Mould Gripper for Interim Storage of Radioactive Waste
Task:
For the disposal from nuclear power stations, it is necessary to seal the nuclear waste with glass and cast it in moulds. The handling of those moulds occurs in a manless system. This is aggravated by the fact that the temperature in the bottles is approx. 600 C.
For the handling of such moulds a gripper is to be engineered.
Solution:
In cooperation with the KFK (Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, i.e. Nuclear Research Centre at Karlsruhe) the gripper system was made as follows:
- modular system which covers all required applications
- combination of up to three functions possible
- operation without auxiliary energy
- simple, rugged design
- no wear parts
- no lubricants required
- insensitive to radiation (high-grade-steel construction)
- good decontamination properties
- can be used at increased temperatures
- good centering with all diameters, due to wide openings and low center of gravity
- long actuation travels, so actuation cannot go unnoticed
- mechanical interlock of the gripper arms until actuation