A 2 kW Nd:YAG laser system manufactured by the Lumonics Corporation will be used to cut various metals during the fall of 1996 as part of a United States Department of Energy (DOE)-funded technology demonstration at the Hanford Site. The laser cutting demonstration will focus on an evaluation of two issues as the technology applies to the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of aging nuclear facilities. An assessment will be made as to the ability of laser end effectors to be operated using electro-mechanical remote manipulators and the ability of both end effector and fiber optics to withstand the damage created by a high radiation field.
The laser cutting demonstration will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be a non-radioactive test to ensure the ability of hot cell remote manipulators to use the laser end effector to successfully cut the types of materials and geometries found in the hot cell. The second phase will introduce the laser end effector and the associated fiber optic cable into the hot cell radiation environment. The testing in the hot cell will investigate the degradation of the optical portions of the end effector and transmission cable in the high radiation field.
The objective of the demonstration is to assess the cutting efficiency and life limitations of a laser cutting system for radioactive D&D operations. A successful demonstration will, therefore, allow the laser cutting technology to be integrated into the baseline planning for the D&D of DOE facilities throughout the nation.