This page provides more detail on the Reactor Vessel (RV or RPV) and Reactor Vessel Internals (RVI) segmentation at Zion.
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On March 5, 2012 the first major cutting of the Reactor Vessel Internals (RVI) at Zion was started with a machine called the CHORCE-F. Cutting of both units would take over 2 years. The Plant Decommissioning group (PD) is proud to have been a part of the team that made this happen. The Zion CHORCE-F (Circumferential Hydraulically Operated Cutting Equipment and pronounced "Sea Horse") is shown to the right in the Core Barrel. The PD group designed and built this and the two other "portable" cutting tools used for the Zion Reactor Vessel Internals Segmentation.

The CHORCE-F was nicknamed "Seabiscuit" by the crew operating it. This Thoroughbred work horse spent an incredible 779 days in service cutting the internals of both Zion reactors. Small and lightweight for the job, the Seabiscuit was often pushed to the breaking point but got the job done.

The PD group, utilizing lessons learned from our long history of machine design, proposed the current Zion CHORCE-F design in 2011. The other two machines that have also completed cutting in both Zion units are the "BMT" machine and the "FaST" machine. The Zion BMT (Bolt Milling Tool) is based on the "Wall Mill" type of machines that our engineering team has designed and improved on since 1983. All of the machines exceeded the bid requirements of SNS and were mockup tested at two locations before shipping to Zion. All three remote PD machines performed mockup cutting and were functionally tested at our Illinois facility. After that they were shipped to Milwaukee and successfully passed Siempelkamp's and ZionSolutions' acceptance testing in a large underwater mockup. Performing the mockup cutting with minimal machine adjustments allowed the SNS project manager to tell the ZionSolutions management that the PD machines "exceeded our expectations".

PD and SNS (Siempelkamp Nuclear Services) are currently working together at Zion and Humboldt Bay where SNS is segmenting the RV and RVI. Our groups have also worked along side each other in Sandusky Ohio during the NASA Plum Brook decommissioning in 2003. The PD group designed the Plum Brook reactor segmentation equipment, authored and maintained the reactor segmentation and packaging plan, and also supplied the on-site Project Manager and Tool Engineer. While the team of PD and Wachs Services segmented the reactor vessel and internals, Siempelkamp Nuclear Services (then called MOTA) did non-reactor D&D work. Several of the SNS crew from Plum Brook are at Zion, making this project similar to a family reunion.

Below are links to cut sheets for some of the machines and equipment we have supplied in support of the Zion Station Decommissioning:

Return to the Zion-1 page, or the PlantD Reactor List.