Push-and-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transportation container and use method of push-and-pull trolley

By designing an automated unloading push-pull trolley for spent fuel transport containers, using electric cylinder-driven push rods and pull rods, combined with vision, force sensing and programmed control, the problem of high radiation protection risk for operators during the unloading process of spent fuel transport containers was solved, and the entire process was automated and integrated.

CN121839231APending Publication Date: 2026-04-10CHINA INST FOR RADIATION PROTECTION
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-11-20
Publication Date
2026-04-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The existing spent fuel transport container unloading process presents high radiation protection risks for operators, complex operating procedures, low automation, and difficulty in integrating unloading with empty basket reloading.

Method used

Design an automated unloading push-pull trolley for spent fuel transport containers, using electric cylinder-driven push rods and pull rods, combined with vision, force sensing and programmed control to achieve fully automated operation of the suspended platform.

Benefits of technology

It significantly reduces the radiation dose to operators, enables integrated unloading and empty basket reloading, and improves automation and operational accuracy.

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Abstract

The invention relates to a push-and-pull trolley for automatic unloading of a spent fuel transportation container and a using method. The push-and-pull trolley comprises a trolley body and a table top arranged on the trolley body. The table top comprises a table plate, and a support rod, a support rod seat, a push rod, an electric cylinder, a support joint, a push rod adapter, a pull rod adapter and a pull rod which are arranged on the table plate; the two supporting rods are arranged on the two symmetrical sides of the table plate, and the supporting rods are contained in the supporting rod bases; the supporting connector is arranged at the end of the supporting rod and used for being fixed to the bottom of a transportation container. The push rod adapter is connected to the end of the electric cylinder, and a flange floating connector is arranged at the end of the push rod adapter and fixed to one end of the push rod. The pull rod adapter is connected to the end of the electric cylinder, and the pull rod is connected to the pull rod adapter. The electric cylinder drives the push rod, the pull rod and the support rod to move back and forth. According to the device, the two actions of pushing and pulling are achieved at the same time, and the integrated operation of discharging and empty basket reloading is achieved.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of spent fuel transportation equipment operation, in particular to a push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transportation containers and a use method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Spent fuel is nuclear fuel removed from a nuclear reactor and no longer in use, which has extremely strong radioactivity and decay heat. Its transportation, storage and reprocessing process must be carried out under strict shielding and cooling conditions. Large spent fuel transportation containers are internationally recognized as key equipment for safely transferring spent fuel, and usually have special hangers inside to accommodate multiple groups of spent fuel assemblies. When the transportation container arrives at the reprocessing plant or intermediate storage facility, it needs to be transferred to a receiving container or storage well in an operation room called a "hot cell" shielded by thick concrete. This unloading process is a high-risk and high-difficulty link in the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Currently, the common unloading method in the industry mainly relies on manual remote operation of cranes or mechanical arms, and the crane directly hoists method: the operator uses a special grab on the wall-mounted crane through the lead glass window on the wall of the hot cell, extends into the interior of the transportation container, grabs the lifting mechanism at the top of the hanger, then vertically hoists the entire hanger out, and then translates it to above the receiving container and puts it in. This method has significant drawbacks: high radiation protection risk. In the instant when the hanger is lifted out of the transportation container cylinder, the operator needs to face a strong radiation source at close range (although shielded). Although the hot cell provides primary shielding, any operational error resulting in jamming or collision can cause the risk of seal damage or radiation leakage.

[0003] Publication No. CN222799640U relates to the technical field of equipment transfer, and particularly provides a push-pull trolley arranged on the ground or a transfer vehicle, which comprises a trolley frame, a trolley driving structure, a pull trolley block, a push trolley block and a trolley block driving structure. The trolley frame is provided with a plurality of trolley wheels on both sides. The trolley driving structure is connected to the ground or the transfer vehicle at one end and connected to the trolley frame at the other end. The trolley block driving structure is arranged on one side of the trolley frame. The pull trolley block and the push trolley block are rotatably arranged on the other side of the trolley frame. The trolley block driving structure controls the pull trolley block and the push trolley block on the same side to alternately rise and fall.

[0004] The prior art has inherent defects such as high radiation risk for operators, complex and inefficient operation process, low automation level, and difficulty in achieving integration of unloading and empty basket reloading. With the development of the nuclear power industry and the increasing strictness of nuclear safety standards, it has become a technical problem to be solved in the field to develop a special unloading device that can realize full-range remote, automatic and reliable operation and effectively reduce the radiation dose of personnel. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the application provides a push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers and a use method, aiming to partially solve the problems of the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the application provides the following technical scheme: In one aspect, a push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers is provided, comprising a trolley body and a table surface arranged on the trolley body. The table surface comprises a table plate and a support rod, a support rod seat, a push rod, an electric cylinder, a support joint, a push rod adapter, a pull rod adapter and a pull rod arranged on the table plate. The support rod comprises two parts arranged symmetrically on both sides of the table plate, and is accommodated in the support rod seat. The support joint is arranged at the end of the support rod and is used to fix the bottom of the transport container, and the end of the support joint is provided with a threaded column which is fixed to the bottom of the transport container through screw connection. The push rod adapter can be connected to the end of the electric cylinder, and the end of the push rod adapter is provided with a flange floating joint which can be matched and fixed with one end of the push rod. The electric cylinder can drive the push rod, the pull rod and the support rod to move back and forth.

[0007] As a preferred technical scheme, the flange floating joint has a universal rotating function, which is used to prevent the push rod from being stuck during movement and affecting movement.

[0008] As a preferred technical scheme, the push-pull trolley further comprises a push rod seat and a pull rod seat, and the push rod can be accommodated in the push rod seat and the pull rod can be accommodated in the pull rod seat.

[0009] As a preferred technical scheme, the support joint comprises a rectangular ring structure and a connecting block for supporting the same, and the end of the connecting block is provided with a threaded column for fixing the threaded hole of the transport container.

[0010] As a preferred technical scheme, the rectangular ring structure can move back and forth in the hollow part.

[0011] As a preferred technical scheme, a torque sensor is arranged between the push rod adapter and the electric cylinder, and the torque sensor is used to feed back the movement of the push rod or the pull rod to the electric cylinder.

[0012] As a preferred technical scheme, a limiting groove is arranged on the support rod seat for limiting the support rod.

[0013] The push rod bottom is fixedly connected with the flange floating joint through a bolt.

[0014] The initial support rod is installed on the bottom of the transport container, and the support block is installed on the initial support rod.

[0015] In addition, the application further provides an automatic unloading and pulling method for a spent fuel transport container. During the automatic unloading, the initial support rod and the support block are installed on the bottom of the transport container. One end of the push rod is installed on the flange floating joint, the height of the platform is adjusted, and the push rod is aligned with the center of the basket plane. According to the distance between the trolley and the transport container, the support rod is clamped in the limiting groove, the support rod joint is threadedly connected with the bottom of the transport container, and the trolley and the transport container are relatively fixed. The electric cylinder drives the push rod to move forward, when the basket is pushed to the position, the torque of the torque sensor starts to increase, and the electric cylinder is automatically fed back to stop moving. During the automatic pulling, the pull rod and the pull rod adapter are replaced and connected to the electric cylinder. The electric cylinder drives the pull rod to move forward to the position of the bottom of the basket, the front end of the pull rod is matched with the interface of the basket, and the torque sensor is fed back to the electric cylinder to drive the pull rod to move forward until the position of the basket is reset.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme has the following beneficial effects: the technical scheme solves the core safety problem in the horizontal unloading of the spent fuel container. (1) Intrinsically safe, greatly reducing the radiation dose: the operator does not need to perform hoisting operation directly above the unloading port, and the whole process is automatically completed remotely below the container, greatly reducing the radiation dose received by the operator; (2) Automation and high precision: through integration of vision, force sensing and programmed control, the whole process automation of alignment, pushing and pulling back is realized, the action is accurate and reliable, and human operation errors are avoided; (3) Function integration, one machine with multiple functions: one device simultaneously solves the two key actions of "pushing" and "pulling", realizes integrated operation of unloading and empty basket reloading, and simplifies the device configuration in the hot cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a push-pull trolley structure for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers is proposed in the present application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a table structure is proposed in the present application; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure of A is proposed in the present application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the push-pull trolley and the transport container during unloading is proposed in the present application; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the push rod adapter is proposed in the present application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the pull rod adapter is proposed in the present application; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the initial support rod and the support block and the transport container bottom adaptive connection is proposed in the present application; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the method flow of automatic unloading is proposed in the present application; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the method flow of automatic unloading is proposed in the present application.

[0018] Marked for explanation: trolley body 1; table 2; table plate 3; support rod 4; support rod seat 5; push rod 6; electric cylinder 8; push rod seat 7; support joint 9; rectangular ring knot 91; connecting block 92; opening part 921; hollow part 922; threaded column 93; push rod adapter 11; torque sensor 10; pull rod adapter 12; pull rod 13; pull rod seat 14; flange floating joint 15; initial support rod 17; support block 16; groove 18; limit groove 19; transport container 20; hanging basket 21. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0020] Please refer to Figures 1-7 , a push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers, comprising a trolley body 1 and a table 2 arranged on the trolley body; The table 2 comprises a table plate 3 and support rods 4, support rod seats 5, push rods 6, electric cylinders 8, support joints 9, push rod adapters 11, pull rod adapters 12 and pull rods 13 arranged on the table plate 3; The support rod 4 includes two, which are arranged on the two sides of the platform 3 symmetrically, and the support rod 4 is accommodated in the support rod seat 5. The support joint 9 is arranged at the end of the support rod 4, which is used for fixing the bottom of the transport container, and the end of the support joint 9 is provided with a threaded column, which is fixed with the bottom of the transport container through threaded connection. The push rod adapter 11 can be connected to the end of the electric cylinder 8, and the end of the push rod adapter 11 is provided with a flange floating joint 15, which can be matched and fixed with one end of the push rod 6; the pull rod adapter 12 can be connected to the end of the electric cylinder 8, and the pull rod 13 is connected to the pull rod adapter 12. The electric cylinder 8 can drive the push rod 6, the pull rod 13 and the support rod 4 to move forward and backward.

[0021] Preferably, the flange floating joint 15 has a universal rotation function, which is used for preventing the push rod 6 from being stuck during the movement and affecting the movement.

[0022] Preferably, the push rod seat 7 and the pull rod seat 14 are further included, the push rod 6 can be accommodated in the push rod seat 7, and the pull rod 13 can be accommodated in the pull rod seat 14.

[0023] Preferably, the support joint includes a rectangular ring structure and a connecting block for supporting the same, the end of the connecting block is provided with a threaded column, which is used for fixing the threaded hole of the transport container; the connecting block is arranged as a rectangular structure with an opening part and a hollow part, the opening part is communicated with the hollow part, and the rectangular ring structure enters from the opening part and is clamped with the connecting block.

[0024] Preferably, the rectangular ring structure can move forward and backward in the hollow part. When connected, the connecting block is first connected to the bottom of the transport container through threaded connection, and then the rectangular ring structure is clamped in the connecting block for fixing.

[0025] Preferably, the torque sensor 10 is arranged between the push rod adapter 11 and the electric cylinder 8, which is used for feeding back the movement of the push rod 6 or the pull rod 13 to the electric cylinder 8.

[0026] Preferably, the limit groove 19 is arranged on the support rod seat 5, which is used for limiting the support rod 4.

[0027] Preferably, the bottom of the push rod 6 is fixedly connected with the flange floating joint 15 through a bolt. The head of the push rod 6 is designed as a circular structure, which is used for pushing the basket 21 out when the basket 21 is pushed out.

[0028] Preferably, the initial support rod 17 is installed on the bottom of the transport container, and the support block 16 is installed on the initial support rod 17 and the bottom of the transport container; the support block 16 is provided with a groove 18 structure, when the push rod 6 or the pull rod 13 gradually approaches the basket during unloading or pulling, at this time, continue to travel, the push rod 6 or the pull rod 13 is accommodated in the groove 18, so that the initial support rod 17 and the support block 16 can support the push rod 6 or the pull rod 13, preventing the push rod 6 or the pull rod 13 from cantilevering during unloading or pulling, and improving. The initial support rod 17 and the support block 16 can be integrally formed, so that the initial support rod 17 and the bottom of the transport container can be fixed only once.

[0029] Preferably, the table top 2 is designed as a lifting structure, which will not be described here. Those skilled in the art can think of many designs in this regard. The lifting structure is designed to facilitate adjustment of the height of the table plate 3, thereby meeting the needs of pulling and unloading of transport containers of different heights.

[0030] The working principle of the push-pull trolley is as follows: (1) First, the structure of the basket and the transport container is briefly described. The transport container is a hollow cylindrical body, and the basket passes through the hollow structure. The tail end of the basket is larger in diameter than the diameter of the hollow structure of the transport container. In this way, when the basket 21 passes through the hollow structure until the tail end abuts against the head end surface of the transport container, the loading is completed. At this time, the basket is placed in the hollow structure, and from the outside, it is an integral structure with the transport container.

[0031] (2) Next, the structure of the trolley is briefly described. When not in use, the push rod 6 is placed on the push rod seat 7, and the pull rod 13 is placed in the pull rod seat 14.

[0032] (3) Finally, the pulling and unloading here actually refers to the process of separating the basket from the container (unloading) and integrating them (pulling).

[0033] When automatically unloading, the trolley is pushed to the opposite side of the container, at which time the container is placed on the platform. The initial support rod 17 and the support block 16 are installed on the bottom of the transport container. The installation position of the initial support rod 17 is parallel to the table plate 3, and is installed on the bottom of the transport container below the diameter line parallel to the table plate 3. The support block 16 is installed on the initial support rod 17, and after installation, the groove 18 slot point position of the support block 16 is close to or almost overlaps with the center of the bottom of the transport container 20.

[0034] At this time, the push rod 6 is removed from the flange floating joint 15, the height of the table plate is adjusted, the push rod 6 is aligned with the center of the basket plane, the support rod 4 is clamped in the limiting groove 19 according to the distance between the trolley and the transport container, the support rod joint 9 is installed to form clamping with the connecting block at the bottom of the transport container 20, at this time, the push-pull trolley and the transport container 20 are relatively fixed. At this time, the electric cylinder 8 can be started to unload and pull the material.

[0035] As shown in Figures 8-9 , a method for automatically unloading and pulling the spent fuel transport container is proposed, and the push-pull trolley is used for automatic unloading and pulling: During the automatic unloading process, the following steps are included: Step 101, the screw joint at the bottom of the initial support rod 17 is connected to the threaded hole at the bottom of the transport container, and the support block 16 is fixedly installed on the initial support rod 17 using bolts.

[0036] Step 102, one end of the push rod 6 is installed to the flange floating joint 15, the height of the table plate 3 is adjusted, the push rod 6 is aligned with the center of the basket plane; the flange floating joint 15 is installed to the push rod adapter 11, the push rod adapter 11 is connected to the electric cylinder 8; the torque sensor 10 is installed between the push rod adapter 11 and the electric cylinder 8.

[0037] Step 103, according to the distance between the trolley and the transport container 20, the support rod 4 is clamped in the limiting groove 19, and the support rod joint 9 is installed to be threadedly connected with the bottom of the transport container 20, so that the trolley and the transport container 20 are relatively fixed.

[0038] Step 104, the electric cylinder 8 pushes the push rod 6 to move, when the basket 21 is pushed to the position, the torque of the torque sensor 10 starts to increase at this time, and the electric cylinder 8 is automatically fed back to stop moving; when the unloading is completed, the electric cylinder 8 drives the push rod 6 to reversely recover to the initial position.

[0039] During the automatic pulling process, the following steps are included: Step 201, replace the pull rod 13, and connect the pull rod adapter 12 to the electric cylinder 8; Step 202, the electric cylinder 8 drives the pull rod 13 to advance to the bottom position of the basket 21, the front end of the pull rod 13 matches the interface of the basket, the torque sensor 10 feeds back to the electric cylinder 8 to drive the pull rod 13 to advance until the basket position resets. Here the front end of the pull rod 13 matches the interface of the basket 21 specifically: the pull rod 13 advances to the head position of the basket 21, the basket 21 has a hole in the middle, the hole can be set as a rectangular hole with a length of 5cm and a width of 4cm, the front end of the pull rod 13 is provided with a rectangular block, the rectangular block can be 4cm long and 3cm wide, after the rectangular block at the front end of the pull rod 13 passes through the hole provided in the middle of the basket 21, the program controls the pull rod to rotate 90 degrees to form a "cross" shape with the rectangular hole in the middle of the basket, and then the electric cylinder 8 drives the pull rod 13 to move to drive the basket to advance until it resets.

[0040] Although embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, substitutions, replacements and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, the scope of the present application being defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers, characterized in that, It includes a trolley body (1) and a platform (2) disposed on the trolley body; The tabletop (2) includes a table plate (3) and a support rod (4), a support rod seat (5), a push rod (6), an electric cylinder (8), a support joint (9), a push rod adapter (11), a pull rod adapter (12), and a pull rod (13) disposed on the table plate (3). Among them, the support rod (4) includes two rods, which are arranged on both sides of the platform (3) symmetrically, and the support rod (4) is housed in the support rod seat (5); The support joint (9) is located at the end of the support rod (4) and is used to fix it to the bottom of the transport container. The end of the support rod joint is provided with a threaded post and is fixed to the bottom of the transport container by thread. The push rod adapter (11) can be connected to the end of the electric cylinder (8), and the end of the push rod adapter (11) is provided with a flange floating joint (15), which can be matched and fixed with one end of the push rod (6); the pull rod adapter (12) can be connected to the end of the electric cylinder (8), and the pull rod (13) is connected to the pull rod adapter (12). The electric cylinder (8) can drive the push rod (6), the pull rod (13) and the support rod (4) to move back and forth.

2. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flange floating joint (15) has a universal rotation function to prevent the push rod (6) from getting stuck during its movement, thus affecting its movement.

3. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a push rod seat (7) and a pull rod seat (14), wherein the push rod (6) can be accommodated in the push rod seat (7) and the pull rod (13) can be accommodated in the pull rod seat (14).

4. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support joint (9) includes a rectangular ring structure and a connecting block for supporting it. The end of the connecting block is provided with a threaded post for fixing to the threaded hole of the transport container. The connecting block is configured as a rectangular structure with an opening and a hollow part. The opening is connected to the hollow part. The rectangular ring structure enters from the opening and engages with the connecting block.

5. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rectangular ring structure is able to move back and forth within the hollow portion.

6. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, A torque sensor (10) is provided between the push rod adapter (11) and the electric cylinder (8). The torque sensor (10) is used to feed back the movement of the push rod (6) or the pull rod (13) to the electric cylinder (8).

7. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support rod seat (5) is provided with a limiting groove (19) for limiting the support rod (4).

8. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the push rod (6) is fixedly connected to the flange floating joint (15) by bolts.

9. The push-pull trolley for automatic unloading of spent fuel transport containers according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an initial support rod (17) and a support block (16). The initial support rod (17) is installed at the bottom of the transport container, and the support block (16) is installed on the initial support rod (17). The support block (16) is provided with a groove structure. The initial support rod (17) and the support block (16) are used to support the push rod (6) or the pull rod (13) to prevent the push rod (6) or the pull rod (13) from exhibiting a cantilever beam phenomenon during unloading or pulling.

10. A method for automatically unloading and pulling spent fuel transport containers, characterized in that, The automatic unloading and pulling of materials using the push-pull trolley as described in any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: During the automatic unloading process, the initial support rod (17) and the support block (16) are installed to the bottom of the transport container; One end of the push rod (6) is installed to the flange floating joint (15), and the height of the platform (3) is adjusted so that the push rod (6) is aligned with the center of the suspended platform plane; the flange floating joint (15) is installed to the push rod adapter (11), and the push rod adapter (11) is connected to the electric cylinder (8); the torque sensor (10) is installed between the push rod adapter (11) and the electric cylinder (8); According to the distance between the trolley and the transport container, the support rod (4) is inserted into the limiting groove (19), and the support rod connector (9) is threadedly connected to the bottom of the transport container to form a relatively fixed trolley and transport container; The electric cylinder (8) pushes the push rod (6) forward. When the basket is pushed into place, the torque sensor (10) starts to increase the torque and automatically feeds back to the electric cylinder (8) to stop moving. After unloading is completed, the electric cylinder (8) drives the push rod (6) to return to the initial position in the opposite direction. During automatic material feeding, replace the pull rod (13) and the pull rod adapter (12) to connect it to the electric cylinder (8); The electric cylinder (8) drives the pull rod (13) forward to the bottom position of the basket. The front end of the pull rod (13) matches the interface of the basket. The torque sensor (10) provides feedback to the electric cylinder (8) to drive the pull rod (13) forward until the basket position is reset.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Push-pull trolley

    CN222799640U