Automatic lead type changing equipment for fuel rod radiography

Abstract

This disclosure pertains to the field of nuclear power technology, specifically relating to an automatic lead type replacement device for fuel rod radiography. The automatic lead type replacement device for fuel rod radiography of this disclosure employs a multi-axis robotic arm to replace manual lead type replacement. Compared to manual replacement, the robotic arm offers stable performance and high repeatability. The lead type box maps lead type symbols to their positions, allowing the control system to grasp and arrange the lead type according to a preset correspondence between symbols and positions, effectively improving the efficiency and accuracy of lead type replacement and arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of nuclear power technology, specifically relating to an automatic lead type replacement device for fuel rod radiography. Background Technology

[0002] After the lower and upper plugs of the fuel rods are welded, they need to be inspected using X-rays to determine if there are any internal defects. Currently, the X-ray-film method is mainly used, which involves imaging with industrial film, processing it in a darkroom to obtain images of the upper and lower circumferential welds and heat-affected zones of the fuel rods on the film, and then manually judging whether there are any internal defects in the fuel rods. According to requirements, each batch or each fuel rod must be unique and must be identified. For this purpose, lead lettering (a combination of letters or numbers) is placed on each batch of film, and a number is engraved in the corresponding position for each rod, so that the image of the identification can be permanently preserved on the film, facilitating future traceability.

[0003] Currently, all nuclear fuel element manufacturers and research institutes in China use manual replacement of lead type to create unique markings on the radiographed fuel rod circumferential weld seams. However, this manual replacement method presents numerous problems. For example, human error can lead to forgetting to replace the lead type or replacing it incorrectly, resulting in incorrect markings on the fuel rod weld seam radiographs. The most direct impact is the release of substandard products and the rejection of qualified products. Once substandard products enter a nuclear power plant, there is a significant safety risk. Furthermore, due to the high-quality requirements of nuclear element products, radiographs must be preserved and traceable for a long time. Incorrect markings can mislead future radiograph reviews and retrospectives, making it impossible to obtain accurate information or conclusions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the problems existing in the related technologies, an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod illumination is provided.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography is provided. The device includes: a robotic arm, lead type, a lead type box, a lead chamber, and a control system. The fixed end of the robotic arm and the lower end of the lead type box are fixedly connected to the outer side wall of the lead chamber. The bottom surface of the lead chamber is marked with a film placement area, which includes a lead type placement area.

[0006] The upper surface of the lead type box body is sloping, and multiple longitudinal grooves are opened side by side on the upper surface of the body. A baffle plate is horizontally fixed to the bottom end of the body. A baffle plate covers the groove opening of each groove. There is a first gap between the upper end of the baffle plate and the upper end of each groove, and a second gap between the lower end of the baffle plate and the baffle plate. Multiple lead type characters with the same characters are arranged longitudinally in each groove, and different lead type characters correspond to different grooves.

[0007] The second gap only exposes the bottommost type within each slot, closest to the baffle plate. After the robotic arm removes a type from one of the slots in the second gap, the other type in that slot slides down the slot until the bottommost type among the other type is blocked by the baffle plate. Similarly, after the robotic arm inserts a type from one of the slots in the first gap, the type slides down the slot until it is blocked by the other type in that slot.

[0008] The control system can control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters in the lead type box into the lead type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings; the control system can also control the robotic arm to pick up each lead type in the lead type placement area into the groove corresponding to that lead type character in the lead type box.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the robotic arm further includes an air tube and an air nozzle, the air nozzle being fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm, and the air nozzle being connected to an air pump system via the air tube, the control system being used to control the air pump system;

[0010] When the air nozzle moves above the typeface to be grasped, the control system controls the air pump system to draw air, creating a negative pressure near the air nozzle, thereby sucking in the typeface to be grasped.

[0011] In one possible implementation, when the air nozzle moves above the type to be grasped, the control system controls the air pump system to draw air, creating a negative pressure near the air nozzle, and controls the air nozzle to move toward the type to be grasped by a preset displacement until the control system determines that the air nozzle has attracted the type to be grasped.

[0012] In one possible implementation, when the air nozzle picks up the lead type and moves it directly above the placement position, the control system controls the air pump system to blow air to counteract the air buoyancy of the lead type during its descent, causing the lead type to fall into the placement position.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the device includes a camera. After the control system determines that the robotic arm has finished picking and arranging the lead type, it controls the camera to capture images of the multiple lead type characters. The control system acquires the images captured by the camera and identifies the images to obtain recognized characters. The control system determines whether the recognized characters match the input film identifier. If the recognized characters match the input film identifier, it indicates that the arrangement is accurate. If the recognized characters do not match the input film identifier, it indicates that the arrangement is incorrect.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic lead type changing method for fuel rod radiography is provided, the method being applied to the apparatus described above, the method comprising:

[0015] Step 1: Control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters from the type box into the type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings;

[0016] Step 2: After the fuel rods have been irradiated, the robotic arm is controlled to sequentially pick up each type from the type placement area and place it into the corresponding slot in the type box, following the reverse operation sequence of Step 1.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography is provided, the device being applied to the apparatus described above, the device comprising:

[0018] The arrangement module is used to control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters from the lead type box into the lead type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings;

[0019] The recovery module is used to control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up each lead type in the lead type placement area and place it into the corresponding slot in the lead type box after the fuel rods have been irradiated.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer program instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described method.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this disclosure are as follows: The automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography of this disclosure uses a multi-axis robotic arm to replace manual replacement of lead type. Compared with manual replacement, the robotic arm has stable performance and strong repeatability. The lead type box maps the lead type symbol to the position, so that the control system can grasp and arrange the lead type according to the preset correspondence between the symbol and the position, effectively improving the efficiency and accuracy of lead type replacement and arrangement. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a partial enlarged view of an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a top view of an automatic lead-changing device for fuel rod radiography, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] In the picture:

[0026] 1—Regulating valve; 2—Touchscreen; 3—Robotic arm; 4—Linking rod; 5—Aligning nut; 6—Connector; 7—Air nozzle; 8—Support plate; 9—Air pipe; 10—Lead type; 11—Lead type box; 12—Film; 13—Lead type placement area; 14—Lead type placement block; 15—Lead chamber Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] The automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography includes: a robotic arm, lead type, lead type box, lead chamber, and control system. The fixed end of the robotic arm and the lower end of the lead type box are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the lead chamber. The bottom surface of the lead chamber is marked with a film placement area, which includes a lead type placement area.

[0029] The upper surface of the lead type box body is sloping, and multiple longitudinal grooves are opened side by side on the upper surface of the body. A baffle plate is horizontally fixed to the bottom end of the body. A baffle plate covers the groove opening of each groove. There is a first gap between the upper end of the baffle plate and the upper end of each groove, and a second gap between the lower end of the baffle plate and the baffle plate. Multiple lead type characters with the same characters are arranged longitudinally in each groove, and different lead type characters correspond to different grooves.

[0030] The second gap only exposes the bottommost type within each slot, closest to the baffle plate. After the robotic arm removes a type from one of the slots in the second gap, the other type in that slot slides down the slot until the bottommost type among the other type is blocked by the baffle plate. Similarly, after the robotic arm inserts a type from one of the slots in the first gap, the type slides down the slot until it is blocked by the other type in that slot.

[0031] The control system can control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters in the lead type box into the lead type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings; the control system can also control the robotic arm to pick up each lead type in the lead type placement area into the groove corresponding to that lead type character in the lead type box.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the robotic arm further includes an air tube and an air nozzle, the air nozzle being fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm, and the air nozzle being connected to an air pump system via the air tube, the control system being used to control the air pump system;

[0033] When the air nozzle moves above the typeface to be grasped, the control system controls the air pump system to draw air, creating a negative pressure near the air nozzle, thereby sucking in the typeface to be grasped.

[0034] For example, Figure 1This is a perspective view of an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 This is a partial enlarged view of an automatic lead type changing device for fuel rod radiography, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 This is a top view of an automatic type-changing device for fuel rod radiography, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, regulating valve 1 is used to adjust the compressed air intake volume and speed, providing assistance for accurately picking up or placing lead type. Both ends of regulating valve 1 are connected to air pipe 9 via a tight fit. Touch screen 2 is used for program control. Under normal conditions, simply turning on the machine will enable the automatic lead type changing action. The program and commands can be easily edited to achieve various functions such as precise positioning and position correction. Touch screen 2 is fixed to support plate 8 via a threaded structure. Robotic arm 3 is the core component of this equipment. Its omnidirectional (multi-axis) movement enables it to move the position after picking up lead type to ensure that the lead type is removed from the lead type box and placed at the designated workstation, or to change lead type multiple times for different needs. Robotic arm 3 is fixed to support plate 8 via a threaded structure, and connecting rod 4 is fixed to robotic arm 3 via a threaded structure. Connecting rod 4 is an extension of robotic arm 3, ultimately connecting to air nozzle 7 to achieve the lead type changing function. One end of connecting rod 4 is fixed to robotic arm 3 via a threaded structure, and the other end is fixed to connector 6 via a threaded structure. The nut 5 is used to lock the connecting rod 4, ensuring its stable position on the robotic arm 3 after adjustment. This prevents the equipment from failing to reach the designated workstation or impacting a point, which could lead to equipment failure or even scrapping. The nut 5 is fixed to the connecting rod 4 via a threaded structure. The connector 6 is used to fix the air nozzle 7, which is connected to the air nozzle 7 via a threaded structure. The air nozzle 7 is used to pick up the lead type, ensuring it is transported to the designated workstation. It is connected to the connector 6 via a threaded structure. The support plate 8 supports and fixes the components on it, and is connected to the touch screen 2 and the robotic arm 3 via threaded structures. The air pipe 9 is used to absorb or release compressed air to ensure the picking up and lowering of the lead type. This equipment uses a method of picking up lead type by suction, that is, the robotic arm picks up the lead type by suction, and then the lead type is lowered by release. The air pipe 9 is connected to the regulating valve 1 via a tight fit. Under the adjustment of the regulating valve 1, the optimal suction and release mode is found to control the continuous and correct replacement of the lead type.

[0035] In one possible implementation, when the air nozzle moves above the type to be grasped, the control system controls the air pump system to draw air, creating a negative pressure near the air nozzle, and controls the air nozzle to move toward the type to be grasped by a preset displacement until the control system determines that the air nozzle has attracted the type to be grasped.

[0036] The type placement blocks in the lead chamber are relatively small. Using mechanical fingers to hold them presents challenges, including space constraints and the risk of the mechanical fingers accidentally touching adjacent type (a software glitch), increasing the risk of type errors. Therefore, a type suction method is considered. This invention uses a vacuum nozzle 7 connected to an air pipe 9. By drawing air, a negative pressure is created, causing the type to be suctioned in, thus enabling automatic type replacement.

[0037] In one possible implementation, when the air nozzle picks up the lead type and moves it directly above the placement position, the control system controls the air pump system to blow air to counteract the air buoyancy of the lead type during its descent, causing the lead type to fall into the placement position.

[0038] To ensure the robotic arm doesn't collide with the type box while still holding the type (the type is held on the robotic arm and won't fall), an intelligent command design is used. Before picking up a type, it feeds a certain displacement each time until a type is picked up, then stops moving and removes the type. Because the type is extremely light, to ensure it can be transferred from the type box to the type placement block, the suction is switched to blowing air (for a very short time) when the type is above the placement block. This ensures no air pressure is applied to the type, allowing it to fall onto the placement block by gravity.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the device includes a camera. After the control system determines that the robotic arm has finished picking and arranging the lead type, it controls the camera to capture images of the multiple lead type characters. The control system acquires the images captured by the camera and identifies the images to obtain recognized characters. The control system determines whether the recognized characters match the input film identifier. If the recognized characters match the input film identifier, it indicates that the arrangement is accurate. If the recognized characters do not match the input film identifier, it indicates that the arrangement is incorrect.

[0040] In one application example, lead type is placed in lead type boxes, and an automatic lead type changing device is turned on. After entering the work preparation state, the lead door of the lead chamber is opened, and the robotic arm automatically replaces the lead type markings on the corresponding film according to the time of day and the number of characters opened by the lead door (according to the rules pre-programmed). After the robotic arm has replaced the lead type, it moves out of the lead chamber, and then the film is prepared in sequence. The lead door is closed, the film is transmitted, and after darkroom processing, an image with lead type markings is obtained.

[0041] In one possible implementation, an automatic type-changing method for fuel rod illumination is provided, the method being applied with respect to the apparatus described above, the method comprising:

[0042] Step 1: Control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters from the type box into the type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings;

[0043] Step 2: After the fuel rods have been irradiated, the robotic arm is controlled to sequentially pick up each type from the type placement area and place it into the corresponding slot in the type box, following the reverse operation sequence of Step 1.

[0044] In one possible implementation, an automatic type-changing device for fuel rod radiography is provided, the device being used with respect to the equipment described above, the device comprising:

[0045] The arrangement module is used to control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters from the lead type box into the lead type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings;

[0046] The recovery module is used to control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up each lead type in the lead type placement area and place it into the corresponding slot in the lead type box after the fuel rods have been irradiated.

[0047] In one application example, lead type is placed in lead type boxes, and an automatic lead type changing device is turned on. After entering the work preparation state, the lead door of the lead chamber is opened, and the robotic arm automatically replaces the lead type markings on the corresponding film according to the time of day and the number of characters opened by the lead door (according to the rules pre-programmed). After the robotic arm has replaced the lead type, it moves out of the lead chamber, and then the film is prepared in sequence. The lead door is closed, the film is transmitted, and after darkroom processing, an image with lead type markings is obtained.

[0048] This disclosure can be a system, method, and / or computer program product. A computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions loaded thereon for causing a processor to implement various aspects of this disclosure.

[0049] Computer-readable storage media can be tangible devices capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Computer-readable storage media can be, for example—but not limited to—electrical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multifunction disc (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical encoding devices, such as punch cards or recessed protrusions storing instructions thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer-readable storage media used herein are not to be construed as transient signals themselves, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0050] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from computer-readable storage media to various computing / processing devices, or downloaded via a network, such as the Internet, local area network, wide area network, and / or wireless network, to an external computer or external storage device. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards them to the computer-readable storage media in the respective computing / processing device.

[0051] Computer program instructions used to perform the operations of this disclosure may be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In cases involving a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network—including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)—or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry, such as programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), is personalized by utilizing the status information of the computer-readable program instructions to implement various aspects of this disclosure.

[0052] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0053] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner; thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0054] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0055] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0056] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automatic type-changing device for fuel rod radiography, characterized in that, The equipment includes: a robotic arm, lead type, a lead type box, a lead chamber, and a control system. The fixed end of the robotic arm and the lower end of the lead type box are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the lead chamber. The bottom surface of the lead chamber is marked with a film placement area, which includes a lead type placement area. The upper surface of the lead type box body is sloping, and multiple longitudinal grooves are opened side by side on the upper surface of the body. A baffle plate is horizontally fixed to the bottom end of the body. A baffle plate covers the groove opening of each groove. There is a first gap between the upper end of the baffle plate and the upper end of each groove, and a second gap between the lower end of the baffle plate and the baffle plate. Multiple lead type characters with the same characters are arranged longitudinally in each groove, and different lead type characters correspond to different grooves. The second gap only exposes the bottommost type within each slot, closest to the baffle plate. After the robotic arm removes a type from one of the slots in the second gap, the other type in that slot slides down the slot until the bottommost type among the other type is blocked by the baffle plate. Similarly, after the robotic arm inserts a type from one of the slots in the first gap, the type slides down the slot until it is blocked by the other type in that slot. The control system can control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters in the lead type box into the lead type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings; the control system can also control the robotic arm to pick up each lead type in the lead type placement area into the groove corresponding to that lead type character in the lead type box.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm also includes an air tube and an air nozzle. The air nozzle is fixedly connected to the end of the robotic arm. The air nozzle is also connected to an air pump system through the air tube. The control system is used to control the air pump system. When the air nozzle moves above the typeface to be grasped, the control system controls the air pump system to draw air, creating a negative pressure near the air nozzle, thereby sucking in the typeface to be grasped.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the air nozzle moves above the typeface to be grasped, the control system controls the air pump system to draw air, creating a negative pressure near the air nozzle, and controls the air nozzle to move towards the typeface to be grasped by a preset displacement until the control system determines that the air nozzle has sucked up the typeface to be grasped.

4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the air nozzle picks up the lead type and moves it directly above the placement position, the control system controls the air pump system to blow air to counteract the air buoyancy of the lead type during its fall, causing the lead type to fall into the placement position.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device includes a camera. After the control system determines that the robotic arm has finished picking up and arranging the lead characters, it controls the camera to capture images of the lead characters. The control system acquires the images captured by the camera and identifies the images to obtain the identification characters. The control system determines whether the identification characters match the input film identifier. If the identification characters match the input film identifier, it indicates that the arrangement is accurate. If the identification characters do not match the input film identifier, it indicates that the arrangement is incorrect.

6. A method for automatically changing lead type for radiography of fuel rods, characterized in that, The method is applied to the device as described in any one of claims 1-4, and the method includes: Step 1: Control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters from the type box into the type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings; Step 2: After the fuel rods have been irradiated, the robotic arm is controlled to sequentially pick up each type from the type placement area and place it into the corresponding slot in the type box, following the reverse operation sequence of Step 1.

7. An automatic type-changing device for fuel rod radiography, characterized in that, The device employs the apparatus according to any one of claims 1-4, the device comprising: The arrangement module is used to control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up and arrange the relevant characters from the lead type box into the lead type placement area according to the character order of the input film markings; The recovery module is used to control the robotic arm to sequentially pick up each lead type in the lead type placement area and place it into the corresponding slot in the lead type box after the fuel rods have been irradiated.

8. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the method of claim 6.

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