Speaker
Description
The ESS target monolith consists of neutron production systems and shielding. Many of these components have a defined design life and will require periodic exchange and maintenance. Upon removal, these components must be transferred to the Active Cells Facility(ACF) for interim storage and/or further processing.
The components are designed to facilitate remote handling operations. This includes twist-lock lifting interfaces, rotation interfaces and a configuration of shielding that will allow access to specific monolith components when an exchange is due.
Shielded transport structures, known as casks assemblies, will be used to extract the shielding blocks and component plugs from the monolith via internal hoists.
The cask design and operation plan has evolved through the years, and the final solution consists of 7 unique casks assemblies performing, in total 24 different lifts. Shielding blocks must first be removed to gain access to the target components, requiring temporary storage within the ACF. The operation requires on and off-loading, and remote repositioning within the ACF.
This paper describes how accompanying fixtures within the ACF are being developed to enable cask operation and address the logistical challenges.