Robotic System for Automated Handling of Ceramic Pucks

A process is being developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for immobilization and ultimate disposal of legacy nuclear materials. A Ceramification System Test Facility (CSTF) is being built at LLNL, while the actual Plutonium Immobilization Plant (PIP) will be built at Savannah River Site (SRS). The materials are formed into ceramic-based pucks in what is called the First Stage Immobilization (FSI) process. The FSI puck handling system will provide automatic conveyance of pucks through several process steps beginning with removing the ''green'' pucks from the forming press, loading and unloading the pucks into/from a sintering furnace, and ending with loading the sintered pucks into transport cans for removal from the CSTF glovebox. It will eliminate several potential operator hazards arising from operating machinery within the glovebox, reduce operator exposure to radiation, reduce the chance of damaging pucks during handling and increase the throughput of the system. Ancillary equipment is also being developed and integrated with the puck handling system to determine the mass and geometric properties of both the green and sintered pucks. Although the CSTF is intended to demonstrate equipment that is prototypical of plant systems, significant differences exist between the envisioned plant and the LLNL CSTF with respect to their respective puck handling systems. LLNL and SRS both recognize this disparity, and although the CSTF puck handling system will not be plant prototypic in overall form, it will, however, be useful in addressing several plant-relevant puck-handling issues. Thus, the CSTF puck handling system will provide both short-term benefits for operation of the CSTF itself at LLNL, and support an overall project goal of demonstrating plant prototypic equipment for the SRS facility