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Technology Factsheet

BOA II: Asbestos Pipe-Insulation Removal Robot System

Category: Decontamination > Mechanical Surface Removal > Water-Jet
Reference # : OST No148, DOE/EM-0608 Model No : BOA

The technology, known as BOA, consists of a pipe-crawler removal head and a boom vehicle system with dual robots. BOA's removal head can be remotely placed on the outside of the pipe and can crawl along the pipe, removing lagging and insulation. The lagging and insulation is cut using a hybrid endmill water-jet cutter and then diced into 2-inch cube sections of ACM. These ACM sections are then removed from the pipe using a set of blasting fan- spray nozzles, vacuumed off through a vacuum hose, and bagged. Careful attention to vacuum and entrapment air flow ensures that the system can operate without a containment area while meeting local and federal standards for fiber count.

Benefits

Removes asbestos from pipe sizes from three to eight inches in diameter. Increases asbestos-removal rates Reduces number of abatement personnel Fully contained and sealed operations Provides continuous asbestos removal and packaging for easy processing and disposal.

Limitations

Improve the BOA prototype to the point where repairs and minor modifications would allow the further (more controlled) testing of air-cleanliness compliance by a commercial contractor. Consider modifying BOA to work on 6-inch or larger piping as the technical challenges will be slightly simplified, allowing for a more rugged prototype.

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