EKONT-2: Advancement of a demonstrator for dry-mechanical decontamination of corners and inner edge in nuclear facilities

When dismantling nuclear facilities, surface decontamination of the premises must be carried out to ensure that the existing building structure is free of contamination. Typical nuclear power plants in Germany have 100,000 m2 to 450,000 m2 of a concrete surface, which must be decontaminated for successful clearance measurement. Usually, decontamination is carried out by removing the surface to the depth at which contamination is no longer present. Discussions with dismantling companies and nuclear power plant operators have shown that corner and inner edge decontamination in particular has so far been done with hand-held devices. Tools such as needle guns and grinding devices are state-of-the-art. These devices were originally used for renovation work and were therefore not specifically developed for the decontamination of buildings. In addition to the low performance of the devices, the uneven surface that is left behind, and the high physical strain on the workers, the lack of extraction also contributes to the limited suitability. The lack of extraction also comes with the use of additional industrial vacuum cleaners, which makes the already complex and tedious work even more time-consuming. ... mehrIn order to counteract these difficulties and problems and to provide an improved solution for the decontamination of corners and inner edges, the project "Ekont" is currently being realized. The aim of this project is to investigate the performance parameters of the currently used devices and to find ways to improve them. For this purpose, several demonstrators have already been developed and tested in a test setup. The aim of “EKONT-2” is to pursue the discovered potentials, not to leave the knowledge gained and the developed technology unused, and to carry out possible improvements so that an operational, trouble-free device can be developed. In order to achieve this goal, a research project limited to three years is to be started, in which the aspects of handling and the quality of the removal will be focused on and improved. The further development of the four existing prototypes, therefore, includes the following criteria:
- Improvement of handling by weight reduction, reduction of external dimensions and revision of the edge guide
- Improvement of the quality of the removal by an exact depth guidance and adjustable removal depth, surface
suitable for clearance measurement, reduction of superfluous material and removal of surfaces with decontamination coatings
- Improvement of occupational safety by reduction of dust exposure and eduction of vibrations and stress on the
musculoskeletal system
- Reduced time required for decontamination