Glovebox
Assystem Ltd were contracted to design, develop and supply an automated shielded glovebox facility for receiving, opening and dispensing, a pre-packaged, hazardous, abrasive, spent nuclear material for British Nuclear Groups Mixed Oxide Facility (MOX).
Equipment within the glovebox includes laser cutting facilities, de-lidding equipment, weighing equipment and vibro feeders which are used to dispense the material, to an accuracy of 1 gram, into dedicated hoppers.
The glovebox with its internal equipment is an integral part of the MOX facility and operates with an inert Nitrogen atmosphere at operating temperatures ranging between 160 and 360 degrees centigrade. The facility, including the control cabinets, was designed, manufactured, assembled and developed at the Assystem Preston site, over a fourteen month period.
Key Features:- Rigorous in-house testing and development programme
- Wide range of operating temperatures
- Exotic materials technology
The glovebox shell is constructed from stainless steel, supported on a bespoke enclosed stand. Radiological shielding is provided on the external faces of the glovebox via a resin and fibre based Permali material, which incorporates 6mm thick lead sheets. The viewing windows are of lead-glass, which acts as shielding for operator protection. The entire structure is siesmically qualified to a level where the enclosure's integrity is maintained during and after a seismic event.
Development involved the linking of the Integrated Management System (IMS) controller to the facility control system, enabling the development of an automated mechanical functional step throughput sequence.
Simulated material and packaging, along with a rigorous test procedure, were developed to test the internal equipment and establish the facility's capabilities, prior to delivery and installation.