Irradiation Target Handling in Nuclear Reactor Instrumentation Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of short-lived radioisotopes for medical and industrial applications is hindered by the need for cumbersome and expensive on-site irradiation and extraction equipment, which is often cost-, space-, and safety-prohibitive, and requires quick transportation due to their short half-lives, necessitating efficient methods for generating and retrieving these isotopes without disrupting nuclear reactor operations.
Innovation Solution
A system for delivering and retrieving irradiation targets within inaccessible nuclear reactors, utilizing penetration pathways and loading/offloading systems that allow for the movement of targets between origin and instrumentation tubes, enabling irradiation and harvesting outside access barriers, with drive systems and containment mechanisms to ensure safety and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If on-site irradiation and extraction equipment is used, then radioisotope production is achievable, but cost, space, and safety requirements become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the irradiation target from the complex on-site equipment and places it in a simple penetration tube that can be manually or automatically inserted into the reactor. The target is irradiated in-situ within the reactor core, then retrieved through the same simple tube, eliminating the need for complex on-site irradiation and extraction equipment while maintaining radioisotope production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The penetration tube serves as an intermediary element that bridges the simple external handling system and the complex reactor interior. It allows the irradiation target to be introduced into and removed from the reactor core without requiring complex equipment at the external handling end, thus simplifying the overall system while enabling effective irradiation
2Loss of time
If short-lived radioisotopes are produced, then timely delivery is achieved, but transportation time must be minimized due to quick decay
Solution Approach 1:
The irradiation target is placed in the reactor core and irradiated for an optimized duration before retrieval. This preliminary irradiation action ensures that the radioisotopes are produced with sufficient activity while minimizing the total time the target spends in the reactor. The quick retrieval through the simple penetration tube system enables timely delivery even for short-lived isotopes with half-lives of days or hours
3Ease of operation
If manual handling of irradiation targets is used, then simplicity is maintained, but productivity and automation are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The penetration tube system is designed with universal functionality that can accommodate both manual handling and automated retrieval mechanisms. The same simple tube structure used for manual insertion can also integrate with automated drive systems, conveyor mechanisms, or robotic handlers, allowing the system to scale from manual to automated operation without requiring fundamental design changes, thus maintaining ease of operation while enabling improved productivity
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods produce radioisotopes in instrumentation tubes of operating commercial nuclear reactors. Irradiation targets may be inserted and removed from instrumentation tubes during operation and converted to radioisotopes otherwise unavailable during operation of commercial nuclear reactors. Example apparatuses may continuously insert, remove, and store irradiation targets to be converted to useable radioisotopes or other desired materials at several different origin and termination points accessible outside an access barrier such as a containment building, drywell wall, or other access restriction preventing access to instrumentation tubes during operation of the nuclear plant.