Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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A hybrid cutting technology using plasma and end mill for decommissioning of nuclear facilities

  • Choi, Min-Gyu (Department of Quantum System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Lee, Dong-Hyun (Department of Quantum System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Jeong, Sang-Min (Department of Quantum System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Figuera-Michal, Darian (Department of Quantum System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Seo, Jun-Ho (Department of Quantum System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University)
  • Received : 2021.07.21
  • Accepted : 2021.09.10
  • Published : 2022.03.25
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Abstract

A hybrid cutting using both plasma and end mill was developed for safe and efficient dismantling of nuclear facilities. In this cutting method, a moving arc plasma heats up the workpiece before milling. Thermally softened part of the workpiece is then removed quickly and deeply with an end mill. For the cutting experiments, a three-axis numerical control (NC) milling machine was combined with a commercialized arc plasma torch and used to cut 25 mm thick stainless steel plates. Experimental results revealed that pre-heating by arc plasmas can improve the cutting volume per unit time higher than 40% by reducing the cutting load and increasing the cuttable depth when using an end mill without cutting fluids. These advantages of a hybrid cutting process are expected to contribute to quick and safe segmentations of metal structures with radioactively contaminated inner surfaces.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) Co. (G18IO16). This work was also supported by grants (No. 2021R1A2C201467, NRF-2019M1A7A1A03089763) of the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded by The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and a grant (20191510301420) of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) funded by The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Republic of Korea.

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