Radioactive waste material balance tracking management system

Abstract

A radioactive waste material balance tracking management system according to the present invention comprises: an entrance / exit control gate provided at an entrance of a radioactive waste management area; a recognition terminal which is provided at a position adjacent to the entrance / exit control gate and which recognizes a unique number tag of an entering / exiting object; an automatic weight measuring instrument which is provided at an entrance path of the entrance / exit control gate and which measures the weight of the entering / exiting object; and a material balance management server for managing a registered unique number database, transmitting an opening permission signal to the entrance / exit control gate when the recognition terminal recognizes a registered unique number, and recording the weight of the entering / exiting object measured by the automatic weight measuring instrument. The present invention can check the presence or absence of personnel who have not been withdrawn or equipment that has not been withdrawn in a radioactive waste management area, automatically monitors increases or decreases in inventory in possession, detects the presence or absence of unidentified waste on the basis of the total inventory, and prevents unreported unauthorized treatment activities.

Description

Radioactive Waste Material Balance Tracking Management System

[0001] The present invention relates to a radioactive waste material balance tracking management system, and more specifically, to a radioactive waste material balance tracking management system that monitors changes in the amount of radioactive waste within a radioactive material control and management area during the decommissioning process of a nuclear power plant, thereby enabling decommissioning waste to be safely tracked and managed without omission.

[0002] After a nuclear power plant is permanently shut down, the decommissioning process progresses. Equipment, buildings, and structures are dismantled, and necessary decontamination, cutting, or melting operations are performed. These equipment, devices, and structures are then dismantled, deregulated, and disposed of as general waste or transported to a permanent repository for storage. Various types of equipment are generated as waste during this process, and it is crucial to manage this decommissioning waste to prevent it from being lost or misused. Therefore, all equipment, devices, and structures at a decommissioned nuclear power plant must be safely and accurately tracked throughout the decommissioning process. This ensures that the total inventory of pre-decommissioned, in-process, and transported equipment waste remains within an acceptable margin of error, ensuring transparency in the material balance throughout the entire decommissioning process.

[0003] As the demolition progresses over time, the status of the facilities before demolition changes from the pre-demolition status to the processing status, and finally, the status progresses to the removal completion status, so that there are no facility objects remaining in the As-is state or waste being processed, and the dismantling is completed when the removal is complete. The total time-synchronized amount of each status of the facility objects can be managed as the total inventory amount, and the inventory amount by status over time can be conceptually expressed as in Figure 1. The total inventory amount, which is the sum of the weight of waste before demolition, waste being processed, and waste that has been removed, is, in principle, maintained at a constant value unless there are special reasons.

[0004] This total radioactive waste management is generally done by keeping records using a waste management ledger and checking for changes in the total inventory at set intervals.

[0005] However, since human and time costs are incurred in this waste management process, and there is always the possibility of human error resulting in missing or incorrect records, an efficient management method is required to prevent human error and enhance transparency throughout the entire dismantling process by immediately detecting and tracking abnormal fluctuations in total inventory.

[0006] Traditionally, radioactive waste management has been managed manually using waste management ledgers. This process incurs significant human and time costs, and there are persistent concerns about human error, such as missing or incorrect records, and the potential for abnormal processing. The present invention provides a system that immediately detects and tracks abnormal fluctuations in the total inventory of radioactive waste, thereby preventing human error and enhancing transparency throughout the entire decommissioning process.

[0007] The radioactive waste material balance tracking management system according to the present invention is characterized by including an access control gate installed at the entrance of a radioactive waste management area, a recognition terminal installed adjacent to the access control gate and recognizing a unique number tag of an entry object, an automatic weight measuring device installed on the entrance to the access control gate and measuring the weight of an entry object, and a material balance management server managing a database of registered unique numbers, transmitting an opening permission signal to the access control gate when the recognition terminal recognizes a registered unique number, and recording the weight of an entry object measured by the automatic weight measuring device.

[0008] The automatic weight measuring device of the radioactive waste material balance tracking management system according to the present invention is configured separately for import and export, and the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device for import is recorded as the import quantity, thereby increasing the amount of inventory on hand, and the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device for export is recorded as the amount exported, thereby decreasing the amount of inventory on hand.

[0009] The material balance management server according to the present invention may be characterized by monitoring whether there is a change exceeding the allowable range in the total inventory calculated by adding the value obtained by subtracting the temporary additional weight from the inventory on hand and the net waste removal amount.

[0010] The automatic weight measuring device according to the present invention may be characterized in that, when a measured weight value is maintained for a preset period of time or longer, a measurement completion signal is generated and the corresponding weight value is transmitted, and the material balance management server transmits an opening command to an access control gate when the weight value is transmitted.

[0011] The material balance management server according to the present invention may be characterized in that it manages a database of registered personnel and equipment, registers the weight of registered personnel and equipment, monitors whether the weight measured by an automatic weight measuring device matches the registered weight of an entry / exit object recognized by a recognition terminal within an allowable range, and withholds an opening command for an access control gate until the match is confirmed.

[0012] The present invention may be characterized in that, if the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device does not match the registered weight of the person recognized by the recognition terminal within an allowable range, recognition of an additional entry object is requested.

[0013] The radioactive waste material balance tracking management system according to the present invention may include a dose rate measuring device at the exit side, and may be characterized in that it measures the surface radiation dose rate at a specific location of a radioactive waste transport cart, thereby calculating and recording the radiation level of an incoming or outgoing object.

[0014] The present invention has the effect of being able to confirm the presence or absence of undelivered personnel or equipment in a radioactive waste management area, automatically monitoring the increase or decrease in the amount of inventory held, and detecting the presence or absence of waste of unknown origin based on the total amount of inventory.

[0015] Additionally, it automatically notifies you when the total inventory increases or decreases beyond the allowable range, which has the effect of preventing unreported unauthorized processing in advance.

[0016] The automatic weight measuring device of the present invention has the effect of enabling weight measurement values ​​to be stably measured and managed.

[0017] The present invention provides the effect of preventing unauthorized entry of personnel, equipment, or items into radioactive waste management areas. Furthermore, the present invention has the effect of enabling identification of who is carrying an object upon entry.

[0018] The present invention provides the effect of enabling monitoring of the presence or absence of radioactivity in personnel being exported and objects entering or leaving, and managing the amount of radioactive waste by level.

[0019] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of total inventory management for radioactive waste material balance.

[0020] Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram showing the configuration of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram explaining the concept of inventory and total inventory according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 is an example of radiation dose measurement according to the present invention.

[0023] Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below. However, the present invention can be implemented in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The drawings attached to the present invention have been simplified for convenience of explanation, and parts irrelevant to the description have been omitted to clearly explain the present invention.

[0024] The radioactive waste material balance tracking management system according to the present invention is installed and operated in a radioactive waste management area (10), and is configured to include an access control gate (300), a recognition terminal (200), an automatic weight measuring device (410, 420), and a material balance management server (100), as shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] In the present invention, the term "radioactive waste management area (10)" refers to a unit area established to isolate a certain space in a decommissioned nuclear power plant and control and manage waste brought into or taken out of that space. This area may be configured as a building or room unit, or may be established for a radioactive waste treatment facility or temporary work site separately installed on the nuclear power plant site. Typically, the radioactive waste management area (10) occupies a considerable amount of space, and the objects to be decommissioned, such as equipment, devices, pipes, and structures that make up the nuclear power plant, are arranged in a complex manner, making it difficult to grasp them all at a glance.

[0026] The physical quantity brought into the radioactive waste management area (10) may include the weight of workers, work equipment for processing such as cutting, transportation equipment such as carts, packaging materials, work materials such as strings, etc., and the physical quantity taken out of the radioactive waste management area (10) may include the weight of workers, work equipment, transportation equipment, and generated waste, etc., and the generated waste may include cutting or melted disposal equipment, used work materials, packaging materials, etc.

[0027] The access control gate (300) is installed at the entrance to the radioactive waste management area (10) and is implemented as a security gate or swing gate that opens in the direction according to a signal.

[0028] The recognition terminal (200) is installed adjacent to the access control gate (300) and recognizes the unique number tag of an object entering or leaving. The object entering or leaving technically includes personnel, i.e., workers. The unique number tag is carried by the personnel or attached to equipment or waste transport carts, and the recognition terminal (200) can be implemented as an electronic tag (RFID, Radio Frequency Identification), NFC (Near Field Communication) chip, or QR code (Quick Response Code) reader.

[0029] An automatic weight measuring device (410, 420) is installed on the entrance to the access control gate (300) and measures and transmits the weight of entering and exiting personnel or objects such as transport equipment as a digital value.

[0030] The material balance management server (100) manages a database of unique numbers of registered personnel and transport equipment and other entering and exiting objects, and when the recognition terminal (200) recognizes the registered unique number, transmits an opening permission signal to the access control gate (300), and records the weight of the entering and exiting object measured by the automatic weight measuring device (410, 420) against the corresponding unique number to manage the increase or decrease in the stock amount and total stock amount according to the amount brought in and taken out of the radioactive waste management area.

[0031] Automatic weight measuring devices (410, 420) are configured separately for import and export, and the import device is installed outside the radioactive waste management area (10), and the export device is installed inside the radioactive waste management area (10). The weight measured by the import automatic weight measuring device (420) is recorded as the import quantity, thereby increasing the stock quantity, and the weight measured by the export automatic weight measuring device (410) is recorded as the export quantity, thereby decreasing the stock quantity.

[0032] In the present invention, the on-hand inventory refers to the total weight of all objects currently existing within the radioactive waste management area (10), including all equipment inventory before demolition, and the total weight of waste, materials, equipment, and personnel undergoing decontamination, cutting, and melting processes after demolition. The initial value of the on-hand inventory is calculated by investigating the total inventory of the As-Is equipment before demolition begins. Here, the equipment includes all heavy objects to be dismantled, such as equipment, devices, pipes, and structures that constitute the nuclear power plant.

[0033] The waste generated during the dismantling process is classified as non-radioactive general waste and deregulated, or classified as radioactive waste and transported to a permanent disposal site. These require tracking record management according to regulations. These are defined as export waste in the present invention. Tracking record management is managed so that the As-Is equipment to be dismantled before demolition can be tracked through records to determine where and in what condition it was finally disposed of. By applying a unique number generation system to the dismantling target and its subsequent processing items, transportation equipment or packaging can be allocated and managed according to the work plan.

[0034] Materials, equipment, and personnel that temporarily exist within the radioactive waste management area (10) and then return to their original general use condition outside the area are not subject to separate tracking management, and the sum of their weights is defined as temporary additional inventory in the present invention. The temporary additional inventory is included in the inventory on hand.

[0035] In order to facilitate total waste management, the present invention includes the weight of all entering and leaving objects, such as the weight of personnel entering and leaving, the amount of items carried by personnel entering and leaving, and work equipment and transport equipment used by personnel entering and leaving, in the automatic weight measurement management target. Among these, the net amount of waste exited, which corresponds to waste exited that is subject to tracking management, is calculated by simply counting the total amount exited by the automatic weight measuring device for exit (410) and subtracting the temporary additional amount corresponding to non-tracking entering and leaving objects, such as the weight of registered personnel, work equipment, and transport equipment. The total inventory amount is calculated as the sum of the value of the on-hand inventory amount minus the temporary additional amount and the net amount of waste exited. As explained above in relation to Figure 1, the total inventory amount is, in principle, maintained at a constant value, and if a deviation exceeds the allowable range occurs, the cause must be investigated and action taken.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, the above contents are summarized again to calculate the amount of inventory on hand by accumulating the total amount of automatic weight measurement brought in to the initial value of inventory on hand, and (inventory on hand) = (inventory before demolition) + (amount of waste being processed) + (temporary additional amount), and (total inventory) = (inventory on hand) - (temporary additional amount) + (net amount of waste removed).

[0037] The material balance management server of the present invention may be characterized by monitoring whether there is a change exceeding the allowable range in the total inventory value calculated by subtracting the temporary additional quantity from the sum of the inventory amount on hand and the net waste amount carried out.

[0038] Therefore, the present invention has the effect of easily confirming the presence or absence of personnel or equipment that has not been withdrawn from a radioactive waste management area during daily inspections or unit work completion inspections, automatically monitoring the increase or decrease in the amount of inventory on hand, and detecting the occurrence or omission of waste of unknown origin based on the total amount of inventory. That is, the presence of personnel or equipment that have not yet been withdrawn from a radioactive waste management area can be immediately detected through equipment and personnel entry and exit records, the progress of the dismantling work in the radioactive waste management area can be determined from the increase or decrease in the amount of inventory on hand, and since it automatically notifies when the total amount of inventory increases or decreases beyond the allowable range, it has the effect of preventing unreported unauthorized disposal activities.

[0039] The automatic weight measuring device (410, 420) generates a measurement completion signal when the measured weight value is maintained for a preset period of time or longer, and transmits the corresponding weight value to the material balance management server (100). The material balance management server (100) can transmit an opening command to the access control gate (300) when the weight value is transmitted. The access control gate (300) performs an opening operation when it receives an opening command along with an opening permission signal. This configuration provides the effect of enabling the weight measurement value to be measured and managed stably.

[0040] The above material balance management server manages a database of registered personnel and equipment, and registers the weight of personnel and equipment. It monitors whether the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device matches the registered weight of the entry / exit object recognized by the recognition terminal within an allowable range, and can withhold an opening command for the access control gate (300) until the match is confirmed. This provides the effect of preventing unregistered and unauthorized entry of personnel, equipment, or carry-on items into the radioactive waste management area. The registered information in the database can be used to calculate the temporary additional quantity of the radioactive waste management area (10).

[0041] The present invention can request recognition of additional objects entering or leaving the premises if the weight measured by the automatic weight scale does not match the registered weight of the person recognized by the recognition terminal within an acceptable range. In the present invention, all entry and exit are fundamentally assumed to be entered or exited by a person. Therefore, in the case of simple entry and exit by a worker, entry is permitted as long as the registered weight is automatically measured. However, if entry and exit is accompanied by equipment, etc., the automatically measured weight does not match the registered weight, in which case recognition of additional objects entering or leaving the premises is requested. Only when an operation is performed to additionally recognize the unique number of the work equipment or transport equipment, a final opening command for the access control gate (300) is issued, allowing entry and exit. This provides the effect of allowing identification of who is carrying the object when entering or exiting the premises. Of course, if special permission is obtained in advance, measures can be taken to allow entry and exit by carrying items of the permitted weight.

[0042] The present invention further comprises a dose rate measuring device (500) on the outlet side, and measures the surface radiation dose rate at a specific location of an object being discharged, thereby calculating and recording the radiation level. FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram showing a series of radiation measuring devices arranged on the side of a cart (600) loaded with radioactive waste, so as to calculate the radiation level of the radioactive waste.

[0043] The dosimeter of the present invention provides the effect of monitoring the presence or absence of radioactivity in personnel being taken out and objects entering or leaving, and managing the amount of radioactive waste by level.

[0044]

[0045] The invention disclosed above is capable of various modifications without detracting from the fundamental concept. Therefore, the above embodiments should be construed as illustrative and not limiting. Accordingly, the scope of protection of the present invention is determined by the appended claims, not the described embodiments. Substitution of equivalents in the appended claims falls within the scope of the appended claims.

[0046]

[0047] The present invention can contribute to preventing human error and enhancing transparency throughout the entire decommissioning process by immediately detecting and tracking abnormal fluctuations in the total inventory of radioactive waste in a radioactive waste management area, and thus has industrial applicability in related fields.

Claims

1. Access control gates installed at the entrances and exits of radioactive waste management areas; A recognition terminal installed adjacent to the above access control gate and recognizing the unique number tag of an entry / exit object; An automatic weight measuring device installed on the entrance to the above access control gate and measuring the weight of objects entering and exiting; and A radioactive waste material balance tracking management system characterized by including a material balance management server that manages a registered unique number database, transmits an opening permission signal to an access control gate when the recognition terminal recognizes a registered unique number, and records the weight of an entry / exit object measured by the automatic weight measuring device for the corresponding unique number.

2. In paragraph 1, The above automatic weight measuring device is configured separately for import and export, and the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device for import is recorded as the import quantity to increase the on-hand inventory quantity, and the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device for export is recorded as the export quantity to decrease the on-hand inventory quantity. A radioactive waste material balance tracking management system.

3. In paragraph 2, A radioactive waste material balance tracking management system characterized in that the material balance management server monitors whether there is a change exceeding the allowable range in the total inventory value calculated by deducting the temporary additional quantity from the sum of the on-hand inventory quantity and the net export waste quantity.

4. In paragraph 2, A radioactive waste material balance tracking management system, characterized in that the automatic weight measuring device generates a measurement completion signal and transmits the corresponding weight value when the measured weight value is maintained for a set period of time or longer, and the material balance management server transmits an open command to the access control gate when the weight value is transmitted.

5. In paragraph 2, The material balance management server manages a database of registered personnel and equipment, registers the weight of registered personnel and equipment, monitors whether the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device matches the registered weight of the entry and exit object recognized by the recognition terminal within an allowable range, and withholds an opening command for the access control gate until the match is confirmed.

6. In paragraph 5, A radioactive waste material balance tracking management system characterized in that if the weight measured by the automatic weight measuring device does not match the registered weight of the person recognized by the recognition terminal within an allowable range, recognition of an additional entry / exit object is requested.

7. In paragraph 1, In addition, a dose rate meter is included on the exit side. The above dose rate measuring device is a radioactive waste material balance tracking management system characterized in that it measures the surface radiation dose rate at a specific location of a radioactive waste transport cart, thereby calculating and recording the radiation level of an incoming and outgoing object.

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