Development of autonomous robotic monitoring vehicle (ARMV) for aerial radiation monitoring

Abstract

Unmanned system is often a critical component in monitoring and maintaining the processes of the nuclear power plant (NPP) to ensure that the plant stays within optimal operating conditions conducive to promote reliable and efficient power generation. Ensuring the safe control of the plant under normal, transient, and accidental conditions over long periods of time would help ensure public confidence and support of future nuclear projects. Implementation of the robust Autonomous Indoor Aerial Monitoring and Sensor Network system can improve plant efficiency and maximize safety, and provide solutions for many challenges existing in maintaining obsolescent or old instrumentation and control components in aging worldwide nuclear power plants. Although conventional temperature, gas, and radioactivity monitoring sensors have been extensively used in many processes, there exist reliability issues of process measurements. Therefore, augmenting the ubiquitous monitoring and sensor system can play an important role in increasing safety and economy of plants in which they are used.