Pneumatic Fuel Pellet Isolator for Nuclear Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing isolating plants for nuclear fuel pellets require precise coordination of conveyor belt speeds and often result in errors such as double isolations, leading to inefficiencies and potential standstill, especially when handling pellets of different types and dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A pressure-gas-driven separating device is used between the feeding and output devices, employing pressure-gas pulses to separate fuel pellets pneumatically, eliminating direct mechanical interaction and minimizing errors through a high-speed solenoid valve and synchronized control unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical conveyor belts with pushing pins are used for isolating fuel pellets, then the pellets can be separated and conveyed, but the system requires extremely precise coordination of circulating speeds and complex control logics, leading to frequent errors and potential standstills
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical conveyor belt system with pushing pins with a pneumatic separation system using pressure-gas pulses. The separating device uses controlled gas pressure to push individual pellets from the input stack to the output conveyor, eliminating the need for complex mechanical coordination and control logics while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a pneumatic separation mechanism where pressure-gas pulses are applied to individual fuel pellets to transfer them from the input device to the output device. This pneumatic approach simplifies the control system compared to mechanical coordination while maintaining precise isolation capability.
2Reliability
If mechanical pushing pins are used to separate pellets, then isolation can be achieved, but direct mechanical interaction causes radioactively loaded dust to detach from pellet surfaces and be carried into the surrounding atmosphere
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical contact with pneumatic pressure-gas pulses for pellet separation. This substitution eliminates the mechanical friction and impact that cause dust detachment, while still achieving reliable isolation of individual pellets from the input stack to the output conveyor.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces pressure-gas pulses as an intermediary medium to transfer pellets between conveyors. The gas acts as a non-contact force transmitter, separating the pellet from direct mechanical interaction with conveyor surfaces and pushing pins, thereby preventing dust generation and contamination.
3Productivity
If high processing speeds are achieved with mechanical conveyor systems, then productivity increases, but errors such as double isolations occur more frequently, requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic separation system using pressure-gas pulses enables high-speed operation with improved accuracy. The gas pulses can be precisely controlled in timing and intensity, allowing reliable single-pellet isolation even at high processing speeds, eliminating double isolation errors associated with mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the separation mechanism from mechanical to pneumatic, allowing dynamic adjustment of pulse pressure and timing parameters. This enables optimization of both processing speed and isolation accuracy, preventing errors like double isolations that plague mechanical systems operating at high speeds.
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
This solution ensures reliable and interruption-free isolation of nuclear fuel pellets at high processing speeds, reducing the risk of contamination and material damage, while avoiding double or zero separations and maintaining a gentle handling process.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure-gas-driven separating device is arranged in a delivery area located between the feeding device and the output device, in which the fed nuclear fuel pellets are separated from each other during operation of the plant by pressure-gas pulses
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An isolating plant (2) for isolating objects, in particular nuclear fuel pellets (6), fed in stacks, having a feeding conveyor belt (10) and having an output conveyor belt (26), shall be constituted in such a way that a particularly reliable and interruption-free isolation of the fed objects is possible with, at the same time, a high processing speed. For this purpose, according to the invention, in a delivery area (38) situated between the feeding conveyor belt (10) and the output conveyor belt (26), a separating device (24) driven by a pressure gas is arranged, in which the fed objects are separated from each other during operation of the plant by purposeful pressure-gas pulses in order to be delivered one by one to the output conveyor belt (26).