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US 2021/0343442 A1Published application
Nuclear dismantling apparatus and method
AssigneeAts Corporation
InventorsDavid Taro Morikawa, Mark Johannesson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nuclear dismantling system for dismantling equipment contaminated with radioactive contamination, including a dismantling apparatus to be operated remotely while in a nuclear facility and a control system communicatively coupled to the dismantling apparatus to control the dismantling apparatus remotely.
Claims20
A nuclear dismantling system for dismantling equipment contaminated with radioactive contamination, comprising:
- a dismantling apparatus to be operated remotely while in a nuclear facility, including:
- a frame having a frame longitudinal axis,
- an elongated first arm mounted to the frame, the elongated first arm extending along a first arm longitudinal axis and having a first arm forward end to reach a workpiece,
- a first gripper mounted to the first arm to grip a workpiece, and
- a first cutter mounted to the first arm to cut the workpiece free from an environmental feature, and
- wherein the elongated first arm is moveable between a retracted position to facilitate movement of the dismantling apparatus and an extended position having the first arm forward end extending an extended distance from the frame to reach the workpiece, and
- wherein when the elongated first arm is in the extended position the gripper is operable to grab a workpiece adjacent the first arm forward end and the cutter is operable to cut the workpiece adjacent the gripper;
- and
- a control system communicatively coupled to the dismantling apparatus to control the dismantling apparatus remotely.
6 more elements
A nuclear dismantling apparatus to be controlled remotely by a communicatively coupled haptic control system, comprising:
- a frame having a frame longitudinal axis;
- an elongated first arm mounted to the frame, the elongated first arm extending along a first arm longitudinal axis and having a first arm forward end to reach a workpiece;
- a first gripper mounted to the first arm to grip a tubular workpiece from a radial side of the tubular workpiece;
- and
- a first cutter mounted to the first arm to cut the tubular workpiece free from an environmental feature while the first gripper holds the tubular workpiece from the side of the tubular workpiece, and
- wherein the elongated first arm is configured to move between a retracted position to facilitate movement of the dismantling apparatus and an extended position having the first arm forward end extending an extended distance from the frame to reach the workpiece, and
- wherein when the elongated first arm is in the extended position the gripper is operable to grab the tubular workpiece adjacent the first arm forward end and the cutter is operable to cut the workpiece adjacent the gripper.
4 more elements
A method of dismantling in a hazardous environment, comprising:
- providing a dismantling apparatus in the hazardous environment, the dismantling apparatus including a first gripper and a first cutter;
- communicatively coupling a haptic control system to the dismantling apparatus to control the dismantling apparatus and receive haptic feedback from the dismantling apparatus;
- operating the haptic control system while in a haptic feedback mode to move the first gripper to a workpiece and secure a first gripper hold on the workpiece;
- operating the haptic control system, while maintaining the first gripper hold on the workpiece, to use the first cutter to cut the workpiece free from an environmental feature;
- operating the haptic control system, while maintaining the first gripper hold on the workpiece, to move the first gripper to a disposal location;
- and
- operating the haptic control system to release the first gripper hold on the workpiece.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.