Nuclear Reactor Weld Inspection Apparatus with Vacuum Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic scanning devices for inspecting welds in nuclear reactors face challenges such as difficulty in maintaining level during horizontal scanning, limited maneuverability, and the need for large buoyancy chambers, making them cumbersome and difficult to operate within the restricted and radioactive environment of a nuclear reactor.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a rotatable pad, opposing horizontal and vertical pads for precise movement, and an ultrasonic probe mounted on a gimbal sensor, utilizing a vacuum system for adherence to the surface, allowing for efficient horizontal and vertical scanning of welds within the core shroud.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If robotic scanning devices use rollers to travel around the shroud, then they can perform scanning operations, but they have difficulty maintaining level during horizontal weld scanning and have limited maneuverability
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection device uses multiple suction pads that can dynamically adjust their position and orientation to adapt to the shroud surface geometry. The pads can be extended or retracted independently, allowing the device to maintain stable contact and level orientation while moving along horizontal and vertical welds, resolving the contradiction between maneuverability and level maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The device segments its support system into multiple independent suction pads rather than using a single roller mechanism. Each pad can be controlled independently, providing distributed contact points that enhance both maneuverability through selective activation and stability through multi-point support, directly addressing the level maintenance issue during horizontal scanning.
2Stability of the object's composition
If robotic scanning devices use large buoyancy chambers to remain neutrally buoyant, then they can maintain stable position in water, but they become cumbersome and difficult to operate in restricted spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the buoyancy function from large external chambers and replaces it with a compact vacuum system using suction pads. The vacuum pads adhere to the shroud surface, providing stable positioning without requiring large volume displacement, thus achieving neutral buoyancy while minimizing device volume for operation in restricted nuclear reactor spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical buoyancy system (large chambers displacing water) with a vacuum adhesion system. The suction pads create negative pressure to attach to the shroud surface, providing stable positioning through atmospheric pressure differential rather than water displacement, significantly reducing the volume required for stable positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If inspection devices are designed to operate in the narrow space between shroud and jet pumps, then they can access inspection areas, but they have restricted movement and positioning capability
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection device employs dynamically controllable suction pads that can be independently extended, retracted, and repositioned. This dynamic capability allows the device to navigate the narrow gap between shroud and jet pumps by selectively engaging and disengaging pads, maintaining access capability while preserving movement flexibility in the restricted environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes its operational parameters by adjusting the vacuum pressure and pad extension length adaptively. In narrow spaces, the system can reduce vacuum pressure or retract pads to minimize interference with jet pumps, while maintaining sufficient adhesion for positioning, thus balancing access capability with movement capability through parameter modulation.
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 effective inspection of welds in a nuclear reactor by maintaining orientation and stability within the narrow, radioactive, and underwater environment, enhancing the structural integrity assessment and reducing the risk of misalignment and leakage.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a vacuum system for adherence to the surface
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasonic probe mounted on a gimbal sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Example embodiments disclose an apparatus for inspecting welds in a nuclear reactor. The apparatus may include a body, a rotatable pad on the body, a pair of opposing horizontal pads for moving the device in a vertical direction, a pair of opposing vertical pads for moving the device in a horizontal direction, and an inspection device.