# Elios 3 Used to Create 3D Maps of Irradiated Storage Vaults at DOE Site
## Benefits In A Nutshell
| Feature | Description |
|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Best Tool for the Job | After extensive research, the Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), working under contract with the DOE, determined that the Elios 3 was the optimal solution for their needs to create a 3D map of an underground nuclear waste storage vault constructed in the 1960s. |
| Detailed 3D Mapping | The Elios 3 generated a high-quality 3D map of the vault, providing the precision required for planning the extraction of nuclear waste. |
| Speed | During a single seven-minute flight, the IEC successfully collected sufficient LiDAR data to map the interior of the vault, marking the culmination of over a year of research and preparation. |
## Introduction
In the 1950s, the Department of Energy (DOE) contracted with the state of Idaho to store 4,400 cubic meters (14,436 cubic feet) of nuclear waste at a secure facility known as the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
The waste, called calcine, is a highly radioactive, granular solid derived from spent nuclear fuel. This waste is stored in six underground vaults, each containing bins designed to hold the calcine.
In 2015, when the DOE’s contract with the state of Idaho came up for renewal, the state decided to remove the waste. This necessitated finding a new storage location and developing a safe method for extracting the calcine.
## Customer Needs
The Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC) is responsible for planning the removal and transportation of the calcine at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
One of the primary milestones in the IEC’s planning involved creating a method for removing the waste. Their approach includes drilling holes into the top of the storage vaults, robotically welding pipes to the tops of each bin, and using a plasma cutter to cut into each bin.
These pipes will pneumatically extract the calcine, offering a safe, remote method for removing it that significantly reduces the risk of radiation exposure for workers.
However, the blueprints for the vaults lack the necessary detail to locate the holes and extraction pipes, making it impossible to accurately plan where to drill the holes for the extraction pipes.
To address this issue, the IEC initially used a handheld LiDAR sensor lowered into one of the vaults on a tripod to create a 3D map. However, the resulting map had gaps due to the sensor being limited to one position.
*Incomplete 3D maps made with handheld LiDAR data*
## Solution
To find a way to create a complete 3D map of the vault’s interior, the IEC explored multiple potential solutions. They evaluated five different methods, including the use of an articulating arm, a helium-filled blimp, drilling holes into the vault, and one of Flyability’s indoor drones.
Each method was assessed based on six criteria:
- Available CRP project data
- Technical risk
- Programmatic complexity
- Vendor input
- Project schedule
- Budget constraints
Following this thorough research, the IEC team concluded that Flyability’s Elios 2 was the best tool for obtaining the data needed to create a 3D map of the vault’s interior.
[Related Read: Elios 3 Selected for Internal 3D Mapping in Nuclear Waste Removal Project at DOE Site]
Initially, the IEC planned to use visual data from the Elios 2 to generate a photogrammetric 3D model. However, upon learning about the upcoming launch of the Elios 3, equipped with a LiDAR sensor, they decided to use the Elios 3 and LiDAR data instead.
The IEC constructed a full-scale replica of the vault to test the pneumatic retrieval equipment. This replica also proved valuable for training the IEC’s drone pilots, who practiced for the LiDAR data-collection mission. Alongside pilot training, the IEC worked closely with other stakeholders in the project to meticulously plan every detail of the mission.
Watch this video for highlights from the training:
## Results
After over a year of research, planning, and preparation, the day of the data collection mission finally arrived. It was windy and quite cold that day. Those planning the mission knew that the interior of the vault would be warm, creating a significant temperature swing from -11°C (12°F) outside to well over 38°C (100°F) inside the vault.
These fluctuations could potentially affect the Elios 3’s battery life and performance, making the pilot and support staff anxious as they prepared to fly inside the vault.
In total, around 50 people supported the mission that day. A large tent was erected over the vault’s entrance to ensure the drone remained indoors at all times, complying with both FAA regulations and the DOE’s requirements. A crane was used to remove the heavy concrete cover from the vault and open the hatch leading directly inside.
Finally, the vault was ready for the flight. The pilot was nervous as he entered the vault, knowing that losing the drone would make retrieval impossible.
Despite these concerns, the flight was a success, and the IEC team was able to collect all the LiDAR data needed to map the interior of the vault in just one seven-minute flight. Given the extensive preparation efforts, a second flight was conducted to gather additional LiDAR data, which was also successful.
*Screenshot of the 3D model created using the LiDAR data collected in the vault*
Since the vault was already open, the team decided to conduct a second flight to collect more data.
After each mission, the LiDAR data was immediately processed using Flyability’s Inspector 4.0 software and GeoSLAM’s GeoSLAM Connect.
The resulting 3D models were detailed and accurate enough to meet the IEC’s needs, allowing them to move forward with planning the extraction of nuclear waste from the vaults.
After over a year of planning and preparation, the IEC team achieved everything they needed in the first seven-minute flight.
Here are the benefits the IEC team realized by using the Elios 3:
- **Best Tool for the Job**: After exhaustive research, the IEC under contract with the DOE determined that the Elios 3 was the best option for their needs to 3D map the interior of an underground vault used to store nuclear waste.
- **Detailed 3D Mapping**: The Elios 3 produced a high-quality 3D map of the vault that provided the level of detail needed for nuclear waste extraction planning.
- **Speed**: In the first seven-minute flight, the IEC was able to collect all the LiDAR data needed to 3D map the interior of the vault, representing the culmination of over a year of research and preparation.
- **Access**: The Elios 3 was able to fit through the hatch and fly into the vault, providing crucial access for remote data collection.
- **Ease of Use**: Despite harsh conditions, the Elios 3 performed as expected, collecting all the LiDAR data needed in just two seven-minute flights.
*Image taken inside the vault alongside the Elios 3's 3D Live Map*
After two successful LiDAR data collection flights, the IEC conducted a third experimental flight with one of its own dosimeters attached to the drone, making it significantly heavier. For reasons not fully understood, once the drone entered the vault for this flight, it was unable to produce enough lift to maintain altitude. It slowly descended onto the top of one of the storage bins and became stuck on a piece of angle iron.
All attempts to free the drone failed. Before the battery died, the drone transmitted a maximum radiation reading of 7 Gy/h (700 rad/h) at the top of the bin. ICP subject matter experts conducted a comprehensive analysis and concluded that leaving the drone on top of the storage bin posed no hazards to human safety or the integrity of the bin.
## Conclusion
With the successful mapping of the storage vault, the IEC can now proceed with planning the removal of the calcine using the pneumatic pipe approach described earlier.
All six vaults will eventually need to be emptied of their nuclear waste, an effort that will be intensive and require several more months of planning. This work is projected to begin sometime in mid-2023.
Given the success of the Elios 3 for mapping the vault, the IEC and the DOE plan to use it again for other remote 3D mapping needs in confined spaces.
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