A titration device for density detection of coated particles for high temperature gas cooled reactor

Abstract

The application relates to a titration device for density detection of coated particles of a high-temperature gas cooled reactor. The device adopts an automatic mechanism and a machine vision principle, places a measured sample in a sample tube, titrates the sample, and collects an image by using an industrial camera. The device can realize batch titration detection, and greatly improves work efficiency. The device comprises a preliminary titration unit and a supplementary titration unit which are arranged adjacently. The preliminary titration unit comprises a titration translation module, a movable titration table is arranged on the titration translation module, a test tube groove for placing the sample tube is formed in the movable titration table, a titration mechanism is arranged on one side of the movable titration table, and a plurality of preliminary titration heads are installed on the titration mechanism. The supplementary titration unit comprises a vortex mixer, an industrial camera and a plurality of supplementary titration heads. The industrial camera is arranged on the side of the vortex mixer, a lens of the industrial camera is aligned with a sample tube placement position of the vortex mixer, and the plurality of supplementary titration heads are movably arranged above the vortex mixer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor fuel element manufacturing technology, and in particular to a titration device for density detection of coated particles in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Background Technology

[0002] The quality of coated fuel particles is a crucial factor affecting the safe operation of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Coated particles consist of multiple layers from the inside out: a loose pyrolytic carbon layer, an inner dense pyrolytic carbon layer, a silicon carbide layer, and an outer dense pyrolytic carbon layer. The density of each layer is a key indicator of particle quality; therefore, accurate and timely online detection of the density of each coated particle layer is an important research direction in the field of nuclear fuel. Numerous studies both domestically and internationally have proposed various methods for measuring the density of each coated particle layer in actual online production, with the heavy liquid suspension method being one such method.

[0003] The heavy liquid suspension method measures the density of each layer of coated particles based on the principle that solid particles suspended in a liquid have the same density. During measurement, two solutions of different and known densities are selected, referred to as the heavy liquid (ρ_heavy) and the light liquid (ρ_light). These two solutions must be able to mix uniformly without changing volume and must not chemically react with the sample. In the measurement, a small amount of each layer of coated particles is placed at the bottom of the sample tube. The heavy and light liquids are then titrated into the sample tube using a precision pipette, and their ratio is adjusted. After shaking and settling, the state of the sample in the solution is observed. The titration endpoint is reached when the sample is suspended in the solution and there is no adhesion to the tube wall, bottom, or aggregation. At this point, the sample is in a suspended state and exhibits the following characteristics:

[0004] F 浮 =G 样

[0005] F 浮 =ρ 液 ·g·V 排

[0006] G 样 =ρ 样 ·g·V 样

[0007] V 排 =V 样

[0008] Combining the above formulas, we have:

[0009]

[0010] Therefore, the density of the sample can be calculated based on the volumes of the heavy and light liquids added.

[0011] However, in practical applications, it is still in the stage of manual operation and titration measurement of single samples, resulting in low production efficiency and potential safety hazards. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an online automated intelligent solution and device. Summary of the Invention

[0012] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a titration device for density detection of coated particles in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. This device employs automated mechanisms and machine vision principles, placing the sample to be tested in a sample tube, performing titration, and acquiring images using an industrial camera. This device enables batch titration testing, significantly improving operational efficiency.

[0013] To achieve the above technical objectives, the specific solution provided by the present invention is as follows: a titration device for density detection of coated particles in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, comprising a sample tube, and further comprising a preliminary titration unit and a supplementary titration unit arranged adjacent to each other;

[0014] The preliminary titration unit includes a titration translation module, on which a movable titration stage is provided. A test tube slot for placing sample tubes is opened on the movable titration stage. A titration mechanism is provided on one side of the movable titration stage. Multiple preliminary titration heads are installed on the titration mechanism and are located above the movable titration stage.

[0015] The supplementary titration unit includes a vortex mixer, an industrial camera, and multiple supplementary titration heads. The industrial camera is located on the side of the vortex mixer, with its lens aimed at the sample tube placement area of ​​the vortex mixer. The multiple supplementary titration heads are movably positioned above the vortex mixer.

[0016] Furthermore, the test tube troughs on the moving titration stage are evenly distributed along the direction of movement of the moving titration stage, and the titration mechanism is provided with three preliminary titration heads. The three preliminary titration heads are evenly distributed along the direction of movement of the moving titration stage, and the distance between the preliminary titration heads is the same as the distance between the test tube troughs.

[0017] Furthermore, the titration mechanism also includes a first cylinder, a fixed plate, and a pipetting line; one end of the first cylinder is connected to the fixed plate, three preliminary titration heads are fixed to the fixed plate, and the inlet ends of the three preliminary titration heads are respectively connected to pipetting lines.

[0018] Furthermore, a moving robotic arm is provided above the vortex mixer, and the supplementary titration head is mounted on the moving robotic arm; the vortex mixer has two rows of test tube slots for placing sample tubes, and a light box is provided between the two rows of test tube slots.

[0019] Furthermore, a foam frame is provided above the vortex mixer, and the foam frame has positioning holes corresponding to the test tube slots of the vortex mixer.

[0020] Furthermore, the mobile robotic arm is equipped with three second cylinders arranged side by side, and each of the three second cylinders is connected to a supplementary titration head; the liquid inlet end of the supplementary titration head is connected to a pipetting line.

[0021] Furthermore, the supplementary titration unit includes two vortex mixers, each of which has the same capacity for the sample tube as the moving titration stage.

[0022] Furthermore, the titration translation module adopts a stepping linear module to drive the moving titration stage to step along a straight line.

[0023] Furthermore, the industrial camera is connected to the main control system. The industrial camera transmits the captured images to the main control system, which performs recognition and detection on the images. The main control system uses a trained detection network model to identify whether the sample has been titrated. For samples that have not been titrated, the main control system issues a command to control the preliminary titration head to titrate the samples again.

[0024] For a sample that has been titrated, calculate the density of the sample based on the amount of reagent consumed in the titration.

[0025] The detection network model includes any one of artificial neural networks, convolutional neural networks, RBF neural networks, BP neural networks, and YOLO networks.

[0026] Compared with existing technologies, this invention enables batch and automatic detection of particle density in high-temperature gas-cooled reactor coatings. The process is rationally distributed, with no redundant actions or cycle time bottlenecks. The detection uses a professional camera, resulting in high data acquisition efficiency.

[0027] The integrated design of oscillation, static setting, and image acquisition during the testing process minimizes the space required for the equipment, making the entire device more compact. The batch oscillation, which consolidates individual samples into a single unit, makes full use of instruments such as vortex mixers, while significantly reducing the time required for oscillating individual sample tubes and improving operational efficiency. The dual-station operation mode allows for alternating titration of sample tubes on two vortex mixers, maximizing the use of the mobile robotic arm and reducing the idle rate of key equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the preliminary titration unit and the supplementary titration unit of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the preliminary titration unit structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This invention provides a supplementary schematic diagram of the titration unit structure;

[0031] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the mobile robotic arm structure of the present invention.

[0032] Symbol explanation: 1-Preliminary titration unit, 2-Supplementary titration unit, 21-Industrial camera, 22-Vortex mixer, 3-Sample tube, 4-Titting mechanism, 41-Titting head, 42-Fixing plate, 43-First cylinder, 44-Pipette, 5-Moving titration stage, 6-Titting translation module, 7-Moving robot arm, 71-Second cylinder, 8-Supplementary titration head. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] A titration apparatus for density detection of coated particles in a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes a sample tube, as well as an adjacent preliminary titration unit and a supplementary titration unit;

[0035] Preliminary titration is a process in which the system controls the pipette to add a fixed amount of light and heavy liquids to the sample tube based on pre-configured information (i.e., based on the sample information, the position, type, and number of the sample tube, as well as the information on the heavy and light liquids that the sample is matched with, and the type and amount of reagent to be added for the initial addition).

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the preliminary titration unit includes a titration translation module, on which a movable titration stage is provided. The titration translation module adopts a stepping linear module, driving the movable titration stage to move in a straight line. A row of test tube slots for placing sample tubes is provided on the movable titration stage. A titration mechanism is provided on one side of the movable titration stage. The titration mechanism includes a first cylinder, a fixed plate, and a pipetting line. One end of the first cylinder is connected to the fixed plate, and three preliminary titration heads are fixed on the fixed plate, so that the preliminary titration heads are located above the movable titration stage. The liquid inlet ends of the three preliminary titration heads are respectively connected to the pipetting line. The three preliminary titration heads are evenly distributed along the movement direction of the movable titration stage, and the distance between the preliminary titration heads is the same as the distance between the test tube slots.

[0037] The moving titration stage moves in a straight line, and the distance traveled each time is the distance between adjacent sample tubes. At the same time, three preliminary titration heads titrate the sample tubes that reach directly below them. After the preliminary titration is completed, the sample tubes are transferred to the supplementary titration unit. The sample tubes can be transferred manually or by a robotic arm.

[0038] Supplementary titration is a titration process in which reagents are added multiple times. After each titration, the process involves shaking and settling, visual sampling, result determination, and titration again as needed, until the coated particles reach the ideal suspension state (the titration endpoint is when there are no abnormal phenomena such as adhesion to the tube wall, tube bottom, or agglomeration). The titration process is then completed.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the supplementary titration unit includes a vortex mixer and an industrial camera. The industrial camera is positioned on the side of the vortex mixer, with its lens aimed at the sample tube placement area. The sample tube, which has undergone preliminary titration, is inserted into the vortex mixer for shaking and settling. The industrial camera then captures an image of the sample tube and transmits it to the main control system. The main control system performs image recognition and detection. Using a trained detection network model, the main control system identifies whether the sample titration is complete. For samples that have not been titrated, the main control system issues a command to control the supplementary titration head to re-titrate the sample. Each titration uses only one reagent. Based on the image recognition results (such as particles settling at the bottom or floating on the surface), the main control system specifies the reagent to be used in the next titration and controls the corresponding titration head. This titration and recognition process is repeated until the sample reaches an ideal suspension state. A certain time interval is required between each titration to allow the sample to shake and settle fully, ensuring the accuracy of the acquired images. After titration, the sample density is calculated based on the amount of titration reagent consumed. If a sample fails to reach the titration endpoint after multiple (e.g., 5) supplementary titrations, manual titration can be performed. The detection network model of the main control system can be any one of artificial neural networks, convolutional neural networks, RBF neural networks, BP neural networks, or YOLO networks.

[0040] A moving robotic arm is installed above the vortex mixer. Three second cylinders are arranged side by side on the moving robotic arm. Each of the three second cylinders is connected to a supplementary titration head. The liquid inlet end of the supplementary titration head is connected to a pipetting line.

[0041] The vortex mixer has two rows of test tube slots for placing sample tubes. A light box is located between the two rows of test tube slots to provide a light source for the industrial camera to capture images. The industrial camera is set on both sides of the vortex mixer, facing the two rows of sample tubes, and each camera captures images of three sample tubes. A foam frame is also set above the vortex mixer. The foam frame has positioning holes that correspond to the test tube slots of the vortex mixer. The foam frame further fixes the sample tubes to ensure stability and reliability during operation.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, the mobile robotic arm in this embodiment uses two linear modules installed longitudinally and laterally. The lateral linear module is smaller and is installed on top of the larger longitudinal linear module. The two linear modules work together to realize the longitudinal and lateral movement of the supplementary titration head, so that the supplementary titration head can be moved above each sample tube. Then, the second cylinder drives the supplementary titration head to descend and insert the titration head into the sample tube to complete the titration.

[0043] Three preliminary titration heads and three supplementary titration heads are connected to three organic reagents via pipetting lines. The organic reagents are isobutanol, tribromomethane, and diiodomethane. There are a total of six pipetting lines, each equipped with a high-precision micro-injection pump to supply reagents to the six titration heads.

[0044] Since the preliminary titration is significantly faster than the supplementary titration, the supplementary titration unit in this design includes two vortex mixers, each with the same sample tube capacity and the same capacity as the moving titration stage. That is, one preliminary titration station corresponds to two supplementary titration stations. This design ensures that the efficiency of the preceding and following titrations is basically matched, thus avoiding significant cycle time bottlenecks.

Claims

1. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for high temperature gas cooled reactor comprising a sample tube, characterized in that, The preliminary titration unit and the supplementary titration unit are arranged adjacently; The preliminary titration unit comprises a titration translation module, a movable titration table is arranged on the titration translation module, a test tube slot for placing a sample tube is formed in the movable titration table, a titration mechanism is arranged on one side of the movable titration table, a plurality of preliminary titration heads are installed on the titration mechanism, and the plurality of preliminary titration heads are located above the movable titration table. The supplementary titration unit comprises a vortex mixer, an industrial camera and a plurality of supplementary titration heads, the industrial camera is arranged on the side of the vortex mixer, a lens of the industrial camera is aligned with a sample tube placement position of the vortex mixer, and the plurality of supplementary titration heads are movably arranged above the vortex mixer; the supplementary titration unit comprises two vortex mixers, and each vortex mixer has the same capacity as the movable titration table.

2. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test tube slots on the movable titration table are uniformly distributed along the movement direction of the movable titration table, three preliminary titration heads are arranged on the titration mechanism, the three preliminary titration heads are uniformly distributed along the movement direction of the movable titration table, and the spacing between the preliminary titration heads is the same as the spacing between the test tube slots.

3. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The titration mechanism further comprises a first air cylinder, a fixed plate and a pipette line; one end of the first air cylinder is connected to the fixed plate, the three preliminary titration heads are fixed to the fixed plate, and the liquid inlet ends of the three preliminary titration heads are respectively connected to the pipette line.

4. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, A movable manipulator is arranged above the vortex mixer, and the supplementary titration heads are arranged on the movable manipulator; the vortex mixer is provided with two rows of test tube slots for placing sample tubes, and a light box is arranged between the two rows of test tube slots.

5. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 4, characterized in that, A foam holder is arranged above the vortex mixer, and positioning holes corresponding to the test tube slots of the vortex mixer are formed in the foam holder.

6. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 4, characterized in that, Three second air cylinders are arranged side by side on the movable manipulator, one supplementary titration head is connected to each of the three second air cylinders, and a pipette line is connected to the liquid inlet end of each supplementary titration head.

7. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The titration translation module adopts a step-by-step linear module to drive the movable titration table to move along a straight line.

8. A titration device for density detection of coated particles for a high temperature gas cooled reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The industrial camera is connected to a main control system, the industrial camera transmits the captured images to the main control system, the main control system identifies and detects the images, the main control system uses a trained detection network model to identify whether the sample is titrated, and the main control system sends a command to control the supplementary titration head to titrate the sample again if the sample is not titrated; For the sample that is titrated, the density of the sample is calculated according to the amount of reagent consumed during titration. The detection network model comprises any one of an artificial neural network, a convolutional neural network, an RBF neural network, a BP neural network and a YOLO network.

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