Design and enhancements for a CANDU robotic fuel channel inspection system

The goals of this thesis was to develop updated hardware and system architecture to an existing prototype of a robotic inspection system for use inside Canadian Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor fuel channels. A dual cable management system was developed to hold the necessary cables for the robotic crawler to operate and provide additional odometry data. A deployment scheme for the robotic inspection system integrated into the Bruce Reactor and Maintenance System (BRIMS) with little to no modifications to maintain modularity was proposed. An updated localization system was developed to attempt to improve on the localization error expected over the course of the robotic inspection system’s travel over the entire length of the fuel channel. Through testing it was determined that the overall position error expected for a full fuel channel travel distance was approximately 2.5mm which falls short of the 1mm overall error desired by the industry partner.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Slade, Cameron N.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Nokleby, Scott

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10155/2059

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ontariotechu.scholaris.ca:10155/2059