ReTRIEVR, A LONG-REACH ROBOT FOR TANK OR SILO WAS TE RETRIEVAL

The ReTRIEVR acronym stands for REvolving Turret Reeled cable Incremental link Extending Vacuuming Robot. This long-reach slender robotic arm is being developed in support of waste removal activity at the US Department of Energy's Fernald Site. ReTRIEVR is deployed from a gantry structure to break -up and vacuum waste from the Silo-3 site. Silo-3 is an 80-ft (24m) diameter, 35-ft (10 -m) high domed structure housing powdery, caked, or granular metal oxide waste byproducts from processing concentrated uranium ore in the early days of the U.S. nuclear program. The primary opening for retrieval activity is through a 20 -inch (0.5-m) access hole in the center of the Silo-3 dome. The ReTRIEVR (patent pending) robotic system comprises a segmented link-mast (~ 60-ft (18-m) long) with an industrial master-slave robot on the mast end. Each mast-link measures approximately 17 inches (0.4-m) in diameter by 10-ft (3 -m) in length. A hinge along each link permits clamshell closure around the working cables. Adjacent links are joined by transverse hinge and actuator connecting pins. Active articulation is achieved by extending and retracting the hydraulic actuator. The end of the ReTRIEVR features a six degree-of-freedom, dexterous force feedback robot. The arm can hold and maneuver a vacuuming nozzle, and other tools that may be required to assist in waste retrieval.