The Syscade project, which recently won the jury and public awards at the Wap’Innov competition, involves developing a mobile laboratory for inspecting and characterizing nuclear waste.
Background to the Syscade project
For many years, a great deal of radioactive waste has been stored in drums, with little referencing. Following changes in legislation and the desire for stricter environmental management to ensure viable disposal solutions, this historical waste needs to be properly characterized. The objectives of the project are to analyze and limit the environmental impact of radioactive waste.
Supported by the Technord group and DSI, the Syscade project is developing a mobile system for characterizing waste from both a physical and radiological point of view.
Physical characterization is carried out using X-ray images to identify the nature and size of the waste in the storage drum; non-destructive radiological characterization is carried out using high-resolution HPGe probes.
DSI and Technord’s challenge was to pack all the necessary technologies into a 40-inch container inside a mobile truck.
Solution proposed by Technord :
Technord’s teams worked on the development of a compact, 100% automated system, including a control and command room for the operator.
The architecture proposed for the Syscade project incorporates a Rockwell Automation solution for drum conveying and control of analysis systems.
The technical solution we have implemented ensures :
- drum conveying
- reading and identification of drums using a QR-Code linked to a database
- drum weighing
- opening and closing of measuring room doors
- start and stop x-ray and gamma-ray measurements
To achieve this management, we carried out the studies, supplied and programmed :
- an ESXI server with Rockwell’s FTView supervisor
- a Control Logix Rokwell controller
- Rockwell kinetix servo drives for table axis control
- Rockwell Powerflex variable speed drives for conveyor management
- Festo drives for x-ray shutter and door management
- Keyence sensor for barcode label reading
This project mobilized teams from both our Process Control department and our Low Voltage department (electrical design, production of electrical cabinets and wiring in the 40-foot mobile container).
Project profit :
The implementation of a 100% automated control system for the analysis of radioactive waste drums enables :
- prevent drums from being opened, thus avoiding any risk of radioactive contamination for the operator
- rapid inspection (less than a minute)
- barrel inspection from all angles thanks to the barrel rotation system
The results of the Syscade project help to analyze and limit the environmental impact of radioactive waste. They enable us to determine the degree of danger involved, and therefore the way in which it can be sorted, stored over the long term or even treated.
We are very proud and happy to contribute in this way to our objectives of respecting our environment and the well-being of future generations.
To find out more about the Syscade project: Wap’innov: Syscade, a mobile unit for characterizing nuclear waste (notele.be)
The project is partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF ) and the Walloon Region. It is accredited by the MecaTech cluster.
