The reason and target of the Foreign Material Exclusion (FME) policy in the nuclear industry is the prevention of any introduction of foreign materials (in the form of loose parts, screws, paper, plastic, dirt, etc.) into nuclear systems and equipment; this, in order to prevent damage to systems and equipment, unavailability of the plant, risk of personal injury and any other impact on nuclear safety, including the simple increase of the radiological inventory deriving from activation and/or contamination of the same foreign materials.
In order to achieve the FME scope, FME areas are identified and classified, FME best practices are established and plants are equipped with FME barriers and devices.
GDES T4S is intensively working to deliver two projects related and beneficial to the FME scope and practice:
- ResHand – Remotely operated robotic arm tool for the retrieval of objects inside the containment pools of Nuclear Power Plants.
- FiltraBris – Remotely operated equipment for suction, filtering, detection and analysis of debris in nuclear power plants fuel elements.
Further information about this technology:
