An 8l container automated cleaning system and method

Abstract

The application provides an 8L container automatic cleaning system and method. The system comprises: a code scanning module for scanning the two-dimensional code of the 8L container to identify the relevant information of the container; an interlocking control module for opening the waste liquid receiving tank and the capture tank corresponding to the abundance group according to the abundance of the container, and closing the waste liquid receiving tank and the capture tank of other abundance groups; an information management module for allocating a unique code to each 8L container and associating real-time data with operator information; and a traceability module for tracing the relevant person in charge according to the recorded real-time data and the associated operator information. The application effectively avoids the problem of waste liquid material diversion or leakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of radioactive waste treatment technology, specifically to an automated cleaning system and method for an 8L container. Background Technology

[0002] In the nuclear industry, uranium enrichment is a crucial step in obtaining nuclear fuel. During this process, the 8L containers used become contaminated due to contact with uranium hexafluoride and require regular cleaning to maintain their performance and safety. Currently, the cleaning equipment for 8L containers mainly relies on a complex, multi-step system combining manual and automated processes. While this equipment meets cleaning requirements to some extent, the lack of effective protective measures and information traceability systems poses a risk of radioactive waste spillage, thus threatening environmental and personnel safety. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an automated cleaning system for 8L containers to address the defects of existing container cleaning production lines that cause radioactive waste to cross-contaminate.

[0004] An automated cleaning system for an 8L container includes:

[0005] Information Management Module: Used to assign a unique code to each 8L container to record the relevant information carried by the unique code, the relevant information including: abundance, medium, tare weight, and material weight; record real-time data of the container during cleaning, filling, and draining operations; uniquely associate the real-time data with the identity information of the personnel performing the operation; the real-time data includes: the time the container enters each plant, modification records, and modification time;

[0006] The access control module is used to set the relevant information that can be modified in each factory building;

[0007] The scanning module is used to scan the QR code on the 8L container to identify the relevant information carried by the unique code;

[0008] The traceability module is used to trace the responsible parties based on the recorded real-time data and associated operator information.

[0009] An interlocking control module is used to open the waste liquid receiving tank and the collection tank of the corresponding abundance group according to the abundance of the container, and at the same time close the waste liquid receiving tank and the collection tank of other abundance groups; wherein, the waste liquid receiving tank is used to receive the main waste liquid generated during the cleaning process; the collection tank is used to capture volatile gases or aerosols during the cleaning process; the waste liquid receiving tank includes: Group II waste liquid receiving tank and Group III waste liquid receiving tank.

[0010] Furthermore, the 8L container automated cleaning system described above also includes:

[0011] The weighing module is used to weigh each container and calculate the amount of residual material in the container based on the weight and the tare weight identified by the barcode scanning module.

[0012] The temporary storage module is used to compare the current residual amount of the container with the residual amount of the previous process recorded by the information management module and the maximum residual amount limit for the corresponding container type set in advance by the system. If the current residual amount is consistent with the residual amount recorded in the previous process and is not greater than the maximum residual amount limit set by the system, the container is defined as a qualified container and temporarily stored in the designated area, while unqualified containers are temporarily stored in the unqualified area.

[0013] Furthermore, the 8L container automated cleaning system described above also includes: a fully enclosed cleaning cabinet, which is used to clean the container; and the interlocking control module is electrically connected to all groups of waste liquid receiving tanks and collection tanks within the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet.

[0014] Furthermore, in the 8L container automated cleaning system described above, the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is equipped with a dual-container cleaning rack, which can simultaneously accommodate two 8L containers for rotational cleaning.

[0015] Furthermore, in the 8L container automated cleaning system described above, a self-sealing valve connection mechanism is installed inside the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. The self-sealing valve connection mechanism adopts a combination design of self-sealing valve and soft connection to realize single disassembly and assembly and multiple operations of the container valve.

[0016] When injecting liquid, the container valve faces upward and connects to the self-sealing valve head on the upper part of the cleaning rack, so that liquid can enter at one end and air can be released at the other end; when discharging waste liquid, the container is inverted and connects to the lower self-sealing valve head, with compressed air connected on one side and liquid discharged on the other.

[0017] Furthermore, the 8L container automated cleaning system described above also includes an external surface metering and detection device. The external surface metering and detection device detects the external surface of the container at a fixed distance of 10mm from the container wall and in a spiral upward manner to determine whether the external surface of the container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid.

[0018] Furthermore, the 8L container automated cleaning system described above also includes a pallet transport module, which is used to transport containers placed on pallets between operation processes; the operation processes include: unloading, freezing, cleaning, transporting, drying, assembly, and vacuum leak testing; each pallet can hold 4 8L containers.

[0019] Furthermore, the 8L container automated cleaning system described above includes a distilled water-hot compressed air pipeline inside the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. This distilled water-hot compressed air pipeline is located above the water washing area and is used for rinsing and drying the valves after cleaning.

[0020] Furthermore, in the 8L container automated cleaning system described above, the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is also equipped with an alkaline cleaning tank, an acid cleaning tank, and a water washing tank, which are used to clean the valves that have been removed from the container.

[0021] An automated cleaning method for an 8L container includes the following steps:

[0022] Step 1: Transport the contaminated 8L container by truck to the cleaning plant, unload it, and then send it to the weighing station's electronic scale;

[0023] Step 2: Scan the QR code on the 8L container to obtain the container medium, abundance, tare weight, and material weight;

[0024] Step 3: The weight of the container is obtained by electronic scale and transmitted to the system. The system analyzes the weight information, QR code information, and maximum allowable residual material limit, and temporarily stores qualified containers in a designated area and unqualified containers in an unqualified area. Among them, qualified 8L containers are temporarily stored in a pallet of 4, and the contents of the containers in the same pallet are the same in terms of medium and abundance. The AGV is used to transport the pallet to the designated location in the temporary storage area and the coordinates of the pallet are recorded.

[0025] Step 4: After the system issues the cleaning task for the day, the AGV takes out the corresponding pallet at the designated coordinates and delivers it to the RGV docking position;

[0026] Step 5: The RGV forks the pallet containing the qualified container and places it in the air-cooled box for freezing, so that the container is frozen to below -20°C;

[0027] Step 6: The RGV removes the frozen container and sends it to the entrance of the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. Before entering the cleaning cabinet, the container's fullness is confirmed again by scanning the barcode.

[0028] Step 7: Open the waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank of the corresponding abundance group, while keeping the inlet valves of the waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank of other abundance groups closed;

[0029] Step 8: After the cleaning cabinet door is opened, the gantry robot grabs two containers and places them on the double container cleaning rack. The RGV then sends the remaining two containers back into the air-cooled box.

[0030] Step 9: Manually install the male self-sealing valve of the self-sealing valve connecting mechanism, open the inlet and outlet valves of the 8L container, insert the truss grabbing cleaning frame into the rotating mechanism, connect the female self-sealing valve above the cleaning frame, inject 4-6L of production water through one side of the self-sealing valve, and vent the air on the other side. The injection side and venting side pipes leave the self-sealing valve.

[0031] Step 10: The rotating mechanism rotates ±180° or 360° to perform hydrolysis, with a rotation speed of 90-110° / s;

[0032] Step 11: After hydrolysis, keep the 8L container upside down, connect the self-sealing valve at the bottom of the container, inject 0.3MPa compressed air into one side of the grounding pipe, and connect the other side to the drain pipe to discharge the waste liquid into the waste liquid receiving tank of the corresponding group.

[0033] Step 12: Add the prepared 5% sodium carbonate solution and 33.5% hydrogen peroxide to an 8L container, and rotate the container to perform alkaline washing; repeat the alkaline washing process 3-5 times.

[0034] Step 13: Alkaline washing waste liquid is collected into either Group II or Group III waste liquid storage tanks according to its abundance group;

[0035] Step 14: Add water to the container, rotate the container to wash it, and repeat the washing process twice;

[0036] Step 15: The washing waste liquid is collected into either Group II or Group III wastewater storage tanks according to its abundance group;

[0037] Step 16: The gantry robot transports the rotating cleaning frame to the pressure testing joint installation station, disassembles the container valves, and cleans the disassembled valves in the alkaline cleaning tank, acid cleaning tank, and water washing tank in sequence.

[0038] Step 17: Inspect the surface corrosion, scratches, pits, and cleanliness of the inner surface of the cleaned containers and valves. Containers that pass the inspection will undergo a water pressure test, while unqualified containers will be transferred to the manual work station and sent to the maintenance workshop.

[0039] Step 18: Place the disassembled container valves into the cleaning basket. Only one container valve is placed in each cleaning basket. Each cleaning basket is numbered and distinguished. The cleaning baskets are transported to the top of the valve cleaning tank by a small truss. The valves are then subjected to an alkaline wash, acid wash, water wash, distilled water rinse, and drying operation in sequence.

[0040] Step 19: After drying, the valve and cleaning basket are placed in the designated position on the corresponding 8L container tray and sent to the drying oven together;

[0041] Step 20: After the container cleaning and quality inspection are completed, install the self-sealing pressure testing valve connector. The gantry robot will then transfer the valve to the pressure testing station for a hydrostatic test at a pressure of 2.8 MPa. After the hydrostatic test, the container will be drained by compressed air, and the inside of the container will be washed with distilled water. The pressure testing connector will then be manually removed, and the container will be dried with hot compressed air.

[0042] Step 21: After drying, the container is picked up by a robotic arm and placed on an AGV trolley. It is then sent out of the cleaning cabinet. Using an external surface metering and detection device, the outer surface of the container is inspected at a fixed distance of 10mm from the container wall and in a spiral upward motion to determine whether the outer surface of the container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid. Qualified containers are picked up by the robotic arm and sent to the drying oven for drying. Unqualified containers are returned to the manual wiping station in the cleaning cabinet. After the container surface is wiped by a person, the external surface metering and inspection is carried out again.

[0043] Step 22: The 8L container is placed in an oven and baked for 24 hours at a temperature of 100℃±5℃;

[0044] Step 23: After baking, the containers are transferred to the installation and maintenance room by AGV cart for assembly and vacuum leak testing. After passing the leak test, the containers are transferred to the clean temporary storage area by AGV cart and periodically transferred by assisted balance crane.

[0045] The 8L container automated cleaning system and method provided by this invention, on the one hand, achieves the goal of automatically collecting waste liquid after container cleaning according to different abundance groups, preventing cross-contamination of waste liquids of different abundance groups, reducing nuclear criticality safety risks, and laying the foundation for product classification in subsequent uranium recovery. On the other hand, it realizes electronic management of container lifecycle information, ensuring that each step of the operation can be traced back to the specific responsible person through traceability, thereby improving the accuracy and security of information management and effectively avoiding waste liquid cross-contamination or leakage problems caused by human error. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 The structural block diagram of the 8L container automated cleaning system provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a top view of the self-sealing valve connection mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a front view of the self-sealing valve connection mechanism provided by the present invention;

[0049] Figure label:

[0050] 1-Self-sealing valve female head; 2-Self-sealing valve male head. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0052] Figure 1 The structural block diagram of the 8L container automated cleaning system provided by the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the system includes:

[0053] Information Management Module: This module is used to assign a unique code to each 8L container to record the relevant information carried by the unique code, including: abundance, medium, tare weight, and material weight; record real-time data of the container during cleaning, filling, and draining operations; and uniquely associate the real-time data with the identity information of the personnel performing the operation; the real-time data includes: the time the container enters each plant, modification records, and modification time.

[0054] Specifically, the system assigns a unique QR code or barcode to each 8L container as an identifier, which is linked to information such as the container's abundance, medium, tare weight, and material weight. Scanning this code allows for quick access to the container's relevant information. Furthermore, the information management module records real-time data during operations such as cleaning, filling, and draining, including key parameters such as operation time, operation type, medium flow rate, temperature, and pressure. It also records the container's entry time into each plant, modification records, and modification times, ensuring the completeness and accuracy of the information. In addition, the information management module automatically associates real-time data with the identity information of the personnel performing the operations through biometric authentication (such as fingerprints or facial recognition) or electronic badge authentication. This allows for rapid identification of the responsible party when problems arise during operation. Later, when tracing the responsible party, detailed data records for that container or personnel at each stage of the operation can be quickly retrieved using the container code or employee ID.

[0055] The system provided by this invention assigns a unique code to each 8L container through an information management module, enabling electronic management of information throughout the container's entire lifecycle. This system can record real-time data during operations such as cleaning, filling, and draining of the container, and uniquely associate this data with the identification information of the personnel performing the operations, thereby ensuring the traceability and accuracy of the information.

[0056] The access control module is used to set the information that can be modified for each factory building;

[0057] The barcode scanning module is used to scan the QR code on the 8L container to identify relevant information about the container, including: abundance, medium, tare weight, and material weight.

[0058] Specifically, this scanning module can retrieve backend information about the 8L container by scanning the code. This information includes, but is not limited to: material type, [U 235 Abundance, container tare weight, container residual amount, etc.

[0059] The traceability module is used to trace the responsible parties based on the recorded real-time data and associated operator information.

[0060] Specifically, the system provided in this application assigns a unique QR code / barcode (linked to the factory serial number) to each 8L container through an information management module, enabling electronic management of the container's entire lifecycle information. The system records dynamic information about the container at each stage from manufacturing to disposal, and ensures information accuracy through technologies such as access control and facial recognition. Later, traceability can be used to ensure that each operation can be traced back to the specific responsible person, thereby improving the accuracy and security of information management and effectively preventing waste liquid cross-contamination or leakage caused by human error.

[0061] Specifically, each 8L container has a QR code or barcode associated with its own serial number. The system associates the container number with the following information: container medium, abundance, tare weight, material weight, name of the plant where the container entered, entry time and verification information (operator information), operator information and time for modifying container information, and departure time. Information is recorded chronologically. Access permissions for modifying information are set for each plant. For example, in the cleaning plant, only the container tare weight and material weight can be modified; in the receiving plant of the previous process, the container medium, abundance, and material weight can be modified. Personnel modifying information are linked to the modified information and modification time via facial recognition. For instance, the system automatically records the entry time, plant name, and operator information by scanning the container's QR code. After container cleaning, the operator logs in via facial recognition to modify the tare weight and material weight, and the system automatically records the modification time and personnel. In the receiving plant, if the test finds that the medium is inconsistent, the receiving plant operator can modify the medium and abundance, and the system will generate a modification log. If the material weight data is found to be abnormal, the modification record can be queried through the traceability module to locate the responsible person and the operation time.

[0062] An interlocking control module is used to open the waste liquid receiving tank and the collection tank of the corresponding abundance group according to the abundance of the container, and at the same time close the waste liquid receiving tank and the collection tank of other abundance groups; wherein, the waste liquid receiving tank is used to receive the main waste liquid generated during the cleaning process; the collection tank is used to capture volatile gases or aerosols during the cleaning process; the waste liquid receiving tank includes: Group II waste liquid receiving tank and Group III waste liquid receiving tank.

[0063] Specifically, after the system issues the daily cleaning task, the AGV retrieves the corresponding pallet at the designated pallet coordinates and delivers it to the RGV docking position. The RGV, equipped with telescopic forks, can automatically lift the container pallet to the air-cooled box for freezing. The containers are frozen to below -20°C. The RGV then removes the containers and places them into the cleaning cabinet. Next, the frozen 8L containers are automatically transported by the RGV (rail-guided vehicle) to a designated position below the loading port of the cleaning cabinet. Before entering the cleaning cabinet, the container's QR code is read by a fixed barcode scanner to obtain the container's abundance information. The system matches the corresponding waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank according to the abundance and automatically opens their inlet valves. The inlet valves for other abundance groups remain closed to prevent cross-contamination and thus avoid the risk of radioactive waste liquid mixing.

[0064] The system provided in this application, through an interlocking control module, achieves the purpose of collecting waste liquid after container cleaning according to different abundance groups, so that waste liquid of different abundance groups does not cross-contaminate, thus laying the foundation for product classification in subsequent uranium recovery.

[0065] Furthermore, the system provided by the present invention also includes: a weighing module, used to weigh each container and calculate the amount of residual material in the container based on the weight and the tare weight identified by the barcode scanning module.

[0066] Specifically, contaminated containers are transported by truck into the cleaning plant, unloaded, and sent to the weighing station's electronic scale. The weighing module weighs each container and compares the weight with the tare weight in the QR code information to calculate the amount of residual material.

[0067] The temporary storage module is used to compare the current residual amount of the container with the residual amount of the previous process recorded by the information management module and the maximum residual amount limit set by the system for the corresponding container type. If the current residual amount is consistent with the residual amount recorded in the previous process and is not greater than the maximum residual amount limit set by the system, the container is defined as a qualified container and temporarily stored in the designated area, while unqualified containers are temporarily stored in the unqualified area.

[0068] Specifically, the temporary storage module compares the calculated current residual material quantity with the residual material quantity recorded in the information management module from the previous process and the maximum residual material quantity limit set in advance by the system for the corresponding container type. If the current residual material quantity is consistent with the residual material quantity recorded in the previous process and is not greater than the maximum residual material quantity limit set in the system, the container is marked as a qualified container and sent to the designated location in the temporary storage area. Containers with residual material quantities exceeding the maximum limit are rejected, while unqualified containers are sent to the unqualified area. Qualified 8L containers are temporarily stored in pallets of four, with the same container medium and abundance within each pallet. The AGV transports the pallets to the designated location in the temporary storage area and records the coordinates of the pallets.

[0069] This application utilizes an information management module to electronically manage information throughout the entire lifecycle of the 8L container, eliminating the need for manual verification and reducing human error. Furthermore, a traceability module ensures that each information operation is traceable to the responsible person. The access control module controls the operable information in each plant area, reducing interference from irrelevant information and minimizing the possibility of human error in inputting information. Facial recognition and information interlocking prevent the possibility of proxy operation and avoid liability disputes.

[0070] Furthermore, the system provided by the present invention also includes: a fully enclosed cleaning cabinet, which is used to clean the container; and an interlocking control module electrically connected to all groups of waste liquid receiving tanks and collection tanks within the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet.

[0071] Specifically, the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet provided in this application enables containers to be cleaned in a closed environment, significantly reducing the need for manual operation, lowering the risk of operators coming into direct contact with radioactive materials, and improving the safety of the cleaning process. Furthermore, the fully enclosed design effectively prevents radioactive waste liquids and volatile gases generated during the cleaning process from leaking into the external environment, protecting the safety of operators and reducing environmental pollution.

[0072] Furthermore, the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet provided in this application is equipped with a dual-container cleaning rack, which can simultaneously accommodate two 8L containers for rotating cleaning.

[0073] Specifically, the system provided in this application, by setting up a dual-container cleaning rack inside a fully enclosed cleaning cabinet, enables the system to clean two containers at the same time, thereby greatly improving the cleaning efficiency of the containers.

[0074] Furthermore, the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is equipped with a self-sealing valve connection mechanism. The self-sealing valve connection mechanism adopts a combination design of self-sealing valve and flexible connection, which realizes single disassembly and assembly and multiple operations of the container valve. When filling with liquid, the container valve faces upward and connects to the self-sealing valve female head on the upper part of the cleaning rack, so that liquid enters at one end and air is discharged at the other end. When discharging waste liquid, the container is inverted and connects to the lower self-sealing valve female head, with compressed air connected on one side and liquid discharged on the other side.

[0075] Specifically, the self-sealing valve connection mechanism is as follows: Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown. The self-sealing valve features good sealing performance and simple operation, enabling liquid inflow and outflow control without disassembling the container valve. A flexible hose connects to the male connector 2 of the self-sealing valve, which in turn connects to the container valve. This hose offers good flexibility and corrosion resistance, adapting to liquid transfer requirements in different container positions (e.g., upright, inverted). During liquid injection, the container is kept upright with the valve facing upwards. The male connector 2 is connected to the female connector 1 of the self-sealing valve to inject liquid. Simultaneously, the self-sealing valve on the other side serves as a vent, ensuring smooth gas discharge from the container and preventing pressure buildup. During waste liquid discharge, the container is placed inverted with the valve facing downwards. The male connector 2 of the self-sealing valve is connected to the female connector 1 of the self-sealing valve at the bottom of the cleaning rack. Compressed air is supplied to one side to provide drainage power; the other side serves as a waste liquid discharge port, allowing the waste liquid inside the container to be discharged smoothly.

[0076] The system provided in this application, through a self-sealing valve connection mechanism, allows the 8L container to be filled with cleaning agent, drained, compressed air dried, and pressurized, all of which enter the container through the self-sealing valve connection mechanism. This achieves the purpose of multiple automatic liquid injection and drainage, so that multiple cleaning operations can be completed with a single disassembly and assembly of the container valve, which significantly improves cleaning efficiency and reduces the labor intensity of operators.

[0077] Furthermore, the system provided in this application also includes: an external surface measurement and detection device, which measures the external surface of the container at a fixed distance of 10 mm from the container wall and in a spiral upward manner to determine whether the external surface of the container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid.

[0078] Specifically, this application uses a portable external surface contamination measuring device to perform motion detection around an 8L container at a fixed distance of 10mm from the container wall, along a spiral upward trajectory. By combining the spiral upward trajectory with the 10mm fixed interval, it can accurately cover all external surface areas of the container and avoid omissions.

[0079] Furthermore, the system provided in this application also includes a pallet transport module, which is used to transport containers placed on pallets between operational processes; the operational processes include: unloading, freezing, cleaning, transporting, drying, assembly, and vacuum leak testing; each pallet can hold 4 8L containers.

[0080] Specifically, the pallet transport module is designed to optimize the transfer of 8L containers between processes such as cleaning, drying, assembly, and vacuum leak testing. By using pallets as the transport carrier, not only is transport efficiency improved, but the stability and safety of the containers during transfer are also ensured.

[0081] The pallet transport module is integrated throughout the entire container handling process, specifically including but not limited to the following stages:

[0082] Unloading process: After the contaminated containers transported by truck arrive at the cleaning plant, operators use forklifts or lifting equipment to unload the entire pallet of containers from the truck and send them directly to the weighing station for electronic weighing.

[0083] Freezing process: Pallets of containers that have passed the electronic weighing test are transported to the freezing area by automated transport equipment (such as AGV or RGV) for freezing treatment to ensure that the internal temperature of the containers drops below the specified standard.

[0084] Cleaning process: The frozen container trays are transported to the cleaning cabinet. After the container information is confirmed by scanning the code, the gantry robot grabs the container and places it on the cleaning rack for cleaning.

[0085] Transportation: The cleaned container pallets are transported by transport equipment to the drying area or the next processing stage to ensure a smooth connection of the entire process.

[0086] Drying process: The container trays are placed in an oven for drying to ensure that both the inside and outside of the containers meet the drying standards.

[0087] Assembly stage: The dried container pallets are transported to the assembly area for reassembly of the containers and valves.

[0088] Vacuum leak testing: The assembled container trays are placed into a vacuum leak testing device for vacuum leak rate testing to ensure that the containers are well sealed and there is no risk of leakage.

[0089] The system provided in this application enables rapid and stable transfer of containers between various stages through a pallet transport module, significantly improving the overall cleaning efficiency of containers; moreover, it reduces manual intervention and losses during transportation, effectively lowering production costs.

[0090] Furthermore, this application also includes a distilled water-hot compressed air pipeline inside the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet, which is located above the water washing area for rinsing and drying the 8L container and valves after cleaning.

[0091] Specifically, the disassembled container valves require a final rinse and dry using distilled water and hot compressed air. At this point, the distilled water-hot compressed air pipeline located above the washing area plays a crucial role. This pipeline allows for the convenient introduction of distilled water and hot compressed air to thoroughly rinse and dry the cleaned valves, ensuring their cleanliness and dryness to meet subsequent usage requirements. This design not only improves the efficiency and quality of valve cleaning but also helps prevent the spread and contamination of radioactive waste.

[0092] Furthermore, the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is also equipped with an alkaline cleaning tank, an acid cleaning tank, and a water washing tank, which are used to clean the valves that have been removed from the container.

[0093] Specifically, this application includes an alkaline cleaning tank, an acid cleaning tank, and a water washing tank inside a fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. These three cleaning tanks together constitute a complete valve cleaning system, specifically designed for thoroughly cleaning valves removed from an 8L container.

[0094] This application presents a highly efficient and environmentally friendly valve cleaning system comprised of an alkaline cleaning tank, an acid cleaning tank, and a water washing tank housed within a fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. This system not only thoroughly removes various impurities and contaminants from the valve surface but also effectively prevents the spread and contamination of radioactive waste liquid, providing strong support for the cleaning and maintenance of 8L containers.

[0095] The present invention also provides an automated cleaning method for an 8L container, the method comprising the following steps:

[0096] Step 1: Transport the contaminated 8L container by truck to the cleaning plant, unload it, and then send it to the weighing station's electronic scale;

[0097] Step 2: Scan the QR code on the 8L container to obtain the container medium, abundance, tare weight, and material weight;

[0098] Step 3: The weight of the container is obtained by electronic scale and transmitted to the system. The system analyzes the weight information, QR code information, and maximum allowable residual material limit, and temporarily stores qualified containers in a designated area and unqualified containers in an unqualified area. Among them, qualified 8L containers are temporarily stored in a pallet of 4, and the contents of the containers in the same pallet are the same in terms of medium and abundance. The AGV is used to transport the pallet to the designated location in the temporary storage area and the coordinates of the pallet are recorded.

[0099] Step 4: After the system issues the cleaning task for the day, the AGV takes out the corresponding pallet at the designated coordinates and delivers it to the RGV docking position;

[0100] Step 5: The RGV forks the pallet containing the qualified container and places it in the air-cooled box for freezing, so that the container is frozen to below -20°C;

[0101] Step 6: The RGV removes the frozen container and sends it to the entrance of the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. Before entering the cleaning cabinet, the container's fullness is confirmed again by scanning the barcode.

[0102] Step 7: Open the waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank of the corresponding abundance group, while keeping the inlet valves of the waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank of other abundance groups closed;

[0103] Step 8: After the cleaning cabinet door is opened, the gantry robot grabs two containers and places them on the double container cleaning rack. The AGV then sends the remaining two containers back into the air-cooled box.

[0104] Step 9: Manually install the male self-sealing valve of the self-sealing valve connecting mechanism, open the inlet and outlet valves of the 8L container, insert the truss grabbing cleaning frame into the rotating mechanism, connect the female self-sealing valve above the cleaning frame, inject 4-6L of production water through one side of the self-sealing valve, and vent the air on the other side. The injection side and venting side pipes leave the self-sealing valve.

[0105] Step 10: The rotating mechanism rotates ±180° or 360° to perform hydrolysis, with a rotation speed of 90-110° / s;

[0106] Step 11: After hydrolysis, keep the 8L container upside down, connect the self-sealing valve at the bottom of the container, inject 0.3MPa compressed air into one side of the grounding pipe, and connect the other side to the drain pipe to discharge the waste liquid into the waste liquid receiving tank of the corresponding group.

[0107] Step 12: Add the prepared 5% sodium carbonate solution and 33.5% hydrogen peroxide to an 8L container, and rotate the container to perform alkaline washing; repeat the alkaline washing process 3-5 times.

[0108] Step 13: Alkaline washing waste liquid is collected into either Group II or Group III waste liquid storage tanks according to its abundance group;

[0109] Step 14: Add water to the container, rotate the container to wash it, and repeat the washing process twice;

[0110] Step 15: The washing waste liquid is collected into either Group II or Group III wastewater storage tanks according to its abundance group;

[0111] Step 16: The gantry robot transports the rotating cleaning frame to the pressure testing joint installation station, disassembles the container valves, and cleans the disassembled valves in the alkaline cleaning tank, acid cleaning tank, and water washing tank in sequence.

[0112] Step 17: Inspect the surface corrosion, scratches, pits, and cleanliness of the inner surface of the cleaned containers and valves. Containers that pass the inspection will undergo a water pressure test, while unqualified containers will be transferred to the manual work station and sent to the maintenance workshop.

[0113] Step 18: Place the disassembled container valves into the cleaning basket. Only one container valve is placed in each cleaning basket. Each cleaning basket is numbered and distinguished. The cleaning baskets are transported to the top of the valve cleaning tank by a small truss. The valves are then subjected to an alkaline wash, acid wash, water wash, distilled water rinse, and drying operation in sequence.

[0114] Step 19: After drying, the valve and cleaning basket are placed in the designated position on the corresponding 8L container tray and sent to the drying oven together;

[0115] Step 20: After the container cleaning and quality inspection are completed, install the self-sealing pressure testing valve connector. The gantry robot will then transfer the valve to the pressure testing station for a hydrostatic test at a pressure of 2.8 MPa. After the hydrostatic test, the container will be drained by compressed air, and the inside of the container will be washed with distilled water. The pressure testing connector will then be manually removed, and the container will be dried with hot compressed air.

[0116] Step 21: After drying, the container is picked up by a robotic arm and placed on an RGV trolley. It is then sent out of the cleaning cabinet. Using an external surface measurement and detection device, the outer surface of the container is inspected at a fixed distance of 10mm from the container wall and in a spiral upward motion to determine whether the outer surface of the container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid. Qualified containers are picked up by the robotic arm and sent to the drying oven for drying. Qualified containers are returned to the manual wiping station in the cleaning cabinet. After the container surface is wiped by a person, the external surface measurement and inspection is carried out again.

[0117] Step 22: The 8L container is placed in an oven and baked for 24 hours at a temperature of 100℃±5℃;

[0118] Step 23: After baking, the containers are transferred to the installation and maintenance room by AGV cart for assembly and vacuum leak testing. After passing the leak test, the containers are transferred to the clean temporary storage area by AGV cart and periodically transferred by assisted balance crane.

[0119] The automated cleaning method for 8L containers provided in this application has the following advantages:

[0120] 1. Transportation Method: From unloading, freezing, cleaning, transportation, drying, assembly, and vacuum leak testing, all processes are carried out on pallets, handling four 8L containers at a time, with the center-to-center distance between containers at the nuclear critical safety distance of 800mm. Pallets are used instead of the safety cages for the 8L containers during transportation. Therefore, the efficiency of container transfer and disassembly is increased by more than four times compared to the original process, reducing repetitive work and eliminating the need to remove the safety cages from the 8L containers.

[0121] 2. The 8L container is filled with cleaning agent, drained, compressed air dried, and pressurized through a self-sealing valve, which allows for multiple automatic liquid filling and draining processes with only one disassembly and reassembly of the self-sealing valve connector.

[0122] 3. Each 8L container has a QR code or barcode associated with its own serial number. The system associates the container number with the following information: container medium, abundance, tare weight, material weight, name of the plant it entered, entry time and verification personnel information, operator information and time for modifying container information, and departure time. Information is recorded chronologically. Access permissions for modifyable information are set for each plant. For example, in the cleaning plant, only the container tare weight and material weight can be modified; in the receiving plant of the previous process, the container medium, abundance, and material weight can be modified. Personnel modifying information are linked to the modified information and modification time via facial recognition. This allows the method provided by this invention to electronically manage information throughout the entire lifecycle of the 8L container, avoiding the previous manual verification work, reducing human error, and ensuring that each information operation is traceable to the responsible person. Controlling the operable information in each plant reduces interference from unrelated information and the possibility of personnel input errors. Facial recognition and information interlocking prevent the possibility of proxy operation and avoid liability disputes.

[0123] 4. Since self-sealing valves are used for hydrolysis, cleaning, pressurization, and drying, the two valves of the container are connected by hoses to install male self-sealing valve heads. Female self-sealing valve heads are installed on the upper and lower sides of the cleaning rack. When the cleaning fluid is input, the 8L container valve faces upwards and connects to the female self-sealing valve heads on the upper two sides, with one end for liquid inlet and the other for venting. When discharging waste fluid, the 8L container is inverted and connects to the self-sealing valve heads on the lower two sides, with one side receiving 0.3MPa compressed air and the other side discharging fluid. This overcomes the problems of inconsistent valve orientation in the 8L container and excessive machining errors in the valve thread interface. Furthermore, the orientation and position of the container's self-sealing valve are fixed, and the female end is connected to the male end through mechanical transmission devices such as lead screws, hydraulics, or cylinders. Multiple cleaning fluid injections and waste fluid discharges are all automated.

[0124] 5. Use air-cooled boxes instead of liquid nitrogen freezing to reduce the risk of frostbite to personnel.

[0125] 6. The portable external surface contamination measuring device is moved in a spiral motion 10mm away from the container wall, which can automatically determine whether the entire outer surface of the 8L container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid during the cleaning process.

[0126] 7. Integrate the valve cleaning for the 8L container into the 8L container cleaning unit cabinet. Arrange the alkaline washing tank, acid washing tank, and water washing tank sequentially. A distilled water pipe and a hot-pressurized empty pipe are installed above the water washing tank. After disassembling, the 8L container valves are placed in cleaning baskets, with only one container's valve in each basket. Each cleaning basket is numbered for identification. The cleaning baskets are transported to the valve cleaning tank via a small truss, where they undergo alkaline washing, acid washing, water washing, distilled water rinsing, and drying in sequence. After drying, the valves and cleaning baskets are placed in their designated positions on the corresponding 8L container trays and sent to the drying oven. The 8L containers are cleaned with their valves attached. After cleaning, the valves must be removed before the hydrostatic test. Since the valves may contain radioactive waste, integrating the valve cleaning tank into the container cleaning cabinet prevents radioactive waste from dripping onto the ground outside the cleaning cabinet, thus preventing the spread of radioactive contamination.

[0127] 8. Before cleaning, scan the barcode again to confirm the container and interlock to open the inlet valve of the waste liquid storage tank corresponding to the enrichment group, while closing the inlet valves of other groups. This allows the method provided by the present invention to collect uranium-containing waste liquid according to different enrichment groups, ensuring that waste liquids of different enrichment groups do not cross-contaminate, thus laying the foundation for product classification in subsequent uranium recovery.

[0128] 9. The 8L container cleaning rack can accommodate two containers at the same time for simultaneous rotating cleaning, thus doubling the cleaning efficiency of 8L containers.

[0129] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automated cleaning method for an 8L container, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Transport the contaminated 8L container by truck to the cleaning plant, unload it, and then send it to the weighing station's electronic scale; Step 2: Scan the QR code on the 8L container to obtain the container medium, abundance, tare weight, and material weight; Step 3: The weight of the container is obtained by electronic scale and transmitted to the system. The system analyzes the weight information, QR code information, and maximum allowable residual material limit, and temporarily stores qualified containers in a designated area and unqualified containers in an unqualified area. Among them, qualified 8L containers are temporarily stored in a pallet of 4, and the contents of the containers in the same pallet are the same in terms of medium and abundance. The AGV is used to transport the pallet to the designated location in the temporary storage area and the coordinates of the pallet are recorded. Step 4: After the system issues the cleaning task for the day, the AGV takes out the corresponding pallet at the designated coordinates and delivers it to the RGV docking position; Step 5: The RGV forks the pallet containing the qualified container and places it in the air-cooled box for freezing, so that the container is frozen to below -20°C; Step 6: The RGV removes the frozen container and sends it to the entrance of the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. Before entering the cleaning cabinet, the container's fullness is confirmed again by scanning the barcode. Step 7: Open the waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank of the corresponding abundance group, while keeping the inlet valves of the waste liquid receiving tank and collection tank of other abundance groups closed; Step 8: After the cleaning cabinet door is opened, the gantry robot grabs two containers and places them on the double container cleaning rack. The RGV then sends the remaining two containers back into the air-cooled box. Step 9: Manually install the male self-sealing valve of the self-sealing valve connecting mechanism, open the inlet and outlet valves of the 8L container, insert the truss grabbing cleaning frame into the rotating mechanism, connect the female self-sealing valve above the cleaning frame, inject 4-6L of production water through one side of the self-sealing valve, and vent the air on the other side. The injection side and venting side pipes leave the self-sealing valve. Step 10: The rotating mechanism rotates ±180° or 360° to perform hydrolysis, with a rotation speed of 90-110° / s; Step 11: After hydrolysis, keep the 8L container upside down, connect the self-sealing valve at the bottom of the container, inject 0.3MPa compressed air into one side of the grounding pipe, and connect the other side to the drain pipe to discharge the waste liquid into the waste liquid receiving tank of the corresponding group. Step 12: Add the prepared 5% sodium carbonate solution and 33.5% hydrogen peroxide to an 8L container, and rotate the container to perform alkaline washing; repeat the alkaline washing process 3-5 times. Step 13: Alkaline washing waste liquid is collected into either Group II or Group III waste liquid storage tanks according to its abundance group; Step 14: Add water to the container, rotate the container to wash it, and repeat the washing process twice; Step 15: The washing waste liquid is collected into either Group II or Group III wastewater storage tanks according to its abundance group; Step 16: The gantry robot transports the rotating cleaning frame to the pressure testing joint installation station, disassembles the container valves, and cleans the disassembled valves in the alkaline cleaning tank, acid cleaning tank, and water washing tank in sequence. Step 17: Inspect the surface corrosion, scratches, pits, and cleanliness of the inner surface of the cleaned containers and valves. Containers that pass the inspection will undergo a water pressure test, while unqualified containers will be transferred to the manual work station and sent to the maintenance workshop. Step 18: Place the disassembled container valves into the cleaning basket. Only one container valve is placed in each cleaning basket. Each cleaning basket is numbered and distinguished. The cleaning baskets are transported to the top of the valve cleaning tank by a small truss. The valves are then subjected to an alkaline wash, acid wash, water wash, distilled water rinse, and drying operation in sequence. Step 19: After drying, the valve and cleaning basket are placed in the designated position on the corresponding 8L container tray and sent to the drying oven together; Step 20: After the container cleaning and quality inspection are completed, install the self-sealing pressure testing valve connector. The gantry robot will then transfer the valve to the pressure testing station for a hydrostatic test at a pressure of 2.8 MPa. After the hydrostatic test, the container will be drained by compressed air, and the inside of the container will be washed with distilled water. The pressure testing connector will then be manually removed, and the container will be dried with hot compressed air. Step 21: After drying, the container is picked up by a robotic arm and placed on an AGV trolley. It is then sent out of the cleaning cabinet. Using an external surface metering and detection device, the outer surface of the container is inspected at a fixed distance of 10mm from the container wall and in a spiral upward motion to determine whether the outer surface of the container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid. Qualified containers are picked up by the robotic arm and sent to the drying oven for drying. Unqualified containers are returned to the manual wiping station in the cleaning cabinet. After the container surface is wiped by a person, the external surface metering and inspection is carried out again. Step 22: The 8L container is placed in an oven and baked for 24 hours at a temperature of 100℃±5℃; Step 23: After baking, the containers are transferred to the installation and maintenance room by AGV cart for assembly and vacuum leak testing. After passing the leak test, the containers are transferred to the clean temporary storage area by AGV cart and periodically transferred by assisted balance crane.

2. An automated cleaning system for an 8L container, used to perform the automated cleaning method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, include: Information Management Module: Used to assign a unique code to each 8L container to record the relevant information carried by the unique code, and to record the real-time data of the container during the cleaning, filling and draining operations, and to uniquely associate the real-time data with the identity information of the personnel performing the operation; The real-time data includes: the time when the container enters each plant, modification records and modification times; the relevant information includes: abundance, medium, tare weight, and material weight; The access control module is used to set the relevant information that can be modified in each factory building; The scanning module is used to scan the QR code on the 8L container to identify the relevant information carried by the unique code; The traceability module is used to trace the responsible parties based on the recorded real-time data and associated operator information. An interlocking control module is used to open the waste liquid receiving tank and the collection tank of the corresponding abundance group according to the abundance of the container, and at the same time close the waste liquid receiving tank and the collection tank of other abundance groups; wherein, the waste liquid receiving tank is used to receive the main waste liquid generated during the cleaning process; the collection tank is used to capture volatile gases or aerosols during the cleaning process; the waste liquid receiving tank includes: Group II waste liquid receiving tank and Group III waste liquid receiving tank.

3. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The weighing module is used to weigh each container and calculate the amount of residual material in the container based on the weight and the tare weight identified by the barcode scanning module. The temporary storage module is used to compare the current residual amount of the container with the residual amount of the previous process recorded by the information management module and the maximum residual amount limit for the corresponding container type set in advance by the system. If the current residual amount is consistent with the residual amount recorded in the previous process and is not greater than the maximum residual amount limit set in advance by the system, the container is defined as a qualified container and temporarily stored in the designated area, while unqualified containers are temporarily stored in the unqualified area.

4. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A fully enclosed cleaning cabinet, used for cleaning containers; The interlocking control module is electrically connected to all groups of waste liquid receiving tanks and collection tanks inside the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet.

5. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is equipped with a dual-container cleaning rack, which can simultaneously accommodate two 8L containers for rotating cleaning.

6. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is equipped with a self-sealing valve connection mechanism. The self-sealing valve connection mechanism adopts a combination design of self-sealing valve and soft connection to realize single disassembly and assembly and multiple operation of container valve. When injecting liquid, the container valve faces upward and connects to the self-sealing valve head on the upper part of the cleaning rack, so that liquid can enter at one end and air can be released at the other end; when discharging waste liquid, the container is inverted and connects to the lower self-sealing valve head, with compressed air connected on one side and liquid discharged on the other.

7. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an external surface measurement and detection device, which measures the outer surface of the container at a fixed distance of 10 mm from the container wall and in a spiral upward manner to determine whether the outer surface of the container is contaminated by radioactive waste liquid.

8. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a pallet transport module for transporting containers placed on pallets between operational processes; the operational processes include: unloading, freezing, cleaning, transporting, drying, assembly, and vacuum leak testing; each pallet can hold four 8L containers.

9. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 5, characterized in that, A distilled water-hot compressed air pipeline is installed inside the fully enclosed cleaning cabinet. The distilled water-hot compressed air pipeline is located above the water washing area and is used for rinsing and drying containers and valves after cleaning.

10. The 8L container automated cleaning system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fully enclosed cleaning cabinet is also equipped with an alkaline cleaning tank, an acid cleaning tank, and a water washing tank, which are used to clean the valves that have been removed from the container.

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