Nuclear Pool Cleaner with Buoyancy and Turbine Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional floor and wall cleaners for nuclear reactor pools are inadequate due to their inability to navigate narrow spaces, overcome obstacles, and efficiently clean walls, primarily due to high weight, limited maneuverability, and the need for human intervention, which poses radiation exposure risks and inefficiencies in decontamination processes.
Innovation Solution
A floor and wall cleaner with a stainless steel structure featuring independently driven rollers, elastic hinges, and turbines for wall gripping, along with a floatation system to reduce weight and enhance maneuverability, allowing for controlled movement and cleaning of both floors and walls, including sloping surfaces, using a combination of motors and mechanical transmission assemblies for precise operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional absorption systems are used to maintain grip on walls, then the device can adhere to surfaces, but the high minimum weight of stainless steel construction causes the absorption system to fail in maintaining grip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the anti-weight principle by introducing a floatation system that provides buoyant force to counterbalance the device's weight. The floatation system includes a float with variable volume that can be inflated or deflated to adjust the counterbalancing force, effectively reducing the net weight acting on the absorption system and enabling reliable wall adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the floatation system by using a variable volume float that can be inflated or deflated. This parameter change allows dynamic adjustment of the counterbalancing force to match different operational requirements, solving the weight-adhesion contradiction
2Reliability
If the device is made of stainless steel to be decontaminated, then it meets safety requirements, but the high minimum weight prevents effective wall cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The floatation system provides buoyant counterweight to offset the heavy stainless steel construction, enabling the device to achieve both the required decontamination capability through stainless steel materials and the necessary weight reduction for effective wall cleaning operation
3Ease of operation
If conventional cleaners are used, then they can clean floors, but they cannot navigate narrow spaces or overcome obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the exterior rollers movable through elastic hinges that allow them to adapt their position. The rollers can move independently to navigate narrow spaces and overcome obstacles while maintaining cleaning contact with surfaces, combining cleaning capability with enhanced maneuverability
4Ease of operation
If the cleaner is positioned manually in narrow spaces, then cleaning can be performed, but the positioning task is extremely delicate and requires human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service through autonomous navigation capabilities where the cleaner positions itself automatically using sensors and control systems. The device can navigate narrow spaces and position itself for cleaning tasks without human intervention, reducing operational complexity while maintaining ease of use
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 cleaner effectively navigates complex pool geometries, overcomes obstacles, and efficiently cleans both floors and walls with reduced radiation exposure risks, minimizing decontamination costs by using a single device for both tasks and providing enhanced maneuverability and adherence on uneven surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
A float or buoy of variable volume
Implementation Method 2
A set of turbines for gripping the wall
Implementation Method 3
Drive belts on each side, driven by respective motors
Implementation Method 4
A casing or housing provided with a suction mouth
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cleaner comprising an external shell or casing (1) forming a suction hood, and an upper suction mouth (2), said casing also being provided with drive means arranged on each side and equipped with independent motors and corresponding transmission mechanisms on each side, and cleaning rollers (51, 52, 53, 54). In addition, the cleaner comprises: sets of internal cleaning rollers (53, 54) disposed close to the centre of the hollow interior of the casing (1) and having a width that is approximately equal to the distance between the side elements (11) of said casing (1); sets of external cleaning rollers (51, 52) located close to the front and rear edges of the casing (1) of the cleaning device and having a total width that is slightly greater than the width of the casing; a resilient joint at the support for the external rollers; a pair of adhesion turbines, possibly a suction turbine; and auxiliary drive wheels on the internal cleaning rollers. The cleaner also comprises a flotation body (200) connected to the casing (1) and having a fixed and/or variable volume. The cleaner further comprises laterally mobile turbines.