Magnetic Guide Device for Steam Generator Lance Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide devices for flexible lances in steam generators, such as those in nuclear power stations, face challenges in accessing confined spaces without requiring heavy installations like rails and struggle to inspect or clean all areas due to limited deployment angles and obstacles like vertical welds.
Innovation Solution
A guide device with a trolley form, featuring independently motorized wheels with permanent magnet elements, a pivotable front part for controlled lance deployment, and additional support members, along with cameras and lighting for precise positioning, allows for complete access and stability within the enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a rail system is installed to guide the lance, then the device can move along a fixed path for inspection and cleaning, but the installation becomes complicated and certain areas of the cyclone separator remain inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical rail guidance system with a magnetic field-based positioning system. The trolley uses permanent magnets to adhere to and move along the cylindrical wall of the cyclone separator, eliminating the need for physical rail installation while maintaining guided movement capability for the lance.
Solution Approach 2:
The trolley device integrates multiple functions: it serves as both the mounting platform for the lance and the positioning mechanism itself. The magnetic attachment system allows the trolley to move freely along the cylindrical wall without requiring separate rail infrastructure, making the device adaptable to different cyclone separator configurations.
2Productivity
If the lance is deployed perpendicular to a fixed rail, then the device can inspect and clean along column alignments, but areas of the cyclone separator not aligned with the rail become inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic positioning capabilities where the trolley can move independently along the cylindrical wall in any direction, and the lance can be articulated to deploy at various angles. This replaces the fixed perpendicular deployment constraint with flexible, multi-directional access to all areas of the cyclone separator.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from one-dimensional movement along a fixed rail to two-dimensional movement across the cylindrical surface. The trolley can position itself at any location around the circumference and at different heights, while the lance can articulate to reach areas in front of, behind, and to the sides of the trolley, providing comprehensive three-dimensional coverage.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a heavy rail installation is used to support the guide device, then the device can be positioned stably, but the installation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the heavy mechanical rail support structure with a magnetic field-based support system. The permanent magnets in the trolley create strong magnetic attraction to the ferromagnetic cylindrical wall, providing stable support without requiring time-consuming rail installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic attachment system allows the trolley to self-adhere to the cylindrical wall without external support structures. The device can be easily deployed and repositioned by simply moving the trolley along the wall, eliminating the need for complex installation procedures.
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
Enables thorough inspection and cleaning of steam generator enclosures without a rail, overcoming obstacles and ensuring precise, stable deployment of the lance across the entire enclosure, including areas previously inaccessible.
Implementation Method 1
The holding and moving means advantageously comprise two pairs of wheels comprising permanent magnet elements
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (2) for guiding a flexible lance (3) for inspecting and/or cleaning a confined enclosure (1) having difficult access (4), which comprises a system for driving and guiding a flexible lance (2), hingedly mounted on the device (2), a means for controlling the position of the device, an electric power and control socket intended for being connected, via a flexible cable (17), to an electric power and control device. The device (2) comprises a means for supporting and moving across the inner surface of the wall (5) defining the enclosure (1).