Floating Leveling Platform for HTGR Reactor Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic leveling type maintenance platforms for high-temperature gas cooled reactors face challenges in quickly and safely leveling the maintenance platform, leading to potential damage and safety accidents due to telescopic support leg stress changes and complex fine-tuning requirements.
Innovation Solution
An automatic leveling type maintenance platform utilizing a floating leveling assembly with a water driving system, where a liquid storage groove and housing provide buoyancy for a floating plate, allowing for automatic and rapid leveling without telescopic motion of support legs, and incorporating a sliding block assembly and lifting guide mechanism for precise locking and fixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If telescopic support legs are used for automatic leveling, then the platform can be leveled automatically, but the control system becomes complex and fine-tuning takes a long time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical telescopic support leg system with a floating platform system that utilizes buoyancy forces from liquid. The housing contains liquid that can enter or exit the working cavity, creating buoyancy that automatically levels the floating plate without requiring complex telescopic mechanisms or control systems. This substitution of mechanical systems with physical principles (buoyancy) resolves the contradiction between automation and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating platform system is self-leveling through the natural action of buoyancy. When liquid enters the working cavity, the floating plate automatically rises and levels itself without external control intervention. The system uses its own resources (liquid buoyancy) to achieve leveling, eliminating the need for complex control systems and repeated fine-tuning operations.
2Extent of automation
If telescopic support legs are used for automatic leveling, then the platform can be leveled automatically, but repeated adjustment takes a long time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces iterative mechanical adjustment of telescopic legs with a single-action liquid buoyancy system. By controlling liquid flow into the working cavity, the floating plate achieves leveling in one operation rather than through repeated extension and retraction cycles. This eliminates the time-consuming fine-tuning process while maintaining automatic leveling capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If telescopic support legs are used, then the platform can be adjusted, but great stress change on fulcrum causes slipping and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fulcrum and telescopic leg system with a floating platform system that distributes weight through buoyancy forces. The floating plate rests on liquid rather than mechanical contact points, eliminating stress concentration at fulcrums. This substitution prevents slipping and damage while maintaining the ability to adjust platform height and position through liquid flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid in the working cavity acts as a cushioning medium that absorbs stress and prevents sudden impacts or overloads. When the floating plate needs adjustment, the liquid provides gradual, controlled buoyancy changes rather than abrupt mechanical movements. This beforehand cushioning through liquid medium prevents the great stress changes that cause slipping and damage in traditional telescopic systems.
4Ease of operation
If telescopic support legs are used, then the platform can be leveled, but surface damage to spherical top cap and safety accidents may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces contact-based mechanical telescopic legs with a non-contact floating platform system. The floating plate is supported by liquid buoyancy without mechanical contact to the spherical top cap surface, eliminating scratching and damage. The support legs remain stationary while the floating platform adjusts through liquid flow, completely avoiding surface contact and associated safety hazards.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The platform achieves quick and safe leveling with reduced risk of damage and accidents, eliminating the need for complex fine-tuning and providing shock absorption, thus enhancing maintenance efficiency and safety.
Implementation Method 1
provide buoyancy for automatic leveling of the floating plate
Implementation Method 2
The water driving assembly is arranged on the platform body and is capable of driving the housing to be close to or away from an inner bottom surface of the liquid storage groove, to enable the leveling liquid to flow into or flow out of the working cavity of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic leveling type maintenance platform for a high-temperature gas cooled reactor is provided. A floating plate is automatically leveled by using a leveling liquid. During leveling, only a water driving assembly needs to be controlled to drive a housing to be close to an inner bottom surface of a liquid storage container. A sliding block assembly and a lifting guide mechanism are controlled to be locked and fixed after the floating plate is leveled. The floating plate can allow for automatic and rapid leveling and locking operation. Thus, complex and time-consuming fine adjustment control does not need to be performed. Also, when the platform is used in a spherical top cap of a pressure vessel of the reactor for a maintenance operation, then support legs of a support assembly do not need to have telescopic motion.