposal.

To see video of the system in operation, please go to our reference library.

INEEL Equipment Skid Specifications

Motor Calco AC electric 460 Volt 125 hp
Starter Furnas
Air Compressor Sullair 270 cfm, 200 psig
Vacuum Sutorbilt 1500 cfm, 6 in Hg
Instrumentation
Air pressure gauge, vacuum gauge, filter pressure drop gauge, hour meter, compressed air temperature gauge
Controls On/off breaker, air pressure regulator
Size 57 in wide by 96 in long by 77 in high
Weight 5100 lbs


INEEL Boom Equipment Specifications

Boom Three section telescoping 5_ in min dia fiberglass epoxy tubes
Head Rotary with 3 CEG supersonic nozzles
Depth 15 feet below grade
Rate 1 to 2 cubic feet per minute
Separator Patented CEG rotary valve and primary separator
Discharge Cross conveyor to main conveyor under crane beam
Filters Six 10 in diameter polyester cartridge washable filters
Blowback system Goyen valves controlled on time or pressure drop
Weight 1600 lbs empty, 2500 lbs full