Automatic opening / closing type trolley for remote transfer of spent nuclear fuel in repackaging facility

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic opening / closing type trolley for remote transfer of spent nuclear fuel in a repackaging facility, which has excellent shielding performance so as to minimize radiation due to radioactive materials and moreover to sufficiently carry out the remote transfer of spent nuclear fuel between respective working places in the repackaging facility, the automatic opening / closing type trolley comprising: a transfer cart which is moved on rails by a plurality of transport wheels driven by a driving means; and a storage shielding can comprising an upper shielding plate which is provided on the upper portion of the transfer cart and includes a docking cover that can be opened / closed to close the upper portion of the transfer cart, a fixed shielding plate and a rotating shielding plate for inserting a canister placed on a canister storage can into the side surface thereof and shielding the canister, and a vertical movement plate which moves the canister in the upward direction so as to be carried into the repackaging facility. Accordingly, convenience of use can be provided and conditions of securing high safety and handling the canister more conveniently can be achieved.

Description

Automatic opening and closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic opening and closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility, which is intended to transport and store spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility, and more specifically, to an automatic opening and closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility, which has excellent shielding performance to minimize exposure to radioactive materials and to enable smooth remote transport of spent nuclear fuel between each work space constituting the repackaging facility.

[0002] Spent nuclear fuel from light water reactors undergoes a process where it is sealed in spent fuel canisters after generation, stored for a long period in interim storage facilities, and then finally disposed of.

[0003] For spent nuclear fuel to be finally disposed of, it must be repackaged into disposal containers under a sealed hot cell environment at a repackaging facility located above the disposal site.

[0004] Since the spent nuclear fuel canister is welded and sealed, in order to remove the spent nuclear fuel loaded in it, the welded lid must be cut and opened in a sealed hot cell environment.

[0005] To open a spent nuclear fuel canister, which has been transported in a transport container, a means of safely transporting it to a work area within a hot cell environment is required. Furthermore, a means of easily cutting the canister lid is also required.

[0006] Normally, spent nuclear fuel canisters are lifted by attaching a lifting adapter through the screw holes on the lid, but in the case of spent nuclear fuel repackaging facilities, an automated method of movement is also required to reduce the amount of hazardous substances that may be generated during handling.

[0007] The concept of transporting spent nuclear fuel within the repackaging facility is as shown in Figure 1 below.

[0008] [Figure 1]

[0009] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91, December 2025] Deleted

[0010] In other words, the repackaging facility for repackaging containers of spent nuclear fuel before disposal consists of the following processes as shown in Figure 1: container entry → movement to underground transport route → separation of transport container and canister lid → repackaging in the fuel handling hot cell.

[0011] As mentioned above, prior art documents for transporting or handling canisters to a repackaging facility are as follows.

[0012] First, as disclosed in Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-0905379 (hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 1'), a technology has been proposed for handling spent nuclear fuel for deep geological disposal, wherein a disposal container (canister) contained within a transport container is positioned at the disposal container joint of a hot cell by a transport unit moving on a rail, and then stored into the hot cell by a transport unit provided in the hot cell.

[0013] In addition, as disclosed in Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2305376 and Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2050141 (hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 2'), technology such as a system for transferring spent nuclear fuel from a wet storage facility to a dry storage facility for inserting and withdrawing canisters into and from a cask, and a modular portable cask transfer facility have also been proposed.

[0014] In addition, as disclosed in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 111617974 (hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 3'), a technology such as a mobile radioactive waste sorting device in which a radioactive waste steel drum is inserted into or withdrawn from a sorting waste barrel by a magic hand of a trolley equipped on an installation platform has also been proposed.

[0015] In addition, as disclosed in U.S. Registered Patent Publication US 10304576 (hereinafter referred to as 'Patent Document 4'), a technology such as a canister transfer system has been proposed that inserts and withdraws a canister into and out of a shielded bell by a canister trolley that moves along a carrier, as well as moves the shielded bell.

[0016] However, Patent Document 1 has the disadvantage that the process of inserting and withdrawing the disposal container into the transport container is considerably cumbersome and inconvenient, and also has the risk of exposure due to the frequent leakage of radioactive material as the transport container is not airtight.

[0017] Patent Document 2 also has the disadvantage that the process of inserting and withdrawing the canister into and out of the cask is quite cumbersome and inconvenient, and there is a concern for exposure due to the frequent leakage of radioactive material as the cask is not airtight.

[0018] Patent Document 3 also has the disadvantage that the process of inserting and withdrawing the waste steel drum from the sorted waste barrel is considerably cumbersome and inconvenient, and there is a concern for exposure due to the frequent leakage of radioactive material as the sorted waste drum is not airtight.

[0019] Patent Document 4 also has the disadvantage that the process of inserting and withdrawing the canister into and out of the shielded bell is considerably cumbersome and inconvenient, and there is a concern for exposure due to the frequent leakage of radioactive material as the shielded bell is not guaranteed to have high airtightness.

[0020] <Prior Art Literature>

[0021] <Patent Literature>

[0022] Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-0905379

[0023] Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2305376

[0024] Republic of Korea Registered Patent Publication No. 10-2050141

[0025] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN 111617974

[0026] U.S. Patent Publication No. US 10304576

[0027] The specific technical solution of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems is to provide an automatically opening and closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility, which has excellent shielding performance, thereby minimizing exposure to radioactive materials and enabling smooth remote transport of spent nuclear fuel between each work space constituting the repackaging facility.

[0028] Another specific technical problem of the present invention is to ensure that the rotation of the rotating shielding plate can be performed stably.

[0029] The specific technical solution of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned specific technical problem comprises: a transport cart transported on a rail by a plurality of transport wheels rotated by a driving means; and a storage shield can including an upper shield plate having an openable and closable docking cover provided on the upper part of the transport cart to close the upper part, a fixed shield plate and a rotating shield plate for inserting and shielding a canister placed on a canister storage can laterally, and an up and down moving plate for moving the canister upward so that it can be brought into a repackaging facility.

[0030] The upper shielding plate is supported by at least three transfer screws that are rotated by a driving means provided on the transfer cart, and includes a docking cover having a plurality of lifting legs formed on the upper surface so as to be openable in the center.

[0031] The fixed shielding plate is fixed in a semicircular shape to one side of the upper closing plate of the transfer carriage and the upper closing plate, and the rotating shielding plate is also rotated by a rotation means on a guide rail provided on the upper surface of the transfer carriage so as to close and open the open part of the fixed shielding plate in a semicircular shape.

[0032] The above guide rail includes an inner guide rail that supports the inner surface of the rotating shielding plate and an outer guide rail that supports the outer surface so that the rotating shielding plate is stably guided.

[0033] The above-mentioned rotating means includes an opening / closing roller that rotates to contact the outer surface of the rotating shielding plate so that the open portion of the fixed shielding plate is opened / closed, and a driving means for rotating the opening / closing roller on the transfer carriage.

[0034] The above-described vertical moving plate is secured to at least one conveying screw supporting the upper closing plate and is raised and lowered.

[0035] The present invention has excellent shielding performance, thereby minimizing exposure to radioactive materials and enabling smooth remote movement of spent nuclear fuel between each workspace constituting the repackaging facility, thus providing conditions for ensuring high safety as well as convenience of use, and conditions for making the handling of canisters even more convenient.

[0036] In addition, by ensuring that the rotation of the rotating shield plate is stable, it also has the effect of securing high reliability for the product.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotary opening / closing plate in an open state to explain the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a storage vehicle for a canister according to FIG. 1. The present invention has excellent shielding performance, thereby minimizing exposure to radioactive materials and enabling smooth remote movement of spent nuclear fuel between each workspace constituting a repackaging facility, thereby providing convenience of use and ensuring high safety, while also providing conditions for more convenient handling of the canister.

[0039] In addition, it has the effect of ensuring high product reliability by ensuring stable rotation of the rotating shield. The order of insertion into the waste can is also as follows.

[0040] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the process of removing a canister into a repackaging facility according to Figure 1.

[0041] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, and the present invention is not limited or restricted by the embodiments.

[0042] The terms and words used in the present invention described below should not be interpreted as limited to their usual or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of ​​the present invention based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the term to explain his or her own invention in the best way.

[0043] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that can replace them at the time of filing this application.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotating opening / closing plate in an open state to explain the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of inserting a canister according to FIG. 1 into a storage shielding can, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of taking a canister out into a repackaging facility according to FIG. 1.

[0045] As described above, since the spent nuclear fuel canister is welded and sealed as described in the background technology of the invention, removing the spent nuclear fuel loaded therein requires cutting the welded lid in a sealed hot cell environment (repackaging facility).

[0046] In spent nuclear fuel repackaging facilities, an automated transport method is required to reduce hazardous substances that may be generated during handling.

[0047] Accordingly, conventional techniques for transporting or handling spent nuclear fuel canisters have the disadvantage of being quite cumbersome and inconvenient in the process of inserting and removing the canisters into the handling container, and also, since the handling container does not guarantee high airtightness, there are frequent cases of radioactive material leakage, raising concerns about radiation exposure.

[0048] The present invention provides an automatically opening and closing trolley for the remote transfer of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility, which minimizes exposure to radioactive materials by having excellent shielding performance and enables smooth remote transfer of spent nuclear fuel between each workspace constituting the repackaging facility.

[0049] The automatic opening and closing trolley (1) for remote transfer of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility according to the present invention has a specific technical configuration including a transfer cart (10) and a storage shielded can (20).

[0050] The transport cart (10) is for transporting spent nuclear fuel canisters (100) on rails provided in the underground transport path of a repackaging facility, and has a technical configuration in which it is transported on rails by a plurality of transport wheels (11) that are rotated by a driving means (not shown), such as a motor. The driving means is provided inside the transport cart.

[0051] In other words, the transfer trolley is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate or frame for loading on the upper surface, and it is preferable that multiple transfer wheels be formed with a pair of transfer wheels spaced apart at a predetermined interval so that stable transfer can be achieved on rails on both sides.

[0052] The storage shielding can (20) has a technical configuration including an upper shielding plate (22), a fixed shielding plate (24), a rotating shielding plate (26), and an up-and-down moving plate (28).

[0053] The upper shield plate (22) has a technical configuration that closes the upper portion by providing an openable docking cover (22A) on the upper portion of the transfer cart (10).

[0054] In the above, the specific technical configuration of the upper shielding plate (22) is supported by at least three or more transfer screws (23) that are rotated by a driving means (not shown) including each motor or one motor and a power transmission means provided on the transfer cart (10), and includes a docking cover (22A) having a plurality of lifting legs (legs, 22A-1) formed on the upper surface so as to be openable at the center. Three or more transfer screws are sufficient, but it is preferable that four are arranged as shown so as to stably support the upper shielding plate and also stably raise and lower the vertical moving plate. The upper and lower ends of the at least three or more transfer screws are mounted on respective bearings provided on the upper shielding plate and the transfer cart, and have a technical configuration in which they are rotated by the driving means to support the upper shielding plate and raise and lower the vertical moving plate.

[0055] In other words, the upper shielding plate serves to shield radiation, which is radioactive material generated from canisters stored inside, along with the fixed shielding plate, the rotating shielding plate, and the transfer carriage.

[0056] In addition, the above docking cover is separated when bringing the canister into the repackaging facility. When it is positioned at the docking hole (210) of the repackaging facility (200), it is separated by bringing it into the repackaging facility using a lifting leg by means of a crane (not shown) inside the repackaging facility.

[0057] The fixed shielding plate (24) and the rotating shielding plate (26) have a technical configuration for inserting and shielding the canister (100) placed on the canister storage can (110) from the side. The canister storage can (110) has a seating groove (112) formed on its upper surface into which the lower part of the canister (100) is inserted, and a plurality of insertion grooves (114) formed on its lower side into which a forklift fork can be inserted, thereby allowing the canister (100) to be placed on the seating groove (28A) formed on the upper surface of the upper and lower moving plate (28), thereby serving to safely and stably store the canister (100).

[0058] The above-described fixed shielding plate (24) is fixed in a semicircular shape to one side of the upper shielding plate (22) and the transfer carriage (10), and the rotating shielding plate (26) is also in a semicircular shape and is rotated by a rotation means (14) on a guide rail (12) provided on the upper surface of the transfer carriage (10) so as to close and open the open portion of the fixed shielding plate (24). The rotating shielding plate has a larger diameter such that the radius diameter is located on the outer surface of the fixed shielding plate. A sealing member in the form of a ring or pad (not shown) is attached to the inner upper part of the rotating shielding plate to cover the space between the upper closing plates and to serve as a shield.

[0059] In other words, the rotating shielding plate opens the open portion of the fixed shielding plate on the guide rail by means of a rotating means so that the canister can be inserted from the side, and after insertion is complete, it closes to serve as a shield. Accordingly, since the insertion of the canister is made through the side rather than being pulled in and out from the top as in the conventional method, the insertion of the canister can be made much easier and more convenient.

[0060] In addition, since the inserted canister is shielded by an upper closing plate, a fixed shielding plate, a rotating shielding plate, and a transfer trolley, conditions can be established to minimize exposure.

[0061] In the above, it is preferable that the guide rail (12) includes an inner guide rail (12A) that supports the inner surface of the rotating shield plate (26) and an outer guide rail (12B) that supports the outer surface so that the rotating shield plate (26) is stably guided. That is, as the inner guide rail supports the inner surface of the rotating shield plate and the outer guide rail supports the outer surface, the guide rail can be opened and closed smoothly and stably.

[0062] The above-described rotating means (14) includes an opening / closing roller (14A) that is rotated to contact the outer surface of the rotating shielding plate (26) so as to open / close the open portion of the fixed shielding plate (24), and a driving means (not shown), such as a motor that rotates the opening / closing roller (14A) on the transfer carriage (10). It is preferable that the opening / closing roller be made of a material such as rubber, silicone, or urethane that can smoothly transmit rotational force by being in close contact with the outer surface of the rotating shielding plate.

[0063] Accordingly, by smoothly opening or closing the above-mentioned rotating shield plate on the guide rail, not only is the canister inserted smoothly, but safety against radiation, which is a radioactive material, can be secured through shielding after the canister is inserted.

[0064] The upper and lower moving plate (28) is fixedly connected to at least one transfer screw (23) that supports the upper shielding plate (22) and is raised and lowered.

[0065] In other words, the above at least three conveying screws are rotated by a driving means provided on the conveying trolley, and when the canister is conveyed in a shielded state and positioned at the docking hole of the repackaging facility, the docking cover is removed, and then the upper and lower moving plate is raised toward the docking hole by the rotation of the driving means so that it can be brought into the repackaging facility.

[0066] In this way, when the canister is brought into the repackaging facility, the raised vertical moving plate is lowered again by the driving means and positioned again to a position where the canister can be inserted.

[0067] In addition, when the canister is brought into the repackaging facility and the upper and lower moving plates are lowered, the removed docking cover is put back on the upper shielding plate, thereby waiting to be transported again through the underground passage.

[0068] Accordingly, the present invention has excellent shielding performance, thereby minimizing exposure to radioactive materials and enabling smooth remote movement of spent nuclear fuel between each workspace constituting the repackaging facility, thus providing convenience of use and ensuring high safety, as well as conditions for handling the canister more conveniently.

[0069] In addition, it has the conditions for securing high reliability of the product by ensuring that the rotation of the rotating shield plate is stable.

[0070] <Explanation of Symbols>

[0071] 1 : Trolley

[0072] 10: Transfer trolley 11: Transfer wheel

[0073] 12: Guide rail 12A: Inner guide rail

[0074] 12B: Outer guide rail 14: Rotation means

[0075] 14A: Opening / closing roller 20: Storage shielding can

[0076] 22: Upper shielding plate 22A: Docking cover

[0077] 22A-1: Lifting leg 23: Transfer screw

[0078] 24: Fixed shield plate 26: Rotating shield plate

[0079] 28 : Vertical moving plate 28A : Seating groove

[0080] 100 : Canister 110 : Canister storage can

[0081] 112 : Seating groove 114 : Insertion groove

[0082] 200 : Repaving facility 210 : Docking hole

Claims

1. A transport carriage that is transported on a rail by a plurality of transport wheels that are rotated by a driving means; and An automatic opening / closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel within a repackaging facility, comprising: a storage shield can having an upper shield plate that closes the upper portion by having an openable docking cover on the upper portion of the transfer cart; a fixed shield plate and a rotating shield plate that laterally insert and shield a canister placed on a canister storage can; and an up / down moving plate that moves the canister upward so that it can be transported to a repackaging facility.

2. In paragraph 1, An automatic opening / closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel in a repackaging facility, wherein the upper shielding plate is supported by at least three or more transfer screws that are rotated by a driving means provided on the transfer cart, and includes a docking cover having a plurality of lifting legs formed on the upper surface so as to be openable in the center.

3. In paragraph 1, An automatic opening / closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel in a repackaging facility, wherein the fixed shielding plate is fixed to the upper part of one side of the transfer cart and the upper closing plate in a semicircular shape, and the rotating shielding plate is also rotated by a rotating means on a guide rail provided on the upper surface of the transfer cart so as to close and open the open part of the fixed shielding plate in a semicircular shape.

4. In paragraph 3, An automatic opening and closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel in a repackaging facility, the guide rail including an inner guide rail that supports the inner surface of the rotating shield plate and an outer guide rail that supports the outer surface so that the rotating shield plate is stably guided.

5. In paragraph 3, An automatic opening / closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel in a repackaging facility, wherein the above-mentioned rotating means includes an opening / closing roller that is rotated to open / close the open portion of the fixed shield plate by contacting the outer surface of the above-mentioned rotating shield plate, and a driving means that rotates the opening / closing roller on the above-mentioned transport cart.

6. In paragraph 2, An automatic opening and closing trolley for remote transport of spent nuclear fuel in a repackaging facility, wherein the upper and lower moving plates are fixedly and elevated to at least one transfer screw supporting the upper closure plate.

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