Underwater deposit collection system

Abstract

To provide an underwater deposit collection system and an underwater deposit collection method allowing a hose not to prevent movement of a robot, and capable of reducing load when the robot moves as drawing the hose.SOLUTION: An underwater deposit collection system (collection system 100a) according to the present invention for collecting and accumulating deposit on a water immersed floor, is provided with: a robot 100 for sucking the deposit through traveling the water immersed floor; a collection hole 52 formed in a floor above the water immersed floor; and a double hose 200 of which an inner tube 210 is a core reinforced hose and an outer hose 220 is a robber hose. In the double hose 200, one end 202 is connected to the robot 100 and passed through the collection hole 52, and the other end 204 is placed at an accumulating place of the deposit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater sediment collection system for collecting and accumulating sediment from flooded floors. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to prevent water pollution and to remove harmful substances that have settled in the water, sediments that have settled in the water have been collected. As a means for collecting sediments, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sludge collection device and method. The sludge collection device of Patent Document 1 includes a dredging device that is movable underwater and capable of sucking and collecting sludge from the bottom of the water, a treatment device that is movable underwater and stores the collected material in a collected material receiving tank after removing water from the sludge collected by the dredging device, and an equipment vehicle that supplies electricity, compressed air, and the like to the treatment device.

[0003] Incidentally, for example, in a nuclear power plant building, sandbags containing an adsorbent (e.g., zeolite) that adsorbs radioactive materials are sometimes placed in water to reduce the amount of radiation in the water. When recovering the contents of these sandbags, if the contents remain in the sandbags, the sludge recovery device of Patent Document 1 cannot recover the sediment.

[0004] The inventors then developed an underwater sediment recovery robot that "includes a robot body capable of moving underwater, a container attached to the robot body, a built-in pump mounted on the robot body and which sucks up sediment through the container, and a tipped saw that is pivoted vertically on the front of the lower part of the robot body and can rotate freely" (Patent Document 2).

[0005] According to the underwater sediment recovery robot of Patent Document 2, the robot body rotates left and right while pressing a tipped saw against the sandbags to break them, and the contents that spill out of the sandbags can be sucked up and recovered by the built-in pump of the robot body. Therefore, even if the contents are contained in the sandbags, the contents can be efficiently recovered, and sediment recovery work can be performed quickly. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-125754 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2022-147083 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The inventors have studied a method for recovering sediment stored in a container of the underwater sediment recovery robot (hereinafter referred to as the robot) of Patent Document 2. In detail, they have studied the following operation method: "The robot with the sediment stored in the container is moved to a collection site, and the container is removed from the robot. The sediment inside the container is then released to the collection site. After that, the robot is connected to a suction device installed at the collection site, and the zeolite inside the container is sucked up by the suction device."

[0008] Furthermore, the inventors considered an operation method in which the sediment collected by the robot is directly transported to a collection site without storing it in a container, so that various collection methods can be applied according to the local conditions. In this case, the discharge outlet of the hose connected to the robot is placed at the collection site to transport the sediment. However, because the sediment is scattered over a wide area of ​​the floor, the length of the hose can be up to 50m or more. This means that the robot has to move while pulling the hose, which increases the load on the robot as it moves.

[0009] In addition, the hose must be pressure-resistant to withstand the suction pressure when sucking up sediment and the discharge pressure when transporting the sediment. For this reason, we considered using a core-reinforced hose, which has high pressure resistance. However, because the core-reinforced hose has an uneven outer surface, if there is a wall on the floor on which the robot travels, the hose may get caught on the unevenness of the core-reinforced hose. This would cause the hose to interfere with the movement of the robot.

[0010] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide an underwater sediment recovery system and an underwater sediment recovery method in which the hose does not interfere with the movement of the robot and which can reduce the load placed on the robot when it moves while pulling the hose. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the underwater sediment recovery system of the present invention is an underwater sediment recovery system that recovers and accumulates sediment from a flooded floor, comprising a robot that travels across the flooded floor to suck up the sediment, a recovery hole formed in the floor above the flooded floor, and a double hose having an inner tube which is a core-reinforced hose and an outer tube which is a rubber hose, one end of the double hose being connected to the robot and passed through the recovery hole and the other end being positioned at a sediment accumulation location.

[0012] The double hose may preferably have a seal between the inner tube and the outer tube at one end and the other end to enclose air therein.

[0013] The underwater sediment recovery system may include a pump connected to the double hose, and air may be supplied from the pump between the inner tube and the outer tube of the double hose. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an underwater sediment recovery system and an underwater sediment recovery method in which the hose does not hinder the movement of the robot and which can reduce the load placed on the robot when it moves while pulling the hose. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant building. [Diagram 2] 1 is an overall perspective view of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating how the recovery robot of the present embodiment travels underwater. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an underwater sediment recovery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a double hose. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a double hose. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an underwater sediment recovery system according to a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiment are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0017] (Nuclear Power Plant Building 10) 1 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant building 10. In this embodiment, the nuclear power plant building 10 is exemplified as a facility for collecting sediments, but the present invention is not limited to this. The sediment collection robot according to the present embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as robot 100) can be suitably used in other facilities as long as sediments are accumulated in water.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a nuclear power plant building 10 is a building with multiple floors above ground and multiple floors underground (FIG. 1 illustrates a building with two floors above ground and two floors underground). The 1st floor is the entrance to the ground, and stagnant water is stored on the most underground floor, B2F. To adsorb radioactive materials from the stagnant water, sandbags 12 filled with adsorbent material (e.g., zeolite) are installed on B2F. The robot 100 of this embodiment collects the adsorbent material that has settled in the water as sediment.

[0019] A robot 100 is placed on the B2F of the nuclear power plant building 10. The robot 100 is carried into the B2F by an overhead crane 14 installed on the ceiling of the 1F. When the robot 100 arrives at the B2F, it detaches from the hook 16 and moves underwater on its own. A float cable 18 is connected to the robot 100, and power is supplied from a power supply panel 20, and image data from a camera and signals from various sensors are transmitted to a remote control device 22.

[0020] The overhead crane 14 shown in Fig. 1 carries the robot 100 into and out of the water. In particular, in this embodiment, the robot 100 is carried from the 1st floor to the B2nd floor while suspended from the overhead crane 14. The robot 100 collects sediment while traveling underwater. After the recovery operation, the float cable 18 of the robot 100 is wound by the winding device 24, and the robot 100 is washed by the shower 26, and then the robot 100 is pulled up by the hook of the crane 14 and carried out.

[0021] (Robot 100) 2 is an overall perspective view of the robot 100 of this embodiment. For ease of understanding, the robot 100 used in the underwater sediment recovery system according to this embodiment will be described first.

[0022] 2 travels on a flooded floor (B2F is exemplified in this embodiment) and sucks up sediment that has settled on the floor. The robot 100 includes a robot body 110 capable of traveling underwater, a float 140, a sediment suction mechanism 150, a contact mechanism 160, a screw 190, and a robot control unit 102.

[0023] 2, the robot 100 includes a frame 120 and crawlers 130. The frame 120 is made up of an upper frame 122 that constitutes the upper part, and a lower frame 124 that constitutes the lower part. The upper frame 122 is provided with a float 140, and the robot main body 110 is formed on the lower frame 124.

[0024] The robot body 110 has a sediment suction mechanism 150 mounted on the lower frame 124. The sediment suction mechanism 150 includes a suction port 152, a suction pump 154, and a joint device 156, and collects sediments from the bottom of the water.

[0025] Suction port 152 is, for example, a suction nozzle, and is disposed between crawlers 130 below robot body 110. Suction pump 154 ​​is connected to suction port 152 via a connecting hose 154a. As a result, when suction pump 154 ​​is driven, sediment on the bottom of the water is sucked into suction port 152 and collected.

[0026] If it is desired to remove the contents of the sediment from the sandbags 12 when the contents of the sediment are contained in the sandbags 12, the sandbags 12 may be trampled by the crawlers 130, the sandbags 12 may be torn apart, and the contents may then be collected from the suction port 152. Alternatively, a cutting member such as a tipped saw may be attached to the front of the lower part of the robot body 110. In this case, the sandbags 12 may be torn apart using the tipped saw, and the contents may be collected from the suction port 152.

[0027] 2, a float 140 is disposed inside the upper frame 122. The float 140 is a hollow housing with air sealed inside. This allows the float 140 to act as a source of buoyancy, making it possible to float the robot 100 in water.

[0028] Electrical components (not shown), such as a circuit board and an imaging device, can be housed inside the float 140. In this embodiment, a robot control unit 102 that is connected to a remote control device 22 (see FIG. 1) and controls the operation of the robot 100 is housed inside the float 140. This makes it possible to effectively prevent breakdowns in the electrical components due to flooding.

[0029] In addition, the upper frame 122 is provided with a joint device 156, which connects a double hose 200 (see FIG. 1) supported by a hose reel 30 (described later) to the suction pump 154. In this embodiment, the joint device 156 is disposed inside the upper frame 122, and connected to the suction pump 154 ​​by a connecting hose 158. As a result, even if the upper frame 122 moves toward or away from the lower frame 124 (raising or lowering), the connection between the suction pump 154 ​​and the joint device 156 is maintained.

[0030] The robot body 110 and the float 140 described above are connected to each other so as to be able to be attached or detached by a detachment mechanism 160. As shown in Fig. 2, the robot 100 of this embodiment has a screw 190 that propels the robot body 110 in water. For example, a screw integrated with a motor can be suitably used as the screw 190. Fig. 2 shows an example of a configuration in which two screws 190 are arranged on the sides and two screws 190 (one is not visible) are arranged on the rear, but this is not limiting, and the number of screws 190 may be changed as necessary.

[0031] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the robot 100 of this embodiment running underwater. In Fig. 3, the depth of the accumulated water (from the water surface 40a to the water bottom 40b) is assumed to be about 1.5 m. In the robot 100 of this embodiment, during normal running, the attachment / detachment mechanism 160 is extended to separate the float 140 from the robot body 110 as shown in Fig. 3(a). This allows the robot 100 to run on the water bottom 40b by the crawlers 130.

[0032] When the presence of an obstacle 12a ahead is detected, the robot control unit 102 contracts the attachment / detachment mechanism 160. Then, the float 140 approaches the robot main body 110 and the floating body becomes submerged, and the entire robot 100 floats up due to the buoyancy of the float 140.

[0033] Then, with the float 140 in close proximity, the robot body 110 is propelled through the water by the screw 190, thereby climbing over the obstacle 12a as shown in Fig. 3(c) As described above, the robot 100 of this embodiment can climb over the obstacle 12a in the water by utilizing the buoyancy of the float 140, and therefore can efficiently perform the task of recovering sediments in the water.

[0034] In addition, as in the robot 100 of this embodiment, buoyancy acts on the float 140, so that even if the robot 100 tilts in position, it will not fall over and can return to the correct position. Therefore, the position of the robot 100 can be maintained in a stable state.

[0035] (Underwater Sediment Collection System) Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an underwater sediment recovery system (hereinafter, referred to as recovery system 100a) according to this embodiment. The recovery system 100a of this embodiment shown in Fig. 4 recovers sediment from a flooded floor (B2F) and accumulates it in an accumulation location P. The recovery system 100a of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned robot 100, recovery hole 52, and double hose 200. Note that the robot 100 has been described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] A recovery hole 52 is formed in a floor 50 on the floor (B1F) above the flooded floor (B2F), and a double hose 200 is inserted into the recovery hole 52. A hose reel 30 is disposed near the multiple recovery holes 52, and the double hose 200 is supported by the hose reel 30.

[0037] One end 202 of the double hose 200 is connected to the joint device 156 of the robot 100, and the other end 204 is disposed at the accumulation location P. As a result, the robot 100 travels across the floor and sucks up the sediment, which is then accumulated at the accumulation location P through the double hose 200.

[0038] 7 is a diagram illustrating an underwater sediment recovery system of a comparative example (hereinafter, referred to as recovery system 80). Note that common elements between the recovery system 100a of this embodiment and the recovery system 80 of the comparative example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] 7, in the collection system 80 of the comparative example, a collection hole 52 and a transfer hole 60 are formed in the floor 50, and a transfer hose 32 supported by a hose reel 30 is inserted through them. The transfer hose 32 is a single-layer hose made of a core material reinforced hose, one end of which is directly connected to the joint device 156 of the robot (see FIG. 1) and the other end of which is disposed at the accumulation location P.

[0040] In a recovery system 80 of a comparative example shown in Fig. 7, a robot 100 travels over the entire flooded floor to recover sediment, and at the same time, transfers the sediment to a collection location P through a transfer hose 32. The transfer hose 32 needs to reach the entire flooded floor. For this reason, the length of the transfer hose 32 can be up to 50 m or more, depending on the size of the floor. This results in a large load on the robot 100 when it moves while pulling the transfer hose 32.

[0041] In addition, a high-pressure-resistant core-reinforced hose capable of withstanding the suction pressure when sucking up sediment and the discharge pressure when transporting sediment is used for the transfer hose 32. However, since the core-reinforced hose has an uneven outer surface, if there are walls, shelves, electrical equipment, or other facilities on the floor on which the robot 100 travels, the unevenness of the core-reinforced hose may get caught. This may cause the transfer hose 32 to impede the movement of the robot 100.

[0042] Therefore, in the recovery system 100a of this embodiment, the sediment is sucked and transferred using a double hose 200 in which the inner tube 210 is a core-reinforced hose and the outer tube 220 is a rubber hose. One end of the double hose 200 is connected to the robot 100 and passed through the recovery hole 52, and the other end is placed at the sediment accumulation site S (see FIG. 4).

[0043] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a double hose 200. Fig. 5(a) is an external perspective view of the double hose 200. Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5(a). Fig. 5(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of another example of the double hose 200. For ease of explanation, Fig. 5(a) shows a part of the inner pipe 210 exposed.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the double hose 200 includes an inner tube 210 made of a core-reinforced hose (sometimes called a suction hose or a delivery hose) and an outer tube 220 made of a rubber hose.

[0045] The inner pipe 210 (core-reinforced hose) has a hose body 212 made of resin such as polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane, rubber, or a composite thereof, which is spirally reinforced with a reinforcing core 214, and has higher pressure resistance than a single-layer hose. The surface of the inner pipe 210 has spiral irregularities according to the shape of the core 214. The outer pipe 220 (rubber hose) is a flat-type hose and has a flat surface.

[0046] In this embodiment, the double hose 200 has a gap 206 between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220 sealed at one end 202 and the other end 204 to seal air in. Specifically, a detachable joint 230 that connects to the joint device 156 of the robot 100 is attached to one end 202 (see FIG. 4) of the double hose 200 as shown in FIG. 5(a).

[0047] At the other end 204 of the double hose 200, as shown in Fig. 5(b), an O-ring 240 is adhered with adhesive 242 to the gap 206 between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220. This seals the one end 202 and the other end 204 of the double hose 200, and air is sealed in the gap 206 between them.

[0048] It should be noted that O-ring 240 is adhered only to inner tube 210 with adhesive 242. In other words, 240 is not adhered to both inner tube 210 and outer tube 220. This allows inner tube 210 and outer tube 220 to shift relative to each other when double hose 200 deforms, making it possible to suitably prevent damage to inner tube 210 and outer tube 220 caused by pulling when double hose 200 deforms.

[0049] According to the above configuration, buoyancy is imparted to the double hose 200 by the air sealed between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the double hose 200 floats on the water surface 40a between the hose reel 30 and one end 202. This makes it possible to suitably reduce the load (weight) of the hose applied to the robot 100. In addition, because the double hose 200 floats on the water surface 40a, the double hose 200 does not impede the movement of the robot 100, and the robot 100 can suitably move across the floor.

[0050] Furthermore, the outer surface is made flat by inserting the inner pipe 210 (core-reinforced hose) into the outer pipe 220 (rubber hose). This prevents the double hose 200 from getting caught on the wall even if there are walls, shelves, electrical equipment, or other facilities on the floor, allowing the robot 100 to efficiently collect sediments on the floor.

[0051] As another method for sealing the end 204 of the double hose 200, a filler 244 (sealing material) may be filled between adjacent cores 214 to seal the gap between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220 as shown in Fig. 5(c). This configuration also allows air to be sealed between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220, so that it is possible to obtain the same effect as the double hose 200 shown in Fig. 5(b). When using the filler 244 in this way, it is preferable to first pile the filler 244 between adjacent cores 214 on the outer surface of the inner tube 210, and then insert the inner tube 210 into the outer tube 220 after the filler 244 has hardened.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a double hose. As another configuration, as shown in FIG. 6, a joint 250 may be provided at a midpoint of the double hose 200a, and the double hose 200a may be connected to a pump 260 via the joint 250. With this configuration, air is supplied between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220 of the double hose 200a by the pump 260. This allows buoyancy to be stably imparted to the double hose 200a, so that the above-mentioned effects can be reliably obtained. In FIG. 6 as well, the end of the double hose 200a is sealed by the method shown in FIG. 5(b) or FIG. 5(c).

[0053] 5(b) and 5(c), when sealing the gap between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220 at the end of the double hose, a filler may be simply sealed between the two to fix the ends to each other, without constructing the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220 in a manner that allows them to shift relative to each other. In that case, any shift between the inner tube 210 and the outer tube 220 that occurs when the double hose is bent is absorbed by the inner tube 210 bending inside the outer tube 220.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the sediment collected by the robot 100 is transferred to the accumulation site P has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an accumulation container or the like may be prepared inside or outside the nuclear power plant building 10, and the sediment may be transferred thereto.

[0055] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] The present invention can be utilized as an underwater sediment collection system for collecting and accumulating sediment from flooded floors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10...nuclear power plant building, 12...sandbag, 12a...obstacle, 14...ceiling crane, 16...hook, 18...float cable, 20...power panel, 22...remote control device, 24...winding device, 26...shower, 30...hose reel, 32...transfer hose, 40a...water surface, 40b...water bottom, 50...floor, 52...recovery hole, 60...transfer hole, 80...recovery system, 100...robot, 100a...recovery system, 102...robot control unit, 110...robot body, 120...frame, 122...upper frame, 124...lower frame, 130...crawler, 140... Float, 150... sediment suction mechanism, 152... suction port, 154... suction pump, 154a... connecting hose, 156... joint device, 158... connecting hose, 160... connection / disconnection mechanism, 190... screw, 200... double hose, 200a... double hose, 200b... double hose, 202... one end, 204... other end, 206... gap, 210... inner tube, 212... hose body, 214... core material, 220... outer tube, 230... detachable joint, 240... O-ring, 242... adhesive, 244... filler, 250... joint, 260... pump, P... accumulation location, S... accumulation location

Claims

1. 1. An underwater sediment collection system for collecting and accumulating sediment from a flooded floor, comprising: a robot that travels on the flooded floor and sucks up the sediment; A recovery hole formed in a floor above the flooded floor; A double hose with an inner tube made of a core-reinforced hose and an outer tube made of rubber; Equipped with An underwater sediment recovery system, characterized in that one end of the double hose is connected to the robot and passed through the recovery hole, and the other end is positioned at a sediment accumulation location.

2. 2. The underwater sediment recovery system according to claim 1, wherein the double hose has a seal between the inner tube and the outer tube at one end and the other end to seal air therein.

3. a pump connected to the double hose; 2. The underwater sediment recovery system according to claim 1, wherein air is supplied from the pump between the inner tube and the outer tube of the double hose.

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