Tree C Technology involved in decommissioning damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Tree C Technology B.V. has been asked to assist in the remote investigation process of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant reactors in Japan. The contract involves providing a VR based working environment of the pressure containment vessel that suffers from ultra-high radiation levels.

In fact Tree C will provide ‘the eyes’ on the operation in an environment where even radiation hardened camera’s deteriorate in very limited time due to the immense levels of radiation. The first phase is building a virtual representation of the inside of the reactor vessel, by processing all sorts of sensory information”. In this stage, Tree C’s VR4Robots® technology is used to monitor the complex robot (“boom”), designed by UK based Oxford Technologies Ltd., part of Veolia Nuclear Solutions. This robot is carrying the sensors and tools and will explore the inside of the pressure containment vessel.

From within a safe Remote Handling Control Room, the operator uses the virtual representation of the boom and reactor vessel in VR4Robots®, Tree C’s proprietary Remote Handling application, in order to plan and verify new movements. On a distance of about one kilometre away, the actual robot will operate within the damaged reactor vessel, parallel and synchronous to its synthetic representation. This is a proven concept also successfully used in the nuclear fusion reactor ‘Joint European Torus’, in Culham, UK. Next phases of the project include taking samples of the nuclear fuel debris and eventually removing the fuel.

The team of Tree C is very motivated to put the VR4Robots® remote handling technology into action for this important and challenging task. This job is very relevant for the people of Japan and Tree C is proud to be called in. It is recognition of the unique capabilities and the reliability of both the technology and the team.