Underwater Sediment Collection System

Abstract

To provide a system for recovering deposits in water which can continue recovery work of deposits in water without returning a device to the ground in the middle so as to improve work efficiency greatly.SOLUTION: A system for recovering deposits in water comprises a robot 100 for recovering deposits for running in water and recovering deposits, and a station 200 fixed and installed in water. The robot for recovering deposits has a robot body 110 capable of running in water, a container 150 which is mounted to the robot body and which deposits in water are recovered in, a built-in pump 120 which is mounted in the robot body and which sucks water including deposits, a suction nozzle 160 for communicating with the container, and a discharge nozzle 170 for communicating with the container. The station has a socket 220 which is arranged in water and which is connected to the discharge nozzle, and a lift pump 210 connected to the socket.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an underwater sediment recovery system for recovering underwater sediments. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to prevent water pollution and to remove harmful substances that have settled in the water, sediments 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 in 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 a facility vehicle that supplies electricity, compressed air, and the like to the treatment device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-125754 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the sludge collection system of Patent Document 1, the sludge collected by the dredging equipment is stored in the collected material receiving tank of the treatment device. With this configuration, once the sludge is collected in the collected material receiving tank, the collection operation must be stopped and the sludge collection system (the dredging equipment and the treatment device) must be pulled above ground. Then, after the collected material receiving tank is emptied, the sludge collection system is returned to the water and operation is resumed. For this reason, the technology of Patent Document 1 has low work efficiency and there is room for further improvement.

[0005] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide an underwater sediment recovery system that allows sediment recovery work to be continued without having to return the equipment to land midway, thereby significantly improving work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the underwater sediment recovery system of the present invention is a sediment recovery system including a sediment recovery robot that travels underwater to recover sediment, and a station that is fixedly installed underwater, wherein the sediment recovery robot has a robot body capable of traveling underwater, a container that is attached to the robot body and recovers underwater sediment, a built-in pump that is mounted on the robot body and sucks up water containing sediment, a suction nozzle that communicates with the container, and a discharge nozzle that communicates with the container, and the station has a socket that is placed underwater and connected to the discharge nozzle, and a pump-up pump that is connected to the socket.

[0007] According to the above configuration, once the sediment has been collected in the container mounted on the robot body, the robot body can be connected to the station and the sediment in the container alone can be transported to the ground by the pump. Therefore, the sediment collection work can be continued without returning the device (robot body) to the ground midway, which makes it possible to significantly improve work efficiency.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, another configuration of the underwater sediment recovery system of the present invention is a sediment recovery system including a sediment recovery robot that travels underwater to recover sediment, and a station that is fixedly installed underwater, wherein the sediment recovery robot has a robot body capable of traveling underwater, a container that is attached to the robot body and recovers underwater sediment, a built-in pump that is mounted on the robot body and recovers water containing sediment, a suction nozzle that communicates with the container, and a discharge nozzle that communicates with the container, wherein the robot body is capable of transferring the recovered sediment by opening the shutter of the discharge nozzle, and wherein the station has a collection box that stores the transferred sediment, and a pump-up pump that pumps the sediment from the collection box to the ground.

[0009] With this configuration, the sediment collection work can be continued without returning the device (robot body) to the ground midway, so that the work efficiency can be improved significantly. In particular, since the sediment is pumped up to the ground via a collection basin acting as a buffer, the work of discharging the sediment from the robot body and the work of processing the sediment on the ground can be performed at independent times, so that the work efficiency can be improved significantly. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an underwater sediment recovery system that allows sediment recovery work to be continued without returning the device to land midway, thereby significantly improving work efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant building in which sediment is recovered by an underwater sediment recovery system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the recovery robot. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the retrieval robot. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating details of the underwater sediment recovery system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant building in which sediment is recovered by an underwater sediment recovery system according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating details of an underwater sediment recovery system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of the underwater sediment recovery system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating details of an underwater sediment recovery system according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] 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.

[0013] (First embodiment) 1 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant building 10 in which sediment is collected by the underwater sediment collection system according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the nuclear power plant building 10 is shown as an example of a facility in which sediment is collected, but the present invention is not limited to this. The underwater sediment collection system of the first embodiment can be suitably used in other facilities as long as the facilities have sediments accumulated in water.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, a nuclear power plant building 10 is a building with four floors above ground and two floors underground. The first floor is the entrance to the ground, and contaminated water is stored in the most underground floor, B2F. To adsorb the radioactive materials in the contaminated water, sandbags 12 filled with adsorbent material (such as zeolite) are installed on B2F. If the sandbags 12 are installed for a long period of time, the fibers will break due to radiation, and the adsorbent material contained therein will dissipate and become sediment. In the first embodiment, the adsorbent material that has settled in the water is collected as sediment.

[0015] An underwater sediment recovery robot (hereinafter referred to as recovery robot 100) is placed on B2F of the nuclear power plant building 10. The recovery robot 100 is carried into B2F by a crane 14 installed on the 4F.

[0016] When the recovery robot 100 arrives at B2F, it detaches from the hook 16 and moves underwater by itself. A float cable 102 is connected to the recovery robot 100, which supplies power and transmits camera image data and signals from various sensors to a control device (not shown).

[0017] Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the recovery robot 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the recovery robot 100 of the first embodiment is mainly composed of a robot body 110 and a container 150 in which sediment is recovered, and travels underwater to recover the sediment. The robot body 110 has crawlers 112 on its lower part, and can travel underwater along the floor surface of the facility (B2F of the nuclear power plant building 10). The container 150 in which sediment is recovered is attached to the robot body 110.

[0018] A suction nozzle 160 for sucking up sediment is disposed in front of the robot body 110. The suction nozzle 160 is connected to the container 150. This allows the built-in pump 120 mounted on the robot body 110 to indirectly suck up water containing sediment from the suction nozzle 160 through the container 150.

[0019] 3 is a rear perspective view of the recovery robot 100. A discharge nozzle 170 communicating with the container 150 is provided at the rear of the robot body 110. Meanwhile, a station 200 is fixedly installed in the water. The station 200 includes a pump 210 and a socket 220. The pump 210 is connected to the socket 220. As will be described later, the socket 220 is connected to the discharge nozzle 170.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the sediment in the container 150 is collected by the built-in pump 120 and then lifted up to the ground level 1F of the nuclear power plant building 10 by the lifting pump 210 and the ground pump 240 through the suction hose 230. The lifted up sediment is then collected in a designated container 250, and the water separated from the sediment is returned to B2F through a return pipe 260. The container 250 with the collected sediment is then stored in a shielded container 270 that prevents radiation leakage, and is then transported to a designated storage facility.

[0021] However, the above-mentioned ground pump 240 is only provided to assist the pumping pump 210, and is not necessarily required. For example, if the pumping pump 210 has a sufficient head, the ground pump 240 may be unnecessary.

[0022] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the details of the underwater sediment recovery system according to the first embodiment. When the sediment recovered by the recovery robot 100 is transferred to the ground, as shown in Fig. 4, the recovery robot 100 is caused to travel backwards and the discharge nozzle 170 is connected to the socket 220 of the station 200. As a result, the sediment recovered inside the container 150 is sucked up by the pump 210 and transferred to the ground.

[0023] According to the underwater sediment recovery system of the first embodiment described above, once sediment has been recovered in the container 150 mounted on the robot body 110, the robot body 110 can be connected to the station 200 and only the sediment in the container 150 can be transported to the ground by the pump 210. Once the robot body 110 is carried underwater, it can continue the sediment recovery operation without being returned to the ground until the operation is completed. This makes it possible to significantly improve the work efficiency.

[0024] Second embodiment Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a reactor building 10 in which sediment is recovered by the underwater sediment recovery system according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the details of the underwater sediment recovery system according to the second embodiment. Note that components common to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and will not be explained.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, a collection basin 280 is provided in the station 200 located on B2F of the nuclear power plant building 10, that is, on the floor where the contaminated water is stored.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 6, the robot body 110 does not have a discharge nozzle 170 (see Fig. 4) disposed at the rear, but instead has a transfer nozzle 190 disposed below. The transfer nozzle 190 communicates with the container 150, opens downward, and has a shutter 180 disposed midway. The shutter 180 is closed while the recovery robot 100 is performing suction using the built-in pump 120. When the shutter 180 is opened, the sediment recovered in the container 150 can be transferred to the collection basin 280. Since the sediment is heavier than water, it moves slowly from the container 150 to the collection basin 280.

[0027] Then, station 200 uses pumping pump 210 to pump sediment Z accumulated in accumulation basin 280 to the ground. The pumped sediment is transported to the ground through recovery pipe 230. The treatment of sediment on ground 1F is the same as described above.

[0028] As described above, in the underwater sediment recovery system of the second embodiment, only the sediment recovered in the container 150 can be transported to the ground, and the robot body 110 can continue working until the work is completed without being returned to the ground. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to greatly improve the work efficiency.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining another example of the underwater sediment recovery system according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 7(a), a U-shaped enclosure 282 is provided to surround the edge of the collection box 280 on the side opposite to the recovery robot 100 (the edge on the station 200 side). In the example shown in Fig. 7(b), a lid 284 is provided to cover part of the opening on the top surface of the collection box 280. This configuration makes it possible to suitably prevent the sediment from scattering when it is poured into the collection box.

[0030] The height of the enclosure 282 does not necessarily need to be higher than the water surface W (see FIG. 6) of the contaminated water, but only needs to be high enough to prevent the diffusion of sediment. The lid 284 is sized to cover only a part of the opening on the top surface of the collection basin 280, not the entire opening. This is because if the entire opening on the top surface of the collection basin 280 were covered, it would be impossible to pour sediment into the collection basin 280 or to pump up sediment from the collection basin 280.

[0031] Third embodiment In the above-mentioned second embodiment, a configuration using the accumulation basin 280 provided in the station 200 arranged on the floor where the contaminated water is stored, i.e., an existing accumulation basin 280, is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. If an existing accumulation basin 280 is not provided, a temporary accumulation basin can be brought into the work site and installed, and the same effect as above can be obtained by using such a temporary accumulation basin. When a temporary accumulation basin is used, the discharge force of the pump can be used to transfer the sediment to the accumulation basin, or gravity can be used to transfer the sediment to the accumulation basin.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining details of the underwater sediment recovery system according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, it is assumed that a temporary collection box 380 is used. The temporary collection box 380 is, simply put, a box, and is placed on the floor surface. In FIGS. 8(a) and (b), the opening on the top of the collection box 380 is covered with a lid 382. The four corners of the lid are provided with hoisting fittings 390. This allows the collection box 380 to be carried underground by a crane 14 (see FIG. 1) with a cable 102 attached to the hoisting fittings 390.

[0033] 8(a), a through hole 384 is formed in the lid 382 for inserting the pipe 212 connected to the pump 210. Also, the accumulation container 380 is provided with a socket 386 connected to the discharge nozzle 170.

[0034] In this configuration, when the sediment collected by the collection robot 100 is transferred to the ground, the collection robot 100 is caused to travel backwards and the discharge nozzle 170 is connected to the socket 386 of the collection basin 380. As a result, the sediment collected inside the container 150 flows into the collection basin 380 through 170 and the socket.

[0035] 8(a) is provided on its bottom surface with an inclined portion 388 that slopes downward toward the pump-up pump 210. This makes it easier for sediment deposited in the collection basin 380 to flow toward the pump-up pump 212. This makes it possible to more efficiently pump the sediment to the ground.

[0036] 8(b), instead of the socket 386 in FIG. 8(a), a second insertion hole 392 for receiving sediment that has flowed down from the discharge nozzle 170 is formed in the lid 382. Meanwhile, the recovery robot 100 is provided with a tilting mechanism 394 for tilting the container 150.

[0037] In this configuration, when the sediment collected inside the container 150 is moved to the collection basin 380, the position of the collection robot 100 is adjusted so that the discharge nozzle 170 corresponds to the second insertion hole 392. Then, with the shutter (not shown) of the discharge nozzle 170 closed, the container 150 is tilted by the tilting mechanism 394. After the container 150 has been tilted, the shutter is opened. This causes the sediment to flow into the socket 386 through the discharge nozzle 170.

[0038] 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]

[0039] The present invention can be used as an underwater sediment recovery system for recovering sediment in water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10...nuclear power plant building, 12...sandbag, 14...crane, 16...hook, 100...recovery robot, 102...float cable, 110...robot body, 112...crawler, 120...built-in pump, 150...container, 160...suction nozzle, 170...discharge nozzle, 180...shutter, 190...flow nozzle, 200...station, 210...pumping port pump, 212...pipe, 220...socket, 230...recovery pipe, 240...ground pump, 250...container, 260...return pipe, 270...shielding container, 280...accumulation basin, 282...enclosure, 284...lid, 380...accumulation basin, 382...lid, 384...insertion hole, 386...socket, 388...tilt section, 390...hanging fitting, 392...second insertion hole, 394...tilt mechanism, Z...sediment

Claims

1. A sediment recovery system including a sediment recovery robot that travels underwater to recover sediment, and a station that is fixedly installed underwater in a state not connected to the sediment recovery robot, The sediment recovery robot includes: A robot body capable of moving underwater; a container attached to the robot body for collecting sediments in water; a built-in pump mounted on the robot body for sucking water containing sediment; a suction nozzle communicating with the container; a discharge nozzle communicating with the container; The station comprises a socket disposed underwater and connected to the discharge nozzle, and a pump connected to the socket.

2. A sediment recovery system including a sediment recovery robot that travels underwater to recover sediment, and a station that is fixedly installed underwater in a state not connected to the sediment recovery robot, The sediment recovery robot includes: A robot body capable of moving underwater; a container attached to the robot body for collecting sediments in water; a built-in pump mounted on the robot body for sucking water containing sediment; a suction nozzle communicating with the container; a discharge nozzle communicating with the container; The robot body is capable of transferring the collected sediment by opening a shutter of the discharge nozzle, The station includes a collection tank for storing the transported sediment, and a pump for pumping the sediment from the collection tank to the ground. A sediment recovery system characterized in that the robot body is provided with a tilting mechanism that tilts the container to move the sediment recovered inside the container to the accumulation bin.

Images