Decontamination & Decommissioning
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Connecticut Yankee Component Cutting
FTI is completing the cutting of components at Connecticut Yankee's Haddam Neck plant. FTI performed this work as a subcontractor to Bechtel Power, the decommissioning operations contractor for Connecticut Yankee.

FTI's workscope included cutting loose the steam generators, pressurizer and reactor coolant pump piping, and nozzle-to-pipe welds of the reactor pressure vessel.

The severing of the main steam piping, feed water piping and primary piping from each of the four steam generators was accomplished using split frame lathes. The same equipment was used to sever primary piping on the suction and discharge sides of each of the four Reactor Coolant Pumps (RCP) to facilitate removal of the pump.

In addition, FTI sever-cut each of the steam generators into two pieces for removal, necessary because of structural restrictions in the removal path, crane capacities and disposal availabilities.

In cutting the steam generators in two, the steam domes were removed from the lower assemblies of the generators using a track mounted automated thermal cutting process and hand torches to sever the tube bundle wrapper. Small bore piping and instrumentation lines to each generator were also cut by FTI.

Fernald Robot
Framatome Technologies is also active in D&D work related to the federal government. This work involves addressing the nuclear legacy of the research, development and production of nuclear weapons within the DOE Weapons Complex at various sites around the country.

FTI recently received a contract to design a remote robotic retrieval system for the removal of cold metal oxide powder material from Silo 3 at the Department of Energy Fernald Environmental Management Project in Ohio. The Silo 3 material is the byproduct of a former refinement process. Between 1953 and 1989, DOE's Fernald site produced uranium metal products for the nation's defense programs.

FTI will design the ReTRIEVR (tm pending) system, a long-reach (60 feet) dexterous vacuuming robotic manipulator. ReTRIEVR is an acronym for REvolving Turret Reeled cable Incremental link Extending Vacuuming Robot. The Retriever combines an extended segmented link mast with an industrial master slave robot on the mast end. The dexterous robotic arm at the end of the mast can hold a vacuuming tube or a series of mining tools.

The project strategy is to vacuum as much material as can be reached from a fixed mast position, then move the mast to the next position; this dexterous robot action followed by mast repositioning will be repeated until the entire silo is emptied. A small contamination enclosure is situated above the silo access opening.

The contract also includes an option for FTI to supply the tool to Rocky Mountain Remediation Services, L.L.C. (RMRS) which has the responsibility for Silo 3 cleanup at Fernald through a contract with Fluor Daniel Fernald. APARIQ, a consultant familiar with similar work for DOE, will perform an independent safety analysis of the design for FTI.

FTI has also provided its STAR system to the Hanford DOE site in Washington state (see Star article in Nuke Notes).

"When we initially began pursuing work in the D&D arena, we looked at our core competencies to see where they would match up with the needs of those places planning and performing D&D work," Twilley said. "Our securing of these contracts shows that our experience is valued in this emerging market."