01 Mar The reactor's internal components have been removed

A graphite reflector, which reflected neutrons, was situated around the innermost tank of Danish Reactor 3. The reflector and an associated lead layer have now been removed. This completes the remote-controlled segmentation of the reactor's internal components.

FFor the past two years, a control trolley at the bottom of the reactor building has been staffed by two craftsmen who have painstakingly removed the reactor's internal components, piece by piece. Thomas Nielsen and Rune Duelund Nielsen have been the primary personnel assigned to this task.

In 2017, the inner aluminum tank was cut open using a plasma cutter mounted on a robotic arm. Each section of the tank was gripped by a hydraulic claw, lifted into a packing chamber on top of the reactor, and carefully placed into a container.

The next step involved removing the surrounding graphite reflector, composed of 685 blocks. This process occupied most of 2018. The initial task was to break apart a block in the uppermost ring of graphite blocks; for this, a custom-developed saw mounted on the robotic arm was utilized. Subsequently, the remaining blocks in the ring could be relatively easily extracted using a powerful vacuum lifter. The operation proceeded downwards, ring by ring.

The primary challenge was the bottom layer. Here, the blocks were wedged so tightly together that drilling, pressing, wiggling, and prying were necessary to dislodge them. This required frequent tool changes. Once the final block was removed, a remote-controlled broom, dustpan, and vacuum cleaner were deployed to clear all debris.

As 2018 drew to a close, the mechanical arm undertook its final task: to strip away the lead layer situated behind the blocks using a crowbar. This was successfully accomplished, and DD's temporary storage facility now holds seven containers of graphite blocks and one container with the lead layer.

The control trolley, packing chamber, and other equipment utilized for the removal of the reactor's internal components have thus completed their function and will be decommissioned. Subsequently, the cutting of the reactor's external structures, primarily large volumes of concrete, awaits.

(Note: The video is without sound.)