LMF: The lightweight manipulator vehicle of Kerntechnische Hilfsdienst GmbH System configuration and operations U. Süss (1), V. Abadie (2), L. Joudrier (3) Keywords: Teleoperation, Mobile Robotics, Manipulator (1) Kerntechnische Hilfsdienst GmbH Am Schröcker Tor 1 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Germany E-mail: u.suess@khgmbh.de (2) Cybernétix Domaine Technologique de Saclay 4, Rue René Razel 91892 Orsay Cedex France E-mail: vincent.abadie@cybernetix.fr (3) Esa/Estec/Tec-MMA Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk, The Netherlands Mail: P.O.box 299, 2200AG, Noordwijk, The Netherlands E-mail: luc.joudrier@esa.int
1. What is KHG? 1.1 Basis of KHG 1.2 Main tasks of KHG 1.3 Personal structure 1.4 Remote Handling Technology at KHG 2. LMF (Light manipulator vehicle) 2.1 Technical data 2.2 Modular concept 3. LMF Operations 3.1 LMF Operational System 3.2 Advanced Telemanipulation 3.3 Master-Slave-Manipulation 3.4 Safety features 4. LMF Training 4.1 Training scenario 4.2 Training tasks Presentation Content
German Radiation Protection Ordinance ( 53) Owners of the German nuclear facilities are obliged in the case of a nuclear accident to take technical and personnel precautions to stabilize the plant after an accident to analyse the cause for an accident to eliminate the effects caused by an accident The legislator has left it up to the owners to organize this precaution by their own or to submit this task to an appropriate organisation. In September 1977 the German power supply companies operating nuclear power plants, the fuel cycle companies and the nuclear research centers founded the Kerntechnische Hilfsdienst GmbH (KHG) in Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen near Karlsruhe. 1.1 Basis of KHG
Infrastructure - Communication between KHG and plant operator - Transportation of equipment Radiation protection - Radiation protection for operational staff - Radiation measurement inside and outside the power plant - To equip operational staff with respiration protection and protective suits Decontamination - Decontamination of operational staff, equipment and environment - Operation of mobile air filter systems - Handling of radioactive liquids Remote handling technology - Inspection and work at points of high dose rate by means of remote controlled manipulator vehicles - To salvage high dose rate radioactive material 1.2 Main tasks of KHG in case of emergency
Personnel - 23 persons permanent staff members In addition to them for training and intervention: - 140 persons skilled personnel from external companies trained by KHG and acting under the leadership of the permanent staff On-call system (KHG can be alerted night & day by phone) - permanent staff 6 persons within 1 hour after alarming - skilled personnel 9 persons within 2 hours after alarming - skilled personnel 60 persons within 8 hours after alarming - skilled personnel 60 persons within 24 hours after alarming Transportation - After arrival of the permanent staff 2 hours preparation time before leaving the KHG premises - Transportation of the equipment will be done on own trucks. 1.3 Personal Structure of KHG
1.4 Remote Handling Technology
MA23 Slave control LMF System Architecture MAESTRO Control Man-Machine Interface Vehicle Control Multiplexer/ Demultiplexer Umbilical or spreadspectrum Umbilical or spreadspectrum Control PC Master arm control rack Hydraulic power pack Supervision PC Man-Machine Interface Power management Graphic 3D PC Driving cameras Stereovision head Commutation matrix Safety transmission Safety transmission Commutation matrix Video screens LMF Manipulators Capacity: MAESTRO (6 dof) 100 dan MA23M (6 dof) 25 dan LEFT ARM (4 dof) 27 dan LMF overall Characteristics Length min. 1350 mm Width 850 mm Height 1900 mm Stair climb. ability 45 Step climbing 400 mm height Ditch crossing 400 mm width Velocity max. 25 m/min. Min. turning circle 1.200 mm Mass 1200 kg 2.1 Light Manipulator Vehicle LMF
Batteries: - Ni-Cd -Li-Ion Manipulators: -MA 23 -MAESTRO -LEFT ARM Variety of tools Control site: - in shelter - extracted Communication: -Cable -Radio transm. 2.2 LMF Modular concept
The control team is constituted of -A Pilot (driving, telemanipulator) -A Supervisor (cameras, S/W MMI) All in the self-powered Shelter: LMF, Control Station, manipulators, tool rack, crank... 3.1 LMF Operational System
- Telemanipulation with joystick or Master Arm - Automatic homing of the manipulators - Large workspace, thanks to the manipulator dimensions and rover capabilities (locomotion, turret and legs). - 3D virtual model updated in real time for operator understanding of the robot configuration. - Additional one degree arm holding the Camera Head to increase workspace view 3.2 Advanced Telemanipulation
- Advantages of force feedback: allows the CONTACT with environment. - Shared Control functionalities provided by TAO2000* Control Software: - Force feedback ratio (mainly 1/8 is used) - Position/speed ratio - Freezing of degrees of freedom (articular or cartesian with different frames: Robot, Gripper or World frame (compensate the angles of the plate-form) - Offset between Master and Slave: the master arm can be misaligned with the slave. The operator still feels the force but the slave does not move. (This is compulsory to recover from a pause without jumping due to quick load increase into the master arm inducing reaction of the operator). - Tool weight compensation - Televise mode (stereo camera head following the gripper or tool) - Setting of a predetermined load on the slave arm 3.3 Master-Slave-Manipulation (1)
- Force feedback is not always compulsory but increases the safety Own safety of the telemanipulator (maximum forces are not exceeded) Environment safety is achieved due to a full sensored man in the loop - No need for very high accuracy (telemanipulators are usually less accurate than automatic robots due to the intrinsic way of controlling; However, this is what also allows compliancy and allows to perform complex tasks without any need of programming such as: Drilling Peg in a hole / screwing Wrenching Screwing... - Master arm allows to gain a lot of time, especially during traverses and allows to cope with uncertainties of the environment. - A second arm is usefull (actual LMF left arm has unfortunately lower control capabilities and is mainly used as an holding device) 3.3 Master-Slave-Manipulation (2)
-Tele-manipulators: - Forced gripper opening command - There are no brakes but anti-fall blocking devices (releasable) on the main joints - Maximum joint torque check - Transmission: -Safety link (TM-TC-1 video) with lower transmission rate and minimal capabilities allowing recovery -Full stop in case of telecommunication failure -Camera head remains powered to allow investigations and not to disturb operators (black screen effect) -Sound link is essential to check the proper working of the system and ease telemanipulation - Alarms: - Power Alarm occurs when the battery level is still high enough to allow coming back - In case of cable configuration, intermediate battery allows the same function. - Selective disabling of the alarms is allowed to allow emergency recovery. - 3D Virtual Model Real Time collision check (visual and sound alarm) 3.4 Safety Features
Training 1 instructor from KHG 6 skilled persons (ext.) 3 persons / training unit 5 training units / year 2 weeks / training unit 4.1 LMF Training scenarios
4.2 LMF training tasks
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