Year
2019
Abstract
The Mark-18A Program was established to preserve the unique materials found in Mark-18A targets for future research and development (R&D) activity within the Department of Energy or other U.S. government agencies. Processing the sixty-five targets currently stored in the Savannah River Site’s (SRS) L-Area basin required innovative technological solutions to transport the targets to the shielded cells, move them into the cells, as well as package the separated material to remove it from the shielded cells safely. The revolutionary on-site shipping package used to move the targets is a modified version of an existing design that is significantly lighter, offers additional neutron shielding, and can be opened two different ways so it can be handled and loaded using all the existing basin equipment, and unloaded into the shielded cell safely. The targets are loaded into the cell using a rigid chain system that is currently in use for other on-site operations and works in tandem with a cutting tool to cut the inner and outer cans and cutting the target. The products after separation are then packaged into cans using a commercial automotive robot that is being programmed to automatically package the Am/Cm/Ln products without operator intervention. The technology development for this effort was completed faster and cheaper by utilizing existing equipment and repurposing existing technology.