Abstract
The Stack Characterization System (SCS) is a collaborative project with the Robotics and Energetic Systems Group (RESG) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Applied Research Center (ARC) at Florida International University (FIU). The SCS is a robotic system that will be deployed into off-gas stacks located around the central campus at ORNL. The system will consists of surveying equipment capable of taking surface contamination samples, radiation readings, core samples and transmit live video to its operators. Trade studies were conducted on varying concrete materials to determine the best way of retrieving loose contamination from the surface. The studies were performed at the ARC facility by DOE Fellows, where traditional cloth wipes were compared to adhesive material. The adhesive material was tested on the RESG’s smear sampler to record how much loose surface material could be retrieved. The DOE Fellows completed a summer internship during which conceptual designs were created for a deployable radiation detector and core drill capable of retrieving multiple core samples.
