Reactor Vessel Nozzle Cutting With Debris Suction Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Workers are exposed to radioactivity and face challenges in safely cutting nozzles of reactor vessels due to the dispersal of foreign substances during the cutting process, as existing methods require direct access and multiple saw blade replacements, increasing the risk of contamination and prolonged exposure.
Innovation Solution
A machine equipped with a cutting unit having saw blades with different contact areas, a drive unit for rotary power, and a foreign substance suction unit that stabilizes and collects debris by approaching the nozzle's outer peripheral surface, minimizing exposure and preventing substance dispersal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple saw blades with different properties are used to cut nozzles, then cutting effectiveness is improved, but the need for frequent saw blade replacement increases worker exposure to radioactivity
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting system is segmented into multiple independent saw blade units, each with different cutting properties (wire saw for rough cutting, band saw for precision cutting). This allows each saw blade to be optimized for specific cutting stages while enabling independent replacement of only the worn blade rather than the entire cutting system, reducing worker exposure during blade replacement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting machine is designed with multi-functionality to accommodate different types of saw blades (wire saw and band saw) within a single device. This universal design allows the machine to perform both rough cutting and precision cutting operations without requiring separate equipment, thereby improving overall cutting effectiveness while maintaining a standardized replacement procedure that minimizes worker exposure.
2Ease of repair
If workers directly enter the dismantlement area for saw blade replacement, then maintenance can be performed, but worker safety is compromised due to radioactivity
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting machine is designed with self-service capabilities including automated or remotely-operated saw blade replacement mechanisms. The system can perform maintenance tasks such as blade replacement without requiring workers to directly enter the high-radiation dismantlement area, thereby maintaining ease of repair while protecting worker safety from radioactive exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
A remote operation system or robotic intermediary is introduced between the worker and the cutting machine. This intermediary allows workers to control the cutting machine and perform saw blade replacement from a safe distance outside the dismantlement area, eliminating direct worker exposure to radioactivity while maintaining full maintenance capability.
3Device complexity
If foreign substances are allowed to disperse during cutting, then the cutting process is simpler, but contamination and cleaning requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting system converts the potentially harmful dispersal of foreign substances into a beneficial contained flow by implementing localized suction at the cutting point. The suction system captures foreign substances immediately where they are generated, converting what would be uncontrolled contamination into a controlled collection process, thereby eliminating the need for complex containment structures while preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The foreign substances generated during cutting are extracted immediately at the source through a suction unit positioned at the cutting point. This extraction system removes harmful particles from the working environment before they can disperse, eliminating contamination issues without requiring complex overall system redesign or simplified cutting processes.
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 machine effectively reduces worker exposure to radioactivity by stabilizing and collecting foreign substances during the cutting process, enhancing safety and efficiency by allowing remote operation and minimizing the need for direct access and saw blade replacements.
Implementation Method 1
a foreign substance suction unit (400) provided at one end of the cutting unit (100) in contiguity with the saw blade part (102) to suck foreign substances generated when the nozzle (3) is cut by the saw blade part (102)
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a machine for cutting nozzles of reactor vessels. The machine for cutting nozzles of reactor vessels comprises a cutting unit positioned at an upper surface edge of a reactor vessel having a nozzle and having a saw blade part having different contact areas to cut the nozzle, a drive unit providing the saw blade part with rotary power, and a foreign substance suction unit provided at one end of the cutting unit in contiguity with the saw blade part to suck foreign substances generated when the nozzle is cut by the saw blade part, wherein the foreign substance suction unit sucks the foreign substances by approaching an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle when the saw blade part moves in a cutting direction of the nozzle.