Russia's Rosatom Creates Radiation-Resistant Robot To Master Future Nuclear Tech - Expert

SOCHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2022) Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has created a robot model for work at the most radiation-hazardous production sites associated with a closed nuclear fuel cycle necessary for the development of nuclear energy, Alexander Zherebtsov, chief technologist for radioactive waste management of Rosatom's project Proriv, said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Zherebtsov presented at the II Congress of Young Scientists in Sochi plans for the transition to autonomous technology related to the use of robotic devices on closed nuclear fuel cycle production lines, which will increase the safety, environmental friendliness and economic competitiveness of the fuel cycle.

"Currently, a model of a radiation-resistant robot has been manufactured, tests of the radiation resistance of components of which have confirmed resistance to an absorbed dose of ionizing radiation of less than 1 megagray (1 million gray). Next year, it is planned to create an experimental stand for testing the interaction of robots and a complex of technological installations. This is an important step towards the creation of robotic production," Zherebtsov said.

For comparison,10 gray is considered a lethal dose of radiation for a human.

Rosatom is mastering the technologies necessary for the transition to a competitive two-component energy system based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle. The point is to pair the operation of traditional thermal neutron power reactors WWER (water-water energetic reactor) with fast neutron reactors, according to the expert.

The closed nuclear fuel cycle will help expand the reproduction of nuclear fuel and plutonium, the expert noted. The fuel base of nuclear energy will also increase significantly, which will eliminate the need to extract natural uranium in large volumes. It will also be possible to reduce the amount and biological hazard of radioactive waste remaining after reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, while the most dangerous radionuclides, primarily americium, are planned to be "burned out" in fast neutron reactors, Zherebtsov said. This, he said, will solve two problems at once, namely the issues of limited reserves of natural uranium and spent nuclear fuel.