Chromium-coated zirconium cladding tube feeding device with rotary encoder

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chromium-coated zirconium cladding tube supply device with a rotary encoder, the device allowing accurate measurement of rotation of the object to be inspected due to the encoder installed so as not to be affected by the thickness of a chromium plating layer. To this end, the chromium-coated zirconium cladding tube supply device with a rotary encoder comprises a cladding tube feed unit, a position alignment unit, and a rotation detection unit.

Description

Chrome-coated zirconium cladding tube feeder with rotary encoder

[0001] The present invention relates to a chrome-coated zirconium cladding supply device to which a rotary encoder is applied, and more particularly, to a supply device for inspecting chrome-coated zirconium cladding of accident-tolerant nuclear fuel (ATF) used to improve the stability of nuclear power plants, and the supply device relates to a device for supplying chrome-coated zirconium cladding to an automated inspection system of a nuclear fuel rod production facility for quality inspection, such as measuring the thickness of the chrome coating layer of the chrome-coated zirconium cladding and detecting defects.

[0002]

[0003] Accident-resistant nuclear fuel, which is generally used to enhance the safety of nuclear power plants, is a nuclear fuel technology that adds a chromium coating to existing nuclear fuel cladding to suppress cladding oxidation and hydrogen depletion under nuclear power plant accident conditions, thereby maintaining the integrity of nuclear fuel for a long time.

[0004] These accident-resistant nuclear fuels will undergo a quality inspection process in the final production process using an automated inspection system to check the coating thickness and detect defects in the chrome coating layer.

[0005] However, since the chromium coating layer coated on the outer surface of the zirconium-based nuclear fuel cladding is coated with a micron thickness, the thickness of the coating layer needs to be precisely measured, and in order to accurately inspect production defects, the cladding needs to be transported at a constant speed while rotating at a set speed, and at the same time, an encoder needs to be installed to detect the rotation speed of the cladding in order to apply the ultra-high frequency eddy current inspection method for thickness measurement and defect detection.

[0006] As a prior art for the above purpose, a control rod assembly inspection device using quantitative measurement of eddy current distribution with a bias magnetic field eliminated is disclosed in Patent Publication No. 1606519 (hereinafter referred to as “patent document”).

[0007] The above patent document comprises: an exciter that excites an induced current in each control rod in a control rod assembly; a magnetic sensor annular array that quantitatively measures the distribution of eddy current converted by the current induced in the control rod by the exciter due to the non-uniformity of the control rod; a sensor unit bundle unit that arranges the exciter and the magnetic sensor annular array on a flat plate according to the structure of the control rod assembly; a signal processing circuit unit that amplifies and filters a direct current signal or an alternating current signal output from the magnetic sensor and measures the amplitude and phase; an interface unit that converts the signal output by the signal processing circuit unit through an A / D converter and inputs it; an encoder unit that measures the movement distance or movement speed of the control rod and displays the eddy current distribution at regular intervals; And a computer having software for remotely controlling the exciter, the magnetic sensor, the signal processing circuit unit, the interface unit and the encoder unit, collecting necessary signals, storing, calculating and processing the eddy current distribution, visualizing and analyzing it and sequentially showing changes over time, and inputting a direct current to the exciter to magnetize a local ferromagnetic body existing in a control rod, and measuring the magnetic field distribution by the annular array unit of the magnetic sensor to obtain in advance the distribution of the ferromagnetic body structure.

[0008] However, in the case of conventional inspection devices, an encoder is configured to detect the amount of transport or rotation of the cladding by installing an encoder wheel that contacts the outer surface of the cladding (control rod), and multiple rollers are separately configured to rotate and transport while contacting the outer surface of the cladding, so there is a structural problem that an error occurs in the measured amount of rotation and transport when the thickness of the chrome plating layer plated on the cladding is not uniform.

[0009]

[0010] Therefore, there is a need to develop a cladding tube supply device with an improved structure so that the encoder can be installed without being affected by the outer shape of the nuclear fuel rod tube and the thickness of the chrome plating layer, thereby detecting the exact amount of rotation.

[0011]

[0012] The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the conventional cladding supply device as described above, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a chrome-coated zirconium cladding supply device to which a rotary encoder is applied so that the encoder is installed so as not to be affected by the thickness of the chrome plating layer and can detect the exact rotation amount of the subject.

[0013] In order to solve the above problem, a chrome-coated zirconium cladding pipe supply device to which a rotary encoder is applied according to the present invention comprises: a cladding pipe supply unit for individually supplying a plurality of cladding pipes aligned and stacked in a direction perpendicular to an axis; a positioning unit positioned on one side of the cladding pipe supply unit for aligning the cladding pipes individually supplied through the cladding pipe supply unit so that they are transported in the axial direction; and a rotation detection unit installed at a predetermined interval above the positioning unit and transported along the cladding pipes to detect the amount of rotation of the cladding pipes, wherein the rotation detection unit comprises: a transport rail installed along the positioning unit to have a predetermined length; a transport block installed so as to be transported along the transport rail; a mounting member having a predetermined length, one end of which is installed to be angle-adjustable on the transport block; a rotation shaft having a predetermined length, which is installed at the other end of the mounting member and is inserted into one end of the cladding pipe to a predetermined depth and rotates together with the rotational motion of the cladding pipe; It is characterized by including a detection member of a predetermined size installed at one end of the above-mentioned rotational axis and rotating together with the above-mentioned rotational axis; and an encoder installed on the above-mentioned transfer block and counting the number of times the detection member is detected to detect the rotational amount of the above-mentioned covering pipe.

[0014] And the transfer block of the present invention is further characterized in that it is configured to include a first transfer block that is transferred along the upper end of the transfer rail; and a second transfer block that is transferred along the lower end of the transfer rail, so that the first and second transfer blocks are alternately reciprocated along the transfer rail without interfering with each other.

[0015] In addition, the encoder of the present invention is characterized in that it is rotatably installed at the tip of the mounting stand.

[0016] In addition, the positioning unit of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a plurality of fixed frames installed vertically at a predetermined height at a predetermined interval on one side of the cladding pipe supply unit; a base frame installed at an upper portion of the fixed frame at a predetermined length; and first and second guide rollers installed facing each other at a predetermined interval on the base frame to align the position of the cladding pipe.

[0017]

[0018] According to the present invention, since the first and second transport blocks are installed on the transport rail to alternately reciprocate, there is an advantage in that the encoders are installed alternately in accordance with the transport of the cladding pipe, so that the rotation amount of the cladding pipe can be continuously measured.

[0019]

[0020] Figure 1 is a drawing showing an example of a coating pipe quality inspection system according to the present invention.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a chrome-coated zirconium cladding tube supply device to which a rotary encoder according to the present invention is applied.

[0022] Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2.

[0023] Figure 4 is a drawing showing an example of a cladding supply unit and a positioning unit according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 is a drawing showing an example of a rotation detection unit according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 is a drawing showing the configuration of a transfer rail, first and second transfer blocks, a mounting base, and a rotation shaft according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 is a drawing showing an example of a mounting bracket according to the present invention being angle-adjustable.

[0027] Figure 8 is an enlarged view showing an example of a position alignment unit and a rotation detection unit according to the present invention.

[0028]

[0029]

[0030] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0031]

[0032] The present invention aims to provide a chrome-coated zirconium cladding tube supply device having a rotary encoder applied thereto, which is installed so that the encoder is not affected by the thickness of the chrome plating layer and can detect the exact rotation amount of the subject.

[0033] The cladding quality inspection system for the present invention may be configured to include, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a cladding supply unit (2) that supplies a plurality of cladding pipes (1), a rotational transport unit (3) that rotates and transports the cladding pipes (1) supplied through the cladding supply unit (2), a selective loading unit (4) that conducts inspection through various inspection devices after passing through the rotational transport unit (3) and then selects and loads the cladding pipes (1) according to the inspection results, and a control unit (5) that controls the operations of the cladding supply unit (2), the rotational transport unit (3), and the selective loading unit (4).

[0034] And the covering pipe supply unit (2) according to the present invention can be configured to include a covering pipe supply unit (10), a position alignment unit (20), and a rotation detection unit (30) as shown in FIG. 2, and the above configurations will be described in detail below.

[0035] In addition, for the convenience of explanation, the direction arranged orthogonal to the central axis of the cladding pipe (1) is referred to as the “axial direction” and the direction arranged parallel to the central axis of the cladding pipe (1) is referred to as the “axial direction” and the direction is referred to as the “axial direction”.

[0036]

[0037] The cladding pipe supply unit (10) is configured to individually supply a plurality of cladding pipes (1) having a predetermined length by aligning them in a direction perpendicular to the axis toward the position alignment unit (20) described later.

[0038] This cladding supply unit (10) includes a plurality of vertical supports (11) installed vertically at a predetermined height and spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, and an inclined support (12) of a predetermined length installed so that the bottom surface is supported by the plurality of vertical supports (11) and is installed at a predetermined angle toward one end.

[0039] In addition, a stopper (13) may be installed on one end (a relatively low end) of the inclined support (12) to prevent the covering pipe (1) mounted on the inclined support (12) from moving along the inclined surface due to its own weight toward the positioning alignment part (20) described later.

[0040] And, on one side of the stopper (13), a pusher (14) that moves up and down to a predetermined height and selectively passes an individual covering pipe (1) to the opposite side of the stopper (13) may be installed. At this time, the pusher (14) may be configured as a cylinder unit that is moved in and out by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure.

[0041] In addition, the vertical support (11) can be configured to be height-adjustable either manually or automatically, thereby allowing the inclination of the inclined support (12) to be appropriately adjusted, and as a result, the movement speed of the covering pipe (1) that is settled on the inclined support (12) and moves along the inclined surface toward the stopper (13) by its own weight is appropriately adjusted.

[0042] When the cladding pipe (1) requiring quality inspection is supplied to the other end (relatively high end) of the inclined support (12) through the above configuration, the cladding pipe (1) moves to one end (relatively low end) by its own weight and is naturally aligned parallel to the axis in a direction perpendicular thereto, and then, by the operation of the pusher (14), the individual cladding pipes (1) sequentially pass through the stopper (13) and are moved to the position alignment part (20).

[0043]

[0044] The positioning unit (20) is configured to align the position of the individually supplied cladding pipe (1) in order to transport it in the axial direction, and is located on one side of the cladding pipe supply unit (10).

[0045] This positioning unit (20) includes a plurality of fixed frames (21) installed vertically at a predetermined height at a predetermined interval on one side of the cladding pipe supply unit (10), as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a base frame (22) installed at an upper portion of the fixed frame (21) at a predetermined length, and first and second guide rollers (23A, 23B) installed facing the base frame (22) at a predetermined interval to align the position of the cladding pipe (1).

[0046] In addition, an auxiliary guide member (24) may be further installed on one side of the base frame (22), and the auxiliary guide member (24) may be configured to have an auxiliary roller (24A) having a predetermined diameter positioned at a predetermined interval above the first and second guide rollers (23A, 23B).

[0047] At this time, the auxiliary roller (24A) can be configured so that the position is adjusted through a driving member such as a motor so that the distance from the first and second guide rollers (23A, 23B) is adjusted, and through this, even if the covering pipe (1) is rotated and transported at a predetermined speed, the position is maintained in an aligned state through the first and second guide rollers (23A, 23B) and the auxiliary roller (24A).

[0048] Meanwhile, a height adjustment member (25) for adjusting the height of the base frame (22) may be installed between the fixed frame (21) and the base frame (22), and this height adjustment member (25) may be configured to include a cylinder unit (25A) that is manually or automatically inserted and removed.

[0049]

[0050] The rotation detection unit (30) is configured to detect the amount of rotation of the cladding tube (1) while being transported together with the transport of the cladding tube (1) when the cladding tube (1) is positionally aligned and rotated at a predetermined speed through the rotation transport unit (3) by being installed on the position alignment unit (20).

[0051] This rotation detection unit (30) may be configured to include a plurality of support frames (31) installed at a predetermined interval along the position alignment unit (20) as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a transfer rail (32) of a predetermined length installed horizontally on the plurality of support frames (31), a transfer block installed so as to be movable by a driving member such as a motor so as to be slidably transferred back and forth along the transfer rail (32), a mounting stand (34) of a predetermined length, one end of which is installed on the transfer block so as to be angle-adjustable, and an encoder (35) installed on the mounting stand (34) to detect the amount of rotation of the covering pipe (1).

[0052] At this time, the transfer block may be composed of a first transfer block (33A) that is transferred along the upper side of the transfer rail (32) as shown in FIG. 6, and a second transfer block (33B) that is transferred along the lower side of the transfer rail (32), through which the first and second transfer blocks (32A, 32B) can be transferred back and forth alternately along the transfer rail (32) without interference with each other, and as a result, encoders can be installed alternately on the continuously supplied covering pipes (1).

[0053] In addition, the first and second transfer blocks (33A, 33B) are configured so that the mounting member (34) rotates at a predetermined angle within a predetermined range, so that the encoder (35) is positioned on the center line of the cladding pipe (1) or the encoder (35) is positioned away from the center line of the cladding pipe (1). To this end, as shown in FIG. 7, the mounting member (34) is connected to the first and second transfer blocks (33A, 33B) through a hinge shaft (A), a driving member (M) such as a motor is installed in the first and second transfer blocks (33A, 33B), and a pulley (without drawing symbol) is installed on the driving shaft of the driving motor (M) and the hinge shaft (A), respectively, and then connected through a belt (V) so that rotational power is transmitted.

[0054] At this time, the driving motor (M) may be configured as a servo motor capable of precise control, and the belt (V) and pulley may be configured as a timing belt and timing pulley to transmit an accurate amount of rotation.

[0055] Through the above configuration, the first and second transfer blocks (33A, 33B) are alternately reciprocated and transferred, and the encoder (35) is transferred together with the transfer amount transferred through the position alignment unit (20), so that the rotation amount of the covering pipe (1) can be continuously detected.

[0056]

[0057] As described above, the present invention has the advantage that the first and second transport blocks are installed on the transport rail to alternately reciprocate, so that the encoders are installed alternately in accordance with the transport of the cladding pipe, thereby continuously measuring the rotational amount of the cladding pipe.

[0058]

[0059] In the above, for the convenience of explanation, a preferred embodiment has been described by giving drawing numbers and names to the components shown in the drawings, but this is only one embodiment according to the present invention, and the scope of the rights should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes shown in the drawings and the names given, and it will be readily apparent that changes to various shapes predictable from the description of the invention and simple substitutions with components that perform the same function are within the scope of changes that can be easily performed by a person skilled in the art.

[0060] (Explanation of symbols)

[0061] 1: Covering pipe 2: Covering pipe supply unit

[0062] 3: Rotating conveying unit 4: Selective loading unit

[0063] 5: Control unit 10: Covering pipe supply unit

[0064] 11: Vertical support 12: Inclined support

[0065] 13: Stopper 14: Pusher

[0066] 20: Positioning section 21: Fixed frame

[0067] 22: Base frame 23A: First guide roller

[0068] 23B: Second guide roller 24: Auxiliary guide member

[0069] 24A: Auxiliary roller 25: Height adjustment member

[0070] 25A: Cylinder unit 30: Rotation detection unit

[0071] 31: Support frame 32: Transport rail

[0072] 33A: 1st transfer block 33B: 2nd transfer block

[0073] 34: Mounting bracket 35: Encoder

[0074] A: Hinge shaft M: Drive member

[0075] V: Belt

Claims

1. A cladding supply unit (10) that individually supplies a plurality of cladding pipes (1) aligned and loaded in a direction perpendicular to the axis; A positioning unit (20) positioned on one side of the above-mentioned cladding supply unit (10) and positioned so that the cladding pipe (1) supplied individually through the above-mentioned cladding supply unit (10) is transported in the axial direction; and A rotation detection unit (30) installed at a predetermined interval above the position alignment unit (20) and transported along the covering pipe (1) to detect the amount of rotation of the covering pipe (1); Including, The above rotation detection unit (30) is A transport rail (32) installed to have a predetermined length along the above position alignment section (20); A transfer block installed to be transferred along the above transfer rail (32); First, a mounting member (34) of a predetermined length that is installed at an angle adjustable on the above-mentioned transfer block; and An encoder (35) installed on the above mounting base (34) to detect the rotation amount of the covering tube (1); A chrome-coated zirconium cladding tube feeder having a rotary encoder, characterized in that it includes:

2. In claim 1, The above transfer block is, A first transport block (33A) transported along the upper end of the above transport rail (32); and A second transport block (33B) transported along the lower end of the above transport rail (32); A chrome-coated zirconium cladding pipe supply device having a rotary encoder applied thereto, characterized in that the first and second transfer blocks (32A, 32B) are configured to alternately reciprocate along the transfer rail (32) without interference with each other.

3. In claim 2, The above encoder (35) is A chrome-coated zirconium cladding tube supply device having a rotary encoder applied thereto, characterized in that the rotary encoder is rotatably installed at the tip of the above-mentioned mounting member (34).

4. In claim 1, The above position alignment part (20) is, A plurality of fixed frames (21) installed vertically at a predetermined height at a predetermined interval on one side of the above-mentioned cladding supply unit (10); A base frame (22) installed to have a predetermined length on the upper part of the above fixed frame (21); and First and second guide rollers (23A, 23B) installed facing each other at a predetermined interval on the base frame (22) to align the position of the covering pipe (1); A chrome-coated zirconium cladding tube feeder having a rotary encoder, characterized in that it includes:

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