Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and
Pacific Northwest Laboratory
Description
The Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a Remote Characterization System (RCS) to address hazardous operational problems by using unmanned vehicles and remotely controlled instruments in site characterization surveys. The RCS, which is a hardware system developed under the Buried Waste Robotics Program (BWRP), includes a unique low-signature (nonferrous) survey vehicle, a high-level control station, a satellite-based (navigational/tracking) Global Positioning System (GPS), and a suite of geophysical sensors.
The purpose of the RCS is to deliver several geophysical sensors remotely to a buried waste site on one platform, obtain data from these sensors via a radio-frequency telemetry link, and provide accurate subsurface maps of the waste streams and pit and trench boundaries. The targeted contaminants are metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radionuclides, and other constituents. Initial nonintrusive characterization of buried waste is vital to determine the exact location of pit and trench boundaries, hot spots, radiation levels, and depths to the waste level and the basalt geological layer. This RCS presents an alternative characterization technique to allow improved data quality through automated data acquisition, improved data display for interpretation, and increased safety to personnel.
The Land Survey Vehicle (LSV) is constructed of nonferrous materials to minimize electromagnetic interference with the on-board electronic equipment. The vehicle is self-propelled and guided by a remote base station. The high-level control station includes three 19 in. monitors that provide stereo visual display to the vehicle operator and keyboard- or joystick-operated controls. A qualified geophysicist is part of the two-man survey team. The full range of sensors to be supported by this vehicle and its instrument package has not yet been defined, but it will include ground penetrating radar (GPR), a metal detector, a magnetometer, an induction-type ground conductivity sensor, and a radiological sensor.
A differential, kinematic, GPS-based subsystem has been developed as a primary means of tracking the vehicle. The GPS kinematic system uses a fixed GPS reference antenna and a remote GPS receiver antenna, and it applies acute phase comparison of radio-frequency signals from four or more earth orbiting satellites. GPS navigation enables a real-time three-dimensional coordinate position of the LSV to be calculated with absolute accuracies of ±50cm (GPS can be as accurate as ±10 cm) at a rate of 2 to 200 measurements per sec.
Technical Performance
Field Demonstration was scheduled for June 1993 at an Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) buried waste site. The LSV has a 20-hp, gasoline-powered, two-cylinder engine with an average fuel consumption of 1 gal/h; and there is a 12-V, 20-A alternator mounted on the rear section of the chassis. The vehicle has a six-wheel design with modified skid steering. The vehicle was designed to facilitate decontamination. The LSV has an 8-in. ground clearance, except when the GPR antenna is used, reducing the ground clearance to 1 in. The LSV operates at speeds between 1 and 6 ft/s (2/3 to 4 mph) and up to 10 ft/s. The control base requires 12-kW (continuous) electrical power to operate the equipment and to heat or cool the van. The GPS navigation and positioning system can be used to obtain position measurements at accuracies better than 0.1% of the vehicle range. Higher accuracies are possible using phase comparison of radio-frequency telemetry. The prototype system is valued at approximately $550K.
Projected Performance
A demonstration at an INEL buried waste pit was scheduled for June 1993. Sensor calibration requirements were assessed at that time. Since the RCS is designed for remote operation from a human engineering control station, a human factors analysis on the control system will be performed.
Waste Applicability
RCS is applicable to metals, VOCs, radionuclides, and other types of contamination; any sensor could be mounted on the Remote Characterization System.
Status
The prototype RCS has been constructed, and Technical Evaluation Report is scheduled for completion in September 1993. Additional enhancements are scheduled for FY94, including a remote-controlled utility vehicle for refueling and maintenance support. Transfer of this technology to private industry is proposed for FY94.
Regulatory Considerations
No environmental or ecological impacts are anticipated from the use of this nonintrusive survey vehicle. This characterization system is remote and eliminates worker exposure to hazardous environments.
Potential Commercial Applications
The potential applications are very broad. It is proposed that this survey vehicle could be incorporated with all stages of a remedial operation. Potential applications include remote support of domestic or foreign hazardous and radioactive cleanup operations (e.g., buried waste landfills, nuclear reactor accidents, and hazardous or physically unstable mine tunnel investigations), rapid property survey, terrestrial topography, and lunar or Mars logging and exploration (if proper GPS satellites were deployed).
Baseline Technology
The baseline technologies are hand-held instrumentation techniques. The use of remote controlled devices removes operators from hazardous environments and increases the speed of operations, thus reducing overall characterization and remediation costs.
Intellectual Property Rights
The Patent is owned by DOE and the Department of Defense.
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References
Go to the Characterization and Monitoring Technology Profiles Index