A spent fuel element transfer device and spent fuel element handling system

Abstract

This invention discloses a spent fuel element transfer device and processing system. The spent fuel element transfer device includes a track assembly, a trolley, a carriage, a tilting assembly, and a gripper. The track assembly includes a first track and a second track. The first track is arranged along a first direction, and the trolley slides on the first track. The second track is arranged on the trolley and is arranged along a second direction, and the carriage slides on the second track. The tilting assembly includes a tilting shaft and a tilting hopper. The tilting shaft is arranged on the carriage, and the tilting hopper is rotatably arranged on the tilting shaft. The gripper is located inside the tilting hopper. When the tilting hopper is tilted to a vertical position, it is in a receiving position, and the gripper picks up the spent fuel element. When the tilting hopper is tilted to a horizontal position, it is in a transport position, and the spent fuel element is transported to a feeding position. By tilting the spent fuel element to a horizontal position before transporting it, the spent fuel element transfer device effectively improves the safety during the transport process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spent fuel element transfer device and a spent fuel element processing system including the spent fuel element transfer device. Background Technology

[0002] The spent fuel element transfer device is one of the large, critical, and complex pieces of equipment in a spent fuel reprocessing plant. It is used to vertically grab spent fuel elements located in a pool and then lift and transfer them horizontally to the next unit.

[0003] Currently, the most commonly used material transfer device in my country is the vertical feeding and transfer device, which is equipped with a vertical rail trolley-type elevator. This type of elevator cannot flip the components. During horizontal transfer, the spent fuel components are still held vertically by the trolley-type elevator. However, this material transfer method has safety hazards. The fuel components in the vertical position are likely to fall. Moreover, this material transfer method is not conducive to shearing subsequent material preparation, resulting in low processing efficiency of spent fuel components.

[0004] In addition, existing vertical feeding and transfer devices typically use a single fixed station for the extraction of spent fuel, which is inconvenient. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to address the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art by providing a spent fuel element transfer device and a spent fuel element processing system including the spent fuel element transfer device. The spent fuel element transfer device can flip the spent fuel element after it has been grabbed by the gripper to a horizontal position before transporting it, which effectively improves the safety of the spent fuel element transportation process.

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A spent fuel element transfer device includes a track assembly, a trolley, a carriage, a tilting assembly, and a gripper. The track assembly includes a first track and a second track. The first track is arranged along a first direction. The trolley slides on the first track. The second track is arranged on the trolley and is arranged along a second direction. The carriage slides on the second track. The tilting assembly includes a tilting shaft and a tilting hopper. The tilting shaft is arranged on the carriage. The tilting hopper is rotatably arranged on the tilting shaft and can rotate around the tilting shaft. The gripper is located inside the tilting hopper. When the tilting hopper is tilted to a vertical position, it is in a receiving position, and the gripper grabs the spent fuel element. When the tilting hopper is tilted to a horizontal position, it is in a transport position. The movement of the trolley and carriage drives the tilting hopper to move, thereby transporting the spent fuel element to a feeding position.

[0008] Preferably, the first track is arranged perpendicular to the second track.

[0009] Preferably, both the first track and the second track are arranged in a horizontal direction.

[0010] Preferably, the gripping assembly includes a housing, a top rod, a shell, a connecting plate, and a gripping unit. The upper end of the top rod passes through a bottom perforation of the housing and enters the housing body, and the top rod is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing. The upper end of the shell passes through a bottom perforation of the housing and enters the housing body, and is fitted over the top rod by a sliding sleeve, exposing the lower end of the top rod. The connecting plate is connected to the lower end of the top rod by a first pin. The gripping unit is located below the shell and includes a plurality of evenly arranged claws. The middle part of each of the claws is connected to the end of the connecting plate by a second pin, and the top ends of the claws contact the lower section of the shell. The lower section of the shell includes a first part and a second part. The second part is connected to the first part and located below the first part. The first part is cylindrical in shape, and the second part is inverted conical in shape, so that the claws are in an open state as the shell moves upward and in a retracted state as the shell moves downward.

[0011] Preferably, the upper end of the outer shell is provided with a protrusion, which overlaps the edge of the bottom perforation of the box body. The gripping assembly also includes a connecting rod located inside the box body and an electric push rod located above the connecting rod. The lower end of the connecting rod is connected to the top end of the outer shell. The connecting rod moves vertically under the drive of the electric push rod, thereby driving the outer shell to move vertically.

[0012] Preferably, the spent fuel element transfer device further includes a drive assembly and a control assembly. The drive assembly is used to drive the trolley to move on the first track and / or drive the trolley to move on the second track. The control assembly includes a controller and a measuring unit. The measuring unit is electrically connected to the controller and is used to measure the position of the trolley. When the trolley moves to the sampling station, it sends a control signal to the controller. The controller is also electrically connected to the drive assembly and is used to control the drive assembly to stop moving according to the control signal.

[0013] Preferably, the driving assembly includes a large trolley driving assembly and a small trolley driving assembly. The large trolley driving assembly drives the large trolley to move on the first track, and the small trolley driving assembly drives the small trolley to move on the second track. The sampling station includes multiple groups, each group of sampling stations is arranged parallel to each other along a first direction, and the distance between two adjacent groups of sampling stations is a first distance. Each group of sampling stations includes multiple sampling stations, each sampling station is arranged in a straight line along the first direction, and the distance between two adjacent sampling stations is a second distance. The control signal includes a first control signal and a second control signal. The measurement unit includes a first laser rangefinder and a second laser rangefinder. The first laser rangefinder is set at... On a wall parallel to the second direction, a second laser rangefinder is used to detect the moving distance of the large trolley. On a wall parallel to the first direction, a second laser rangefinder is used to detect the moving distance of the small trolley. When the first laser rangefinder detects that the large trolley has moved a second distance from one of the sampling stations along the first direction, it sends a first control signal to the controller. When the second laser rangefinder detects that the small trolley has moved a first distance from one of the sampling stations along the second direction, it sends a second control signal to the controller. The controller controls the large trolley drive assembly and / or the small trolley drive assembly to stop moving according to the received first control signal and / or second control signal.

[0014] Preferably, the tipping hopper has a rod-shaped structure.

[0015] The present invention also provides a spent fuel element processing system, including a storage pool for storing spent fuel elements to be processed, and the aforementioned spent fuel element transfer device, which is disposed above the storage pool.

[0016] The spent fuel element transfer device of the present invention uses a tiltable hopper to grab and transfer spent fuel elements. Before transfer, the spent fuel elements can be tilted to a horizontal position, which can effectively reduce the risk of spent fuel elements falling during transport, and horizontal transport of spent fuel elements is beneficial for horizontal preparation at the subsequent shearing station. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the spent fuel element transfer device can be equipped with multiple sampling stations, which can effectively cooperate with the storage baskets holding spent fuel elements in the storage pool to transport spent fuel elements with high efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a top view of the spent fuel element transfer device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the spent fuel element transfer device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the sampling station of the tilting hopper in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is the main view of the grabbing component in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a side view of the grasping component in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1-Cart, 2-Tilting shaft, 3-Cart, 4-Tilting hopper, 5-First track, 6-Gripper, 61-Electric push rod, 62-Box body, 63-Connecting rod, 64-Top rod, 65-Outer shell, 66-Claw, 67-Connecting plate, 69-Crossbar, 610-Sliding sleeve, 611-First pin, 612-Second pin, 613-Elongated hole, 7-Baffle, 8-First laser rangefinder, 9-Second laser rangefinder, 10-Second track. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without creative effort are within the scope of the invention.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "above" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience and simplification of the description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0025] In the description of this invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "setting," "installation," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] This invention provides a spent fuel element transfer device, including a track assembly, a trolley, a carriage, a tilting assembly, and a gripper. The track assembly includes a first track and a second track. The first track is arranged along a first direction. The trolley slides on the first track. The second track is arranged on the trolley and is arranged along a second direction. The carriage slides on the second track. The tilting assembly includes a tilting shaft and a tilting hopper. The tilting shaft is arranged on the carriage. The tilting hopper is rotatably arranged on the tilting shaft and can tilt around the tilting shaft. The gripper is located inside the tilting hopper. When the tilting hopper is above the spent fuel element, the tilting hopper tilts to a vertical position and is in a receiving position, where the gripper grips the spent fuel element. When the tilting hopper tilts to a horizontal position, it is in a transport position and transports the spent fuel element to a feeding position.

[0028] The present invention also provides a spent fuel element processing system, including a storage pool for storing spent fuel elements to be processed, and the aforementioned spent fuel element transfer device, which is disposed above the storage pool.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, this embodiment discloses a spent fuel element transfer device, including a track assembly, a large trolley 1, a small trolley 3, a tilting assembly, and a gripper 6. Spent fuel elements are stored in a storage tank. The track assembly includes a first track 5 and a second track 10. The first track 5 is arranged along a first direction, and the large trolley 1 slides on the first track 5. The second track 10 is arranged on the large trolley 1 and is arranged along a second direction. The small trolley 3 slides on the second track 10. The tilting assembly includes a tilting shaft 2, a tilting hopper 4, and a tilting drive unit. The tilting drive unit drives the tilting hopper 4 to tilt. The tilting shaft 2 is disposed on the upper surface of the small trolley 3. At the center, the tilting hopper 4 is rotatably mounted on the tilting shaft 2 and can rotate around the tilting shaft 2. The tilting hopper 4 is arranged in a direction parallel to the first direction, with one end extending out of the trolley 3 and the main trolley 1. The gripper 6 is located inside the tilting hopper 4. When the tilting hopper 4 is above the spent fuel assembly, the tilting hopper 4 rotates to a vertical position and is located at the receiving station (located above the storage pool). The gripper 6 then grabs the spent fuel element. When the tilting hopper 4 rotates to a horizontal position, the tilting hopper 4 is located at the transport station. The main trolley 1 and the trolley 3 move, driving the tilting hopper 4 to move, thereby transporting the spent fuel element to the feeding station.

[0031] In this embodiment, the large trolley 1 and the small trolley drive the tilting bin 4 to move above the spent fuel element in the storage pool. Then, the tilting bin 4 can grab the spent fuel element through the gripper 6 set inside it and lift it upward. Specifically, the tilting drive unit drives the tilting bin 4 to tilt between the transport station and the gripping station. The tilting bin 4 has a rotation angle of 90°, thereby converting the spent fuel element to a horizontal position to meet the requirements of vertical material picking and horizontal material feeding.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the first track 5 and the second track 10 are set perpendicularly, that is, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. Specifically, the storage pool is rectangular. The first track 5 is set along the direction parallel to the long side of the storage pool, and there are two first tracks 5. The two first tracks 5 are respectively set on both sides of the storage pool. The second track 10 is set along the direction parallel to the short side of the storage pool, and there are two second tracks 10. The two second tracks 10 are set parallel to each other on the upper surface of the trolley 1. The trolley 1 and the trolley 3 slide on the first track 5 and the second track 10 respectively, so that they can move in a straight line along the length direction of the first track 5 and the second track 10 respectively.

[0033] In this embodiment, both the first track 5 and the second track 10 are arranged in the horizontal direction. The first track 5 and the second track 10 are respectively arranged in the horizontal plane at different heights, and the second track 10 is located above the first track 5.

[0034] In this embodiment, baffles 7 are provided at both ends of the first track 5 to prevent the trolley 1 from moving outside the first track 5. The tipping hopper 4 has a rod-shaped structure, which facilitates its tipping over of spent fuel elements close to the storage pool.

[0035] like Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the gripper 6 includes a housing 62, a top rod 64, a housing 65, a connecting plate 67, and a gripping unit. The housing 62 is fixedly installed inside the tilting hopper 4. The upper end of the top rod 64 passes through a bottom perforation in the housing 62 and enters the housing 62, and the top rod 64 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing 62. The top rod 64 is cylindrical. The housing 65 is a hollow cylinder. The upper end of the housing 65 passes through a bottom perforation in the housing 62 and enters the housing 62, and is fitted onto the outside of the top rod 64 by a sliding sleeve 610, exposing the lower end of the top rod 64. The middle part of the connecting plate 67 is connected to the exposed lower end of the top rod 64 by a first pin 611. The gripping unit is located below the housing 65 and includes a plurality of evenly arranged claws 66. The middle part of each of the plurality of claws 66 is connected to the end of the connecting plate 67 by a second pin 612, and the top ends of the plurality of claws 66 contact (e.g., point contact) the lower section of the housing 65.

[0036] 0 The lower section of the outer shell 65 includes a first part and a second part. The second part is connected to the first part and located below the first part. The first part is cylindrical in shape and has a uniform thickness. The second part is inverted conical in shape, that is, the thickness of the second part gradually decreases towards the bottom, so that the multiple claws 66 are in an open state as the outer shell 65 moves upward and in a contracted state as the outer shell 65 moves downward.

[0037] 5 In this embodiment, the second part of the lower section of the outer shell 65 is a conical inclined surface with a length of 28±0.5mm and an inclination angle of 70±0.5°.

[0038] In this embodiment, the upper end of the outer casing 65 is provided with a protrusion, which overlaps the edge of the bottom perforation of the housing 62. The gripping assembly also includes a connecting rod 63 located inside the housing 62 and an electric push rod 61 located above the connecting rod 63. The lower end of the connecting rod 63 is connected to the top end of the outer casing 650, and the connecting rod 63 moves vertically under the drive of the electric push rod 61.

[0039] This causes the outer casing 65 to move vertically.

[0040] In addition, a vertically extending elongated hole 613 is provided on the side wall of the housing 65, through which the crossbar 69 passes. In this case, the elongated hole 613 is used to limit the vertical movement range of the housing 65, thereby controlling the opening range of the claw 66. For example, the length of the elongated hole 613 is 114±1mm.

[0041] To ensure the safety of the hoisting equipment during the lifting process, the chuck 66 needs to be locked. Therefore, in this embodiment, a step is provided between the middle section of the outer shell 65 with the elongated hole 613 and the upper section of the outer shell 65 located above the middle section, and the thickness of the upper section of the outer shell 65 is greater than the thickness of its lower section.

[0042] The gripper of this invention has a simple structure, enabling rapid gripping and release of components; it adopts a modular design; during lifting, the stepped structure of the outer shell 65 enables self-locking, ensuring safety and reliability; the movement of the outer shell 65 is driven by the electric push rod 61, achieving automation, saving effort, and being easy to operate; the opening range of the claw 66 is mainly controlled by the stroke position of the electric push rod 61, supplemented by the size of the outer sleeve elongated hole 613, the length and angle of the conical inclined surface at the lower end of the outer shell 65, allowing the spent fuel components to be released quickly, avoiding jamming and snagging.

[0043] In this embodiment, the spent fuel element transfer device further includes a drive assembly and a control assembly. The drive assembly is used to drive the trolley 1 to move on the first track 5 and / or drive the trolley 3 to move on the second track 10. The control assembly includes a controller and a measuring unit. The measuring unit is electrically connected to the controller and is used to measure the position of the trolley 3. When the trolley 3 moves to the sampling station, it sends a control signal to the controller. The controller is also electrically connected to the drive assembly and is used to control the drive assembly to stop moving according to the control signal.

[0044] like Figure 2 , 3 As shown, the drive assembly includes a large trolley drive assembly and a small trolley drive assembly. The large trolley drive assembly drives the large trolley 1 to move on the first track 5, and the small trolley drive assembly drives the small trolley 3 to move on the second track 10. The sampling stations include multiple groups, each group arranged parallel to the first direction. The distance between two adjacent groups of sampling stations is a first distance. Each group of sampling stations includes multiple sampling stations arranged in a straight line along the first direction. The distance between two adjacent sampling stations is a second distance. The control signals include a first control signal and a second control signal. The measurement unit includes a first laser rangefinder 8 and a second laser rangefinder 9. The first laser rangefinder... A first laser rangefinder 8 is installed on a wall parallel to the second direction to detect the moving distance of the large trolley 1. A second laser rangefinder 9 is installed on a wall parallel to the first direction to detect the moving distance of the small trolley 3. When the first laser rangefinder 8 detects that the large trolley 1 has moved a second distance from one of the sampling stations along the first direction, it sends a first control signal to the controller. When the second laser rangefinder 9 detects that the small trolley 3 has moved a first distance from one of the sampling stations along the second direction, it sends a second control signal to the controller. The controller controls the large trolley drive assembly and / or the small trolley drive assembly to stop moving according to the received first control signal and / or second control signal.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, there are three groups of sampling stations, with four sampling stations in each group, for a total of twelve sampling stations, numbered sequentially from sampling station 1 to sampling station 12. The twelve sampling stations are distributed in a grid pattern in the storage pool. Sampling station 1 is the initial position of the large trolley 1 (the initial position of the small trolley 3 is located at the center of the large trolley 1). Sampling stations 2, 3, and 4 are located on the same straight line as sampling station 1 and are arranged sequentially. The interval between two adjacent sampling stations is the second distance. In this embodiment, the second distance is 260mm. That is, the large trolley 1 can reach the second station by moving forward 260mm along the first direction, and can reach the third sampling station by moving 2×260mm, and so on.

[0046] Sampling stations 5 and 9 are located on the same straight line parallel to the second direction, and are situated on either side of sampling station 1. The distance between sampling station 1 and sampling station 9 is a first distance, which in this embodiment is also 260mm. That is, when the large trolley 1 is at sampling station 1, the small trolley 3 can reach sampling stations 5 and 9 by moving ±260mm along the second direction. Similarly, sampling stations 6 and 10 are located on the same straight line parallel to the second direction, and are situated on either side of sampling station 2. When the large trolley 1 is at sampling station 2, the small trolley 3 can reach sampling stations 6 and 10 by moving ±260mm along the second direction. Sampling stations 7, 11, and 3 are located on the same straight line parallel to the second direction, and are situated on either side of sampling station 3. When the trolley 1 is at sampling station 3, the trolley 3 moves ±260mm along the second direction to reach sampling stations 7 and 11. Sampling stations 8, 12, and 4 are located on the same straight line parallel to the second direction, and are situated on either side of sampling station 4. When the trolley 1 is at sampling station 4, the trolley 3 moves ±260mm along the second direction to reach sampling stations 8 and 12.

[0047] During the movement of the large trolley 1 and the small trolley 3, when the large trolley 1 moves ±260mm along the first direction, the first laser rangefinder 8 sends a first control signal to the controller. After receiving the first control signal, the controller controls the large trolley drive assembly to stop moving, and the large trolley 1 moves to the next sampling station. When the small trolley 3 moves ±260mm along the second direction, the second laser rangefinder 9 sends a second control signal to the controller. After receiving the second control signal, the controller controls the small trolley drive assembly to stop moving, and the small trolley 3 moves to the next sampling station.

[0048] In this embodiment, a 3×4 storage basket is provided in the storage pool. Each storage basket contains twelve spent fuel elements. The positions of the twelve spent fuel elements in the storage basket correspond to twelve sampling stations. A crane used to lift the storage basket will lift one storage basket at a time into the storage pool located below the fuel element transfer device. By moving the trolley 1 and the trolley 3 and switching between multiple sampling stations, the twelve spent fuel elements in the storage basket are taken out in sequence, which makes it easier to lift the next storage basket into the storage pool.

[0049] The operation process of the spent fuel element transfer device in this embodiment is as follows:

[0050] First, a crane used for hoisting the storage basket lifts it to the storage pool below the spent fuel element transfer device. The main trolley 1 is in its initial position (sampling station number one), and the auxiliary trolley 3 is centered on the main trolley 1. The tilting hopper 4 tilts downwards from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The gripper 6 inside the tilting hopper 4 grabs the spent fuel element located at the first sampling station and lifts it upwards. Then, the tilting hopper 4 tilts upwards along the tilting shaft 2 to a horizontal position. The main trolley 1 moves along the first track 5 to the feeding station located on one side of the first sampling station (the side away from the second sampling station). At this point, the tilting hopper 4 is aligned with the feeding hopper, and the gripper 6 pushes the spent fuel element from the tilting hopper 4 into the feeding hopper.

[0051] After feeding is completed, the trolley 1, trolley 3, and tilting hopper 4 all return to their initial positions (trolley 1 is at sampling station number one, trolley 3 is at the center of trolley 1, and tilting hopper 4 is in a horizontal position). The trolley drive assembly drives trolley 1 back to sampling station number one along the first direction. Then, the trolley drive assembly drives trolley 3 to move +260mm along the second direction. Trolley 3 reaches sampling station number five. At this time, the second laser rangefinder 9 sends a second control signal to the controller. The controller controls the trolley drive assembly to stop moving. Then, the tilting hopper 4 tilts from the horizontal position downwards to the vertical position, and the gripper 6 inside the tilting hopper 4... The spent fuel element located at sampling station number five is grasped and lifted upwards. The tilting hopper 4 tilts upwards along the tilting shaft 2 to a horizontal position. Then, the trolley drive assembly drives the trolley 3 to move -260mm along the second direction. The second laser rangefinder 9 sends a second control signal to the controller, which stops the trolley drive assembly. At this point, the trolley 3 returns to the center of the main trolley 1. The main trolley drive assembly drives the main trolley 1 to move along the first direction to the feeding station located next to sampling station number one, aligning the tilting hopper 4 with the feeding hopper. The gripper 6 then pushes the spent fuel element from the tilting hopper 4 into the feeding hopper.

[0052] Next, the large trolley 1, the small trolley 3, and the tilting hopper 4 return to their initial positions. The large trolley drive assembly drives the large trolley 1 back to the first sampling station along the first direction, and the small trolley drive assembly drives the small trolley 3 to move -260mm along the second direction. When the small trolley 3 reaches the ninth sampling station, the second laser rangefinder 9 sends a second control signal to the controller, which then controls the small trolley drive assembly to stop moving. Then, the tilting hopper 4 tilts from the horizontal position downwards to the vertical position, and the gripper 6 inside the tilting hopper 4 grabs the material located at the ninth sampling station. The spent fuel element is lifted upwards, and the tilting hopper 4 tilts upwards along the tilting shaft 2 to a horizontal position. Then, the trolley drive assembly drives the trolley 3 to move +260mm along the second direction. The second laser rangefinder 9 sends a second control signal to the controller, which stops the trolley drive assembly. At this point, the trolley 3 returns to the center of the main trolley 1, and the main trolley drive assembly drives the main trolley 1 to move along the first direction to the feeding station located on one side of the first sampling station. The gripper 6 then pushes the spent fuel element in the tilting hopper 4 into the feeding hopper.

[0053] Afterwards, the large trolley 1, the small trolley 3, and the tilting hopper 4 return to their initial positions. The large trolley drive assembly drives the large trolley 1 back to the first sampling station along the first direction, and then continues to drive the large trolley 1 to move +260mm along the first direction. At this time, the first laser rangefinder 8 sends the first control signal to the controller, and the controller controls the large trolley drive assembly to stop moving. The large trolley 1 reaches the second sampling station, and then, following the same steps, the spent fuel elements at the second and sixth sampling stations; the spent fuel elements at the third, seventh, and eleventh sampling stations; and the spent fuel elements at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth sampling stations are sequentially transported to the feeding station.

[0054] Finally, the crane lifts the storage basket out and transports the next storage basket to the storage pool.

[0055] In this embodiment, the spent fuel element transfer device uses a flip-over hopper 4 to grab and transfer spent fuel elements. Before transfer, the spent fuel elements can be flipped to a horizontal position, which can effectively reduce the risk of spent fuel elements falling during the transfer process. In addition, the spent fuel element transfer device is equipped with multiple sampling stations, which can effectively cooperate with the storage baskets in the storage pool that hold spent fuel elements, thereby improving the efficiency of spent fuel element transportation.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] This embodiment discloses a spent fuel element processing system, including a storage pool and a crane. The storage pool is used to store spent fuel elements to be processed. It also includes the spent fuel element transfer device from Embodiment 1, which is disposed above the storage pool.

[0058] In this embodiment, the spent fuel element processing system is located in the spent fuel reprocessing plant. The spent fuel reprocessing plant has a storage pool for storing spent fuel elements to be processed. Above the storage pool is a spent fuel element transfer device and a crane. In this embodiment, the spent fuel elements are arranged in groups of twelve in a storage basket. The storage basket containing the spent fuel elements is lifted to the storage pool by the crane. The position of the spent fuel elements in the storage basket corresponds to the position of the twelve sampling stations. The spent fuel element transfer device can switch positions between multiple sampling stations by moving the trolley 1 and the trolley 3, thereby sequentially taking out the twelve spent fuel elements in a storage basket. Then the crane lifts the storage basket out of the storage pool and then lifts the next storage basket to the water tank.

[0059] The spent fuel element processing system in this embodiment can effectively store and transport spent fuel elements, and ensure safety during storage and transportation. By using a spent fuel element transfer device, multiple processing steps (storage, grabbing, transportation, and feeding) of spent fuel elements are effectively connected, thereby improving the efficiency of spent fuel element post-processing.

[0060] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spent fuel element transfer device, characterized in that, The device is positioned above a storage pool used to store spent fuel elements to be processed. The device includes a track assembly, a large trolley (1), a small trolley (3), a tilting assembly, and a gripper (6). The track assembly includes a first track (5) and a second track (10). The first track (5) is arranged along a first direction. The trolley (1) slides on the first track (5). The second track (10) is arranged on the trolley (1) and is arranged along a second direction. The trolley (3) slides on the second track (10). The first track (5) and the second track (10) are arranged perpendicularly. The storage pool is rectangular, and there are two first tracks, which are respectively located on both sides of the long side of the storage pool. The storage pool is equipped with multiple sets and columns of sampling stations arranged in a grid pattern. The spent fuel elements are located at the sampling stations. Each set of sampling stations is arranged parallel to each other along a first direction. The distance between two adjacent sets of sampling stations is a first distance. Each set of sampling stations includes four sampling stations, and each column of sampling stations includes three sampling stations. The three sampling stations are arranged in a straight line along a second direction. The distance between two adjacent columns of sampling stations is a second distance. The initial position of the trolley is set on the first sampling station, and is the middle sampling station among the three sampling stations in the first column. The feeding station is located on the side of the first sampling station that is away from the second group of sampling stations. The flipping assembly includes a flipping shaft (2) and a flipping hopper (4). The flipping shaft (2) is mounted on the trolley (3), and the flipping hopper (4) is rotatably mounted on the flipping shaft (2) and can flip around the flipping shaft (2) as the center. The gripper (6) is located inside the tilting hopper (4). When the tilting hopper is above the spent fuel assembly corresponding to the sampling station, the tilting hopper (4) tilts to a vertical position and is in the receiving station, where the spent fuel assembly is picked up by the gripper (6); when the tilting hopper (4) tilts to a horizontal position, it is in the transport station, and the trolley (1) and trolley (3) move to drive the tilting hopper (4) to move, thereby transporting the spent fuel assembly to the feeding station; The movement path of the large trolley and the small trolley is set as follows: the large trolley is in the first sampling station of the initial position, and the small trolley is in the middle sampling station of the first sampling station → the large trolley moves to the feeding station → the large trolley returns to the initial position → the small trolley moves to the sampling station above the middle sampling station → the small trolley returns to the middle sampling station → the large trolley moves to the feeding station → the large trolley returns to the initial position → the small trolley moves to the sampling station below the middle sampling station → the small trolley returns to the middle sampling station → the large trolley moves to the feeding station, and then the large trolley moves to the second sampling station, and so on, until the feeding of the last sampling station is completed; The first distance is 260mm, and the second distance is 260mm.

2. The spent fuel element transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first track (5) and the second track (10) are set in the horizontal direction.

3. The spent fuel element transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gripper includes a housing (62), a top rod (64), a shell, a connecting plate (67), and a gripping unit. The upper end of the top rod (64) passes through the bottom perforation of the housing (62) and enters the housing (62), and the top rod (64) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing (62). The upper end of the outer shell (65) passes through the bottom perforation of the housing (62) and enters the housing (62), and is fitted onto the outside of the top rod (64) by a sliding sleeve (610), exposing the lower end of the top rod (64). The connecting plate (67) is connected to the lower end of the push rod (64) via a first pin (611). The gripping unit is located below the outer casing (65) and includes a plurality of evenly arranged grippers (66). The middle of each of the plurality of grippers (66) is connected to the end of the connecting plate (67) via a second pin (612), and the top of the plurality of grippers (66) contacts the lower section of the outer casing (65). The lower section of the outer shell (65) includes a first part and a second part. The second part is connected to the first part and located below the first part. The first part is cylindrical in shape, and the second part is inverted conical in shape, so that multiple claws (66) are in an open state as the outer shell (65) moves upward and in a retracted state as the outer shell (65) moves downward.

4. The spent fuel element transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the outer shell (65) is provided with a protrusion, which overlaps the edge of the bottom perforation of the box body (62). The gripper also includes a connecting rod (63) located inside the housing (62) and an electric push rod (61) located above the connecting rod (63). The lower end of the connecting rod (63) is connected to the top end of the outer shell (65). The connecting rod (63) moves vertically under the drive of the electric push rod (61), thereby driving the outer shell (65) to move vertically.

5. The spent fuel element transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes drive components and control components. The drive assembly is used to drive the large trolley (1) to move on the first track (5) and / or drive the small trolley (3) to move on the second track (10). The control components include a controller and a measurement unit. The measuring unit is electrically connected to the controller and is used to measure the position of the trolley (3). When the trolley (3) moves to the sampling station, it sends a control signal to the controller. The controller is also electrically connected to the drive assembly and is used to control the drive assembly to stop moving according to the control signal.

6. The spent fuel element transfer device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive components include a large vehicle drive component and a small vehicle drive component. The large vehicle drive assembly is used to drive the large vehicle (1) to move on the first track (5), and the small vehicle drive assembly is used to drive the small vehicle (3) to move on the second track (10). The control signals include a first control signal and a second control signal. The measuring unit includes a first laser rangefinder (8) and a second laser rangefinder (9). The first laser rangefinder (8) is mounted on a wall parallel to the second direction and is used to detect the moving distance of the trolley (1). The second laser rangefinder (9) is mounted on a wall parallel to the first direction and is used to detect the distance traveled by the trolley (3). When the first laser rangefinder (8) detects that the large vehicle (1) has moved a second distance from one of the sampling stations along the first direction, it sends a first control signal to the controller. When the second laser rangefinder (9) detects that the small vehicle (3) has moved a first distance from one of the sampling stations along the second direction, it sends a second control signal to the controller. The controller controls the large vehicle drive assembly and / or the small vehicle drive assembly to stop moving based on the received first control signal and / or second control signal.

7. The spent fuel element transfer device according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The tipping hopper (4) has a rod-shaped structure.

8. A spent fuel element processing system, comprising a storage pool for storing spent fuel elements to be processed, characterized in that, It also includes the spent fuel element transfer device as described in any one of claims 1-7. The spent fuel element transfer device is located above the storage pool.

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