Elios 3 Selected for Internal 3D Mapping in Nuclear Waste Removal Project at DOE Site

Key highlights:

• The IEC, working with the DOE, needed to remove radioactive waste called calcine from a vault built in the 1950s.
• Before beginning the removal process, the IEC had to create a detailed 3D map of the vault’s interior to understand the environment.
• After evaluating five different methods for mapping, the IEC chose Flyability’s Elios 2 and later the Elios 3 drones as the best tools for the job.

The Challenge: Mapping a High-Radiation Vault

The Idaho Cleanup Project at the Idaho National Laboratory involves the removal of 220 cubic meters (720 cubic feet) of radioactive waste—known as calcine—from underground storage bins that have been in place for over 60 years. These bins are housed inside a concrete vault constructed in the 1950s, which was never designed for future waste retrieval. This lack of planning made the task extremely complex for the IEC.

To safely extract the calcine, the CRP team developed an innovative plan involving several steps:

• Step 1: Drill 25 cm (10-inch) diameter holes through the thick concrete roof of the vault.
• Step 2: Lower access risers through these holes to the top of each bin.
• Step 3: Robotically weld the pipes to the top of the bins.
• Step 4: Cut holes into the tops of the bins.
• Step 5: Install equipment through the pipes to pneumatically remove the calcine.

But before any of this could begin, the CRP team needed to know what the vault looked like inside. Without accurate 3D data, they couldn’t determine where to drill or how to position the retrieval equipment safely.

Initially, the team tried using a handheld LiDAR sensor lowered through the only hatch in the vault. However, due to the confined space, the sensor only captured partial data, leaving blind spots that could cause serious issues during the actual operation.

To overcome this, the CRP team evaluated five potential solutions, including custom arms, blimps, and commercially available drones. After careful analysis, they selected the Elios 2 for its ability to navigate tight spaces and collect high-quality photogrammetry data. Later, when the Elios 3 was released, it became their preferred choice due to its integrated LiDAR system, which provided even more detailed 3D models.

Why the Elios 3?

The Elios 3 stood out for several reasons:

• Collision Resilience: It can move through tight spaces and around obstacles without crashing.
• Nuclear Experience: Used in over 80% of North American nuclear reactors, it has proven reliability in high-radiation environments.
• Data Quality: It captures high-resolution visual data, thermal images, and sparse point clouds for accurate 3D modeling.
• Safety: Operates beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and can be controlled from a safe distance.
• Cost-Effective: More affordable than custom solutions while delivering excellent results.

Before full deployment, the CRP team conducted a test flight in a simulated vault environment to ensure the drone could perform effectively. The test was successful, and the team confirmed that the Elios 3 would be the ideal tool for creating a complete 3D model of the vault’s interior.

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