A device for coating furnace discharge and rapid cleaning

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of high temperature gas cooled reactor nuclear fuel element industrial production gas phase deposition coating furnace automation, and particularly relates to a device for coating furnace loading and discharging and rapid cleaning. A top cover translation mechanism is connected with a top cover grabbing and lifting mechanism. A top cover bottom surface cleaning mechanism and a special top cover for furnace cleaning are placed at a platform fixed position. An AGV trolley is automatically parked at a bottom empty area of the device. A feeding and sampling discharging mechanism is placed above the coating furnace. Graphite pieces grabbed from the coating furnace are placed in a graphite piece cleaning cabin. A brush cleaning mechanism is located around the graphite piece cleaning cabin. A fluidized pipe cleaning cabin stores hoisted fluidized pipes. The fluidized pipes are hoisted and taken out from the coating furnace. The present application solves the problem of low automation degree of coating furnace system loading and discharging and related component cleaning, and improves production efficiency and long-term use stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automation technology for vapor deposition coating furnaces in the industrial production of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear fuel elements, specifically relating to a device for loading, unloading, and rapid cleaning of the coating furnace. Background Technology

[0002] High-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) are my country's fourth-generation advanced reactor-type nuclear power technology with independent intellectual property rights, characterized by their inherent safety features. The HTGR fuel element production line comprises a complete line from chemical conversion to core preparation, coated fuel particle preparation, spherical fuel element preparation, matrix graphite powder preparation, and waste recycling. Among these, coated fuel particles form the first line of defense against their inherent safety features; their preparation requires chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology and involves coated furnace equipment.

[0003] Since the demonstration line is primarily for research purposes, its designed output is low and its automation level is low. The feeding, sampling, and discharging processes in the coating furnace are all manually operated. During feeding, a manual person inserts a feeding rod into the high-temperature coating furnace and then aligns the material cylinder above the feeding rod to add material. After the initial coating reaction is complete, sampling is performed by inserting a sampling rod into the high-temperature coating furnace. After sampling, the sampling rod is removed, and the sample from the sample slot at the end of the rod is emptied. After all coating reactions are complete, cooling and discharging are performed. Once the temperature drops to a specific level, the discharging rod is manually inserted into the bottom of the coating furnace. The discharging rod is connected to a vacuum pump pipeline, and the vacuum pump is turned on to draw the material from the furnace into a specific material cylinder, completing the discharging process. Furthermore, during actual production, graphite components related to the coating furnace, such as graphite furnace tubes and graphite parts on the furnace top, are subject to chemical vapor deposition, resulting in the deposition of carbon black. In addition, byproduct carbon black also disperses within the furnace, affecting the quality and efficiency of coated particle preparation. Therefore, it is necessary to clean up the carbon black deposits and dispersions.

[0004] The coating process suffers from low automation. The entire process, from feeding and sampling to discharging and cleaning the coating furnace, is entirely manual. One person is needed to clean the furnace top, another to clean the furnace bottom and nozzles, and yet another to clean the furnace tubes. This results in high labor intensity and significant physical exertion. Furthermore, human error is a major factor, leading to a lower pass rate, a higher rate of component damage, and consequently, reduced safety. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for loading, unloading, and rapid cleaning of a coating furnace, which solves the problem of low automation in loading, unloading, and cleaning of related components in the coating furnace system, improves production efficiency and long-term stability, and also solves the problems of high manual labor intensity, high dust pollution, and easy damage to components during cleaning; as well as the differences in feeding, sampling, and unloading methods caused by different operators' operating habits and techniques.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A device for charging, discharging, and rapid cleaning of a coating furnace includes a top cover translation mechanism connected to a top cover grabbing and lifting mechanism; a top cover bottom cleaning mechanism and a furnace cleaning-specific top cover are placed at fixed positions on a platform; an AGV trolley automatically parks in the empty area at the bottom of the device; a feeding, sampling, and discharging mechanism is placed above the coating furnace; a graphite part cleaning chamber holds graphite parts grabbed from the coating furnace; a brush cleaning mechanism is located around the graphite part cleaning chamber; and a fluidizing tube cleaning chamber stores the lifted fluidizing tubes, which are then lifted out of the coating furnace.

[0008] The top cover translation mechanism and the top cover grabbing and lifting mechanism are connected by hinges.

[0009] The top and bottom cleaning mechanism and the special top cover for furnace cleaning are placed in the groove at the fixed position on the platform.

[0010] The AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) automatically parks itself in the empty area at the bottom of the device based on program instructions.

[0011] The feeding, sampling and discharging mechanism includes a feeding rod, a sampling rod, a discharging rod, and corresponding translation and lifting mechanisms.

[0012] The feeding, sampling, and discharging mechanism is vertically positioned above the coating furnace via a hinge.

[0013] A container is provided at the end of the sampling rod.

[0014] After the coating furnace cools down, the furnace cover is removed, and the particles are automatically discharged using a vacuum suction method and loaded into the coating particle container.

[0015] The graphite parts and fluidized tubes are lifted out from the top of the furnace and placed in the graphite part cleaning chamber and fluidized tube cleaning chamber, where they are automatically cleaned by a brush cleaning mechanism. The carbon black dust is discharged through a negative pressure dust removal system.

[0016] Graphite components and furnace tubes are placed in designated cleaning positions using robotic arms and hoisting mechanisms, and deposits are removed using a brush cleaning mechanism.

[0017] The beneficial effects achieved by this invention are as follows:

[0018] This invention utilizes automated translation and lifting mechanisms to accurately position the feeding rod, sampling rod, and discharging rod to designated locations. Through a robotic arm and hoisting mechanism, the graphite components and furnace tubes on the furnace top are automatically and stably placed in the designated cleaning position for automatic cleaning of deposits using brush rollers, improving cleaning efficiency and solving the problems of high manual labor intensity, significant dust pollution, and easy damage to components during cleaning. Through negative pressure systems, vacuum generators, vacuum suction pipes, and feeding funnels, the invention achieves automated feeding, sampling, and discharging of the coating furnace. Using brushes and negative pressure dust removal, the invention achieves automatic cleaning of the deposited layer inside the graphite components and fluidized pipes, as well as the floating dust on the outer surface, resulting in zero diffusion of carbon black dust. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a device used for coating furnace charging, unloading, and rapid cleaning.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Top cover translation mechanism; 2. Top cover grabbing and lifting mechanism; 3. Top cover bottom cleaning mechanism; 4. Special top cover for furnace cleaning; 5. AGV trolley; 6. Feeding, sampling and discharging mechanism; 7. Graphite part cleaning chamber; 8. Brush cleaning mechanism; 9. Fluidized pipe cleaning chamber; 10. Fluidized pipe; 11. Coating furnace. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] This invention enables the automatic operation of core particle loading, particle sampling, discharge, furnace cleaning, and fluidized tube cleaning in a coating furnace. Furthermore, it solves the problems of high manual labor intensity, significant dust pollution, and easy breakage of components during cleaning; as well as the differences in feeding, sampling, and discharge methods caused by different operators' habits and techniques.

[0023] A device for rapid cleaning and unloading of materials from a coating furnace includes a top cover translation mechanism 1 and a top cover gripping and lifting mechanism 2 connected by hinges; a top cover bottom cleaning mechanism 3 and a furnace-specific cleaning top cover 4 are placed in a groove at a fixed position on the platform; an AGV trolley 5 automatically stops in the empty area at the bottom via program commands; a feeding, sampling, and unloading mechanism 6 includes a feeding rod, a sampling rod, an unloading rod, and corresponding translation and lifting mechanisms, and is vertically positioned above the coating furnace 11 via hinges. A graphite part cleaning chamber 7 holds graphite parts gripped from the coating furnace 11, secured by a fixed mechanical structure; a brush cleaning mechanism 8 is located around the graphite part cleaning chamber 7 and can be adjusted and rotated to automatically clean deposits from the graphite parts. A fluidized bed cleaning chamber 9 stores the lifted fluidized bed 10 via a fixed mechanical structure; the fluidized bed 10 is lifted and removed from the coating furnace 11.

[0024] The automatic feeding device includes a vacuum generator, vacuum suction pipe, pneumatic ball valve, feeding tank, sampling rod, feeding rod, and corresponding translation and lifting mechanisms. Each functional mechanism has a base with the same length and width, and the frame has cylindrical and oblong positioning blocks. The bottom of the base support is a universal ball bearing. Both the working and stopping points have secondary positioning mechanisms; the positioning blocks can be embedded in the ground, flush with the ground, or mounted on a metal plate on the ground. The feeding mechanism, along with the translation mechanism, accurately stops directly above the observation port. The observation window of the coating furnace top cover automatically opens, the feeding rod descends to a designated height, and the storage tank moves with the translation mechanism to directly above the funnel at the top of the feeding rod, entering the coating furnace through the feeding rod. After feeding is complete, the feeding rod rises to its final position, the observation window of the coating furnace top cover closes, and feeding ends. The automatic sampling procedure is basically the same as the feeding procedure, except that the end of the automatic sampling rod has a small container; the metal parts securing and installing the small container must not fall into the furnace. After the coating and cooling process is complete, the furnace lid is removed, and the granules are automatically discharged using a vacuum suction method. The discharge rod has a specific movement trajectory, the discharge head does not crush the granules, and the granules are completely discharged into the coated granule container. After the vacuum suction rod descends to a specific height, the vacuum suction machine is activated, and then it gradually and slowly descends a certain distance, allowing the suction cup to perform an arc motion under the interference of auxiliary actions. This process is repeated until all the material is sucked up. The suction pipe is then raised to the initial position, and the automatic discharge ends.

[0025] The automatic cleaning process uses a top-out method, where graphite parts and fluidized pipes 10 are hoisted from the furnace top and placed in the graphite part cleaning chamber 7 and fluidized pipe cleaning chamber 9 for automatic cleaning by the brush cleaning mechanism 8. After cleaning, the graphite parts, fluidized pipes 10, and gas distributor are automatically assembled. Carbon black dust is discharged through a negative pressure dust removal system.

[0026] The feeding rod, sampling rod, and discharge rod, under the high precision of the automated translation and lifting mechanisms, can be stably moved to a position directly above the furnace opening, and can stably descend to the designated position inside the furnace for feeding, sampling, and vacuum suction. After completion, they stably reset. The graphite components and furnace tubes on the furnace top can be stably placed in the designated cleaning position using a robotic arm and hoisting mechanism. Afterwards, deposits are cleaned by a brush roller, and carbon black dust is discharged through a negative pressure exhaust duct, preventing dust diffusion.

Claims

1. A device for discharging and quickly cleaning materials from a coated furnace, characterized in that: The top cover translation mechanism is connected to the top cover grabbing and lifting mechanism; the top cover bottom cleaning mechanism and the furnace cleaning special top cover are placed in a fixed position on the platform, the AGV trolley is automatically parked in the empty area at the bottom of the device, the feeding, sampling and discharging mechanism is placed above the coating furnace, the graphite parts cleaning chamber is placed with graphite parts grabbed from the coating furnace, the brush cleaning mechanism is located around the graphite parts cleaning chamber, the fluidized tube cleaning chamber stores the lifted fluidized tubes, and the fluidized tubes are lifted out of the coating furnace.

2. The apparatus for coating furnace charging and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top cover translation mechanism and the top cover grabbing and lifting mechanism are connected by hinges.

3. The apparatus for coating furnace charging and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top and bottom cleaning mechanism and the special top cover for furnace cleaning are placed in the groove at the fixed position on the platform.

4. The apparatus for coating furnace charging and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) automatically parks itself in the empty area at the bottom of the device based on program instructions.

5. The apparatus for coating furnace charging discharge and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding, sampling and discharging mechanism includes a feeding rod, a sampling rod, a discharging rod, and corresponding translation and lifting mechanisms.

6. The apparatus for coating furnace charging and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding, sampling, and discharging mechanism is vertically positioned above the coating furnace via a hinge.

7. The apparatus for coating furnace charging and rapid cleaning according to claim 5, characterized in that: A container is provided at the end of the sampling rod.

8. The apparatus for coating furnace charging discharge and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the coating furnace cools down, the furnace cover is removed, and the particles are automatically discharged using a vacuum suction method and loaded into the coating particle container.

9. The apparatus for coating furnace charging and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The graphite parts and fluidized tubes are lifted out from the top of the furnace and placed in the graphite part cleaning chamber and fluidized tube cleaning chamber, where they are automatically cleaned by a brush cleaning mechanism. The carbon black dust is discharged through a negative pressure dust removal system.

10. The apparatus for coating furnace charging discharge and rapid cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that: Graphite components and furnace tubes are placed in designated cleaning positions using robotic arms and hoisting mechanisms, and deposits are removed using a brush cleaning mechanism.

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