Material boat in-place sensor and high-temperature continuous sintering furnace

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of nuclear fuel element manufacturing, in particular to a material boat in-place sensor and a high-temperature continuous sintering furnace. According to the material boat in-place sensor, a spiral spring and a probe piston are arranged in a shell, one end of a contact probe is located in the shell, and the other end of the contact probe penetrates out of the shell; the probe piston slides in the shell and is in contact with the probe piston when sliding to the end part; a piston rod of the probe piston is sleeved with the spiral spring, the tail cover is screwed on the shell through threads, a through hole is formed in the center of the tail cover, and hole threads are arranged on the inner side of the through hole. The pre-tightening nut is assembled on a hole thread on one side of the tail cover, the depth of the pre-tightening nut is adjusted through the thread, and then the initial elastic force of the spiral spring is adjusted. The contact type sensor is assembled on a hole thread on the other side of the tail cover; after the contact probe is triggered, the contact probe moves towards the probe piston and contacts with the probe piston, the spiral spring is compressed, the probe piston is pushed towards the direction of the contact type sensor, and then the contact type sensor is started to generate a control signal. And the material boat in-place sensor is integrally sealed. The material boat in-place sensor is arranged outside the sintering furnace, the real position of the material boat in the sintering furnace can be directly measured, the problem of false triggering of non-contact detection caused by environment change in the furnace is avoided, online maintenance and setting can be conducted outside, and the reliability of long-period operation of the material boat in-place sensor is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of nuclear fuel element manufacturing, and more particularly to a fuel boat positioning sensor and a high-temperature continuous sintering furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Sintering is a crucial process in the powder metallurgy industry, aiming to sinter green bodies into dense ceramic bodies with a certain strength. Currently, the industry commonly uses high-temperature continuous push-boat sintering furnaces, high-temperature continuous moving-beam sintering furnaces, and high-temperature continuous roller conveyor sintering furnaces. Especially for push-boat and moving-beam furnaces, the sintering temperature can reach 1800℃. The container for loading the sintered product is a material boat, typically made of molybdenum alloy or alumina, also known in the industry as a sintering boat. The material boat is completely isolated from the outside environment during its movement within the furnace; some sintering furnaces even use a reducing H2 atmosphere for sintering, further tightening safety requirements. Therefore, ensuring accurate sensing of the material boat's position within the furnace by the sintering furnace control system is critical.

[0003] Currently, there are two main types of methods for detecting the position of the material boat in various advanced high-temperature continuous kilns around the world.

[0004] The most common method is to indirectly detect the molybdenum boat position, which involves detecting the position of the external actuators and then relaying this information to the furnace. For example, this involves collecting signals from the position sensors of the external hydraulic, chain, and electric cylinder pushers to determine the specific position of the boat within the furnace. This method is low-cost, simple to maintain, and highly standardized, often achieved using sensors integrated into the external drive units. However, its biggest drawback is poor safety. When the external drive units malfunction, the position sensors on the actuators may not be sufficient to provide accurate molybdenum boat position information, potentially leading to serious accidents such as boat misalignment and system jamming, or even furnace jamming.

[0005] Another method is to directly detect the sintering boat, using readily available industrial-grade sensors installed at the corresponding locations. Common examples include non-contact eddy current sensors. However, these sensors have significant drawbacks. They are susceptible to environmental influences, can only detect sintering boats made of metal, and are often categorized as either non-ferrous or ferrous metal types, potentially leading to malfunctions when detecting sintering boats made of molybdenum alloys. Furthermore, when the sensor is installed inside the sintering furnace, it cannot be calibrated online. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a material boat positioning sensor and a high-temperature continuous sintering furnace. By using a contact-type detection method for the material boat, the false triggering problem of non-contact detection caused by changes in the furnace environment is avoided. Moreover, it can be maintained and adjusted online from the outside to ensure its reliability during long-term operation.

[0007] This invention provides a material boat positioning sensor, comprising: a contact probe, a probe piston, a helical spring, a housing, a tail cap, and a contact sensor;

[0008] The housing contains a helical spring and a probe piston.

[0009] One end of the contact probe is located inside the housing, and the other end protrudes from the housing;

[0010] The probe piston slides inside the housing and contacts the probe piston when it reaches the end.

[0011] A helical spring is fitted onto the piston rod of the probe piston.

[0012] The tail cap is screwed onto the outer casing by threads.

[0013] The tail cap has a through hole in the center, and the inside of the through hole has a threaded hole;

[0014] The preload nut is fitted onto the threaded hole on one side of the tail cap. The depth of the preload nut is adjusted by adjusting the thread, thereby adjusting the initial tension of the coil spring.

[0015] The contact sensor is mounted on a threaded hole on the other side of the tail cap;

[0016] When the contact probe is triggered, it moves toward the probe piston and contacts the probe piston, compresses the helical spring, and pushes the probe piston toward the contact sensor, thereby triggering the contact sensor to generate a control signal.

[0017] The material boat positioning sensor is completely sealed.

[0018] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the probe piston is fitted with a first sealing ring to maintain a dynamic seal between the probe piston and the outer shell.

[0019] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, a second sealing ring is provided between the preload nut and the piston rod.

[0020] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the contact sensor is an industrial-grade contact sensor.

[0021] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the preload nut, tail cap, and contact sensor all adopt fine-tooth sealing threads to further improve the overall static sealing performance.

[0022] The present invention also provides a high-temperature continuous sintering furnace. The material boat positioning sensor described in the above technical solution is modularly installed on the furnace shell of the sintering furnace. The material boat positioning sensor extends a contact probe into the furnace chamber through a small hole on the furnace shell to detect the position of the material boat.

[0023] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the material boat positioning sensor is fixed to the mounting base of the furnace shell by fixing bolts, and the mounting base of the furnace shell is welded and sealed to the furnace shell of the sintering furnace.

[0024] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the material boat positioning sensor is set at two locations: the material boat at the feeding end and the material boat at the discharging end.

[0025] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, when the material boat is in position, the contact probe is pressed in, the helical spring is compressed, and thus it is detected by the industrial-grade contact sensor; when the material boat leaves the position, the helical spring pushes the contact probe out and resets it.

[0026] Compared with existing technologies, the material boat positioning sensor of this invention is suitable for detecting the positioning of material boats in various high-temperature continuous kilns, especially for high-temperature kilns with flammable and explosive atmospheres. This invention solves the problems of traditional methods not directly detecting the material boats and being easily affected by environmental factors, allowing for false triggering. The contact sensor can reflect the actual position of the material boat within the furnace. In terms of specific details, this invention enables online adjustment of the sensor, facilitating long-term uninterrupted operation of the sintering furnace. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This diagram shows the structure of the material boat positioning sensor.

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the sintering boat positioning sensor and the sintering boat after the boat is installed on the furnace shell;

[0029] In the picture,

[0030] 1-Contact probe, 2-Probe piston, 3-Piston rod, 4-Helical spring, 5-Housing shell, 6-Tail cap, 7-Contact sensor, 8-Preload nut, 9-First sealing ring, 10-Second sealing ring, 11-Fixing bolt, 12-Furnace shell mounting base, 13-Sintering furnace shell, 14-Material boat. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To further understand the present invention, embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with examples. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are only for further illustrating the features and advantages of the present invention, and not for limiting the present invention.

[0032] An embodiment of the present invention discloses a material boat positioning sensor, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a contact probe 1, a probe piston 2, a helical spring 4, a housing 5, a tail cap 6, and a contact sensor 7;

[0033] A helical spring 4 and a probe piston 2 are installed inside the outer casing 5.

[0034] One end of the contact probe 1 is located inside the housing 5, and the other end protrudes from the housing 5;

[0035] The probe piston 2 slides inside the housing 1, and when it slides to the end, it contacts the probe piston 2.

[0036] The helical spring 4 is fitted onto the piston rod 3 of the probe piston 2.

[0037] The tail cap 6 is screwed onto the outer casing 5 by threads.

[0038] The tail cap 6 has a through hole in the center, and the inside of the through hole has a threaded hole;

[0039] The preload nut 8 is fitted onto the threaded hole on one side of the tail cap. The depth of the preload nut 8 is adjusted by adjusting the thread, thereby adjusting the initial spring force of the helical spring 4. After the initial spring force of the helical spring 4 is adjusted, it can reset the probe piston 2 and the contact probe 1 with a small reset force.

[0040] The contact sensor 7 is mounted on a threaded hole on the other side of the tail cover 6. The contact sensor 7 is fixed to the tail cover 6 with thread sealant. During assembly, the assembly depth is adjusted and set to ensure that the contact probe 1 can be accurately triggered after being pressed in. The position of the contact sensor 7 can be adjusted in the axial direction as needed.

[0041] When the contact probe 1 is triggered, it moves toward the probe piston 2 and contacts the probe piston 2, compressing the helical spring 4 and pushing the probe piston 2 toward the contact sensor 7, thereby triggering the contact sensor 7 to generate a control signal.

[0042] The material boat positioning sensor is fully sealed, specifically including: the probe piston 2 is fitted with a first sealing ring 9, which keeps the probe piston 2 and the outer shell 5 in a dynamic seal. When the probe piston 2 slides inside the outer shell 5, the first sealing ring 9 can ensure the isolation of combustible gases inside the furnace.

[0043] A second sealing ring 10 is provided between the pre-tightening nut 8 and the piston rod 3 to further ensure that combustible gas does not escape.

[0044] The contact sensor 7 is an industrial-grade contact sensor.

[0045] The pre-tightening nut 8, tail cap 6, and contact sensor 7 all adopt fine-tooth sealing threads, which further improves the overall static sealing performance and ensures that the atmosphere inside the furnace will not escape.

[0046] The material boat positioning sensor of the present invention adopts a mechanical contact triggering method. It is triggered by adjusting the contact probe located inside the sintering furnace to contact the sintering boat. Through the transmission of force, the spiral spring 8 is compressed, pushing the probe piston 2 towards the contact sensor 7, thereby triggering the contact sensor 8 to generate a control signal.

[0047] An embodiment of the present invention also discloses a high-temperature continuous sintering furnace. The material boat positioning sensor described above is modularly installed on the furnace shell 13. The material boat positioning sensor extends a contact probe into the furnace chamber through a small hole in the furnace shell to detect the position of the material boat 14. Specifically, as shown... Figure 2 As shown.

[0048] The material boat positioning sensor is fixed to the mounting base on the furnace shell by fixing bolts, and the furnace shell mounting base 12 is welded and sealed to the sintering furnace shell 13.

[0049] The material boat positioning sensors are set at two locations: the material boat at the feeding end and the material boat at the discharging end.

[0050] When the material boat is in position, the contact probe is pressed in, the helical spring is compressed, and thus it is detected by the industrial-grade contact sensor; when the material boat leaves the position, the helical spring pushes the contact probe out and resets it.

[0051] In this invention, the contact sensor 7, preload nut 8, and helical spring 4 can all be adjusted online outside the sintering furnace without affecting its online operation. When the helical spring 4, preload nut 8, contact sensor 7, or some sealing rings are damaged, they can also be replaced online while ensuring the sintering furnace's sealing performance.

[0052] The material boat positioning sensor of this invention can directly detect the actual position of the material boat inside the furnace.

[0053] By using a contact-type detection boat, the problem of false triggering of non-contact detection caused by changes in the furnace environment can be avoided.

[0054] Through a special sealing design, the furnace has good sealing performance and can be used in sintering furnaces with flammable and explosive atmospheres such as H2 atmosphere.

[0055] Through a special external structure, the sensor can be maintained and adjusted online from the outside, ensuring its reliability during long-term operation.

[0056] Modular design to meet the needs of various continuous kilns.

[0057] The above description of the embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0058] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A material boat positioning sensor, characterized in that, include: Contact probe, probe piston, helical spring, housing, tail cap, and contact sensor; The housing contains a helical spring and a probe piston. One end of the contact probe is located inside the housing, and the other end protrudes from the housing; The probe piston slides inside the housing and contacts the probe piston when it reaches the end. A helical spring is fitted onto the piston rod of the probe piston. The tail cap is screwed onto the outer casing by threads. The tail cap has a through hole in the center, and the inside of the through hole has a threaded hole; The preload nut is fitted onto the threaded hole on one side of the tail cap. The depth of the preload nut is adjusted by adjusting the thread, thereby adjusting the initial tension of the coil spring. The contact sensor is mounted on a threaded hole on the other side of the tail cap; When the contact probe is triggered, it moves toward the probe piston and contacts the probe piston, compresses the helical spring, and pushes the probe piston toward the contact sensor, thereby triggering the contact sensor to generate a control signal. The material boat positioning sensor is completely sealed.

2. The material boat positioning sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The probe piston is fitted with a first sealing ring to maintain a dynamic seal between the probe piston and the outer shell.

3. The material boat positioning sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second sealing ring is provided between the preload nut and the piston rod.

4. The material boat positioning sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact sensor is an industrial-grade contact sensor.

5. The material boat positioning sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preload nut, tail cap, and contact sensor all use fine-tooth sealing threads to further improve the overall static sealing performance.

6. A high-temperature continuous sintering furnace, characterized in that, The material boat positioning sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is modularly installed on the furnace shell of the sintering furnace. The material boat positioning sensor extends its contact probe into the furnace chamber through a small hole on the furnace shell to detect the position of the material boat.

7. The high-temperature continuous sintering furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The material boat positioning sensor is fixed to the mounting base on the furnace shell by fixing bolts, and the mounting base on the furnace shell is welded and sealed to the furnace shell of the sintering furnace.

8. The high-temperature continuous sintering furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The material boat positioning sensors are set at two locations: the material boat at the feeding end and the material boat at the discharging end.

9. The high-temperature continuous sintering furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the material boat is in position, the contact probe is pressed in, the helical spring is compressed, and thus it is detected by the industrial-grade contact sensor; when the material boat leaves the position, the helical spring pushes the contact probe out and resets it.

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