Development and applications of robotic technologies for nuclear power plants in Korea

This work includes the development and applications of robotic technologies which were carried out in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). These projects aim to develop robotic technologies as well as robotic systems for a preventive maintenance and remote inspection of nuclear power plants such as an Eddy Current Test (ECT) of steam generator tubes in Pressurized Light Water Reactors (PWRs), a visual inspection of pressure tubes and an emergency stop valve manipulation in □ calandria in Pressurize Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). These researches focus on the development of key technologies concerned with upgrading the functions for a tele-operation, and upgrading a robot's reliability. These developed and developing techniques enable human eyes to watch a reactor during a full power operation and able a human operator to actuate the emergency stop valves in abnormal conditions of the plans. During a remote maintenance, a tele-operated articulated robot handles the nozzle dam to attach/detach it at the inside of steam generator (SG) water chambers which are highly contaminated by radiation. These robotic systems have been developed for preventing human workers from a high radiation exposure in hostile nuclear environments and are expected to upgrade a plant's safety by a remote inspection and preventive maintenance.