Nuclear Plant Journal, July-August 2016 NuclearPlantJournal.com
59
multiple reactor meltdowns, and the release
of radioactive material. Because of the power
outage in the early hours of the disaster, utility
and government officials could not assess the
damage and how best to respond.
EPRI’s Modular Accident Analysis
Program software has filled in many
blanks about how the accident unfolded,
yielding essential lessons for the global
nuclear power industry’s disaster response
guidelines. One key lesson: The industry
needs a tool for assessing difficult-to-reach
sites and providing real-time data to inform
responses without endangering workers.
Such a tool may soon become
available to nuclear plant operators. The
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(UNCC), with technical assistance from
EPRI, is developing a radiation-resistant,
remote-controlled drone called the Severe
Mobile Accident Investigator, or SAMI.
SAMI is one of several drone
applications EPRI is investigating.
A key objective of a nuclear accident
response is to gather data on plant
conditions while minimizing worker
exposure to radiation and other hazards.
SAMI serves this purpose, as it is
intended for deployment shortly after a
beyond-design-basis accident.
In the SAMI project, UNCC engineering
students conducted most of the prototype
design, development, fabrication, and testing,
with EPRI providing technical assistance.
EPRI is planning next stages to
include designing a blast-proof base
station to house multiple drones for
longer missions; improving the heat and
radiation resistance of the drone’s frame,
electronics, camera, and sensors; adding a
more powerful motor to boost the carrying
capacity; constructing a more radiation-
resistant prototype; and durability testing.
Contact: Stephen Lopez, EPRI,
email:
.
The above documents were reprinted
from the EPRI Journal with permission
from EPRI. To subscribe, go to
www.
eprijournal.com
If you would like to
contact the technical staff for more
information, send your inquiry to
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Nuclear
Plant
Journal
July-August,2014
Volume32No.4
Nuclear
Plant
Journal
An International Publication
Published in the United States
