Retaining Fork for Nuclear Reactor Irradiation Targets
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing short-term radioisotopes are limited by the need for cumbersome and expensive irradiation equipment, which is often not feasible in end-use facilities due to space and safety constraints, and require quick transportation of short-lived isotopes, necessitating on-site production in nuclear reactors that can interfere with operations.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows for the movement and management of irradiation targets within instrumentation tubes of a nuclear reactor using a traversable path and retention mechanisms, such as a restricting fork, to control the passage of objects, enabling efficient irradiation and retrieval of radioisotopes without shutting down the reactor, and includes compact, self-contained retainer systems with motors and communication circuitry for remote operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional accelerators or low-power reactors are used to produce radioisotopes, then the equipment can be placed on-site at medical or industrial facilities, but the equipment becomes cumbersome and expensive, and space and safety constraints make it prohibitive at end-use facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the irradiation target production function from complex on-site equipment and relocates it to a nuclear reactor's instrumentation tube system. The target is inserted into the instrumentation tube, irradiated in-situ, and then removed through the same tube, eliminating the need for cumbersome external irradiation equipment at end-use facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrumentation tube serves multiple functions: it acts as a protective barrier, a transport conduit for the irradiation target, and a housing for the radioisotope production process. This multi-functional use of existing reactor infrastructure eliminates the need for dedicated irradiation equipment.
2Ease of operation
If irradiation equipment is installed at end-use facilities, then on-site production is enabled, but space and safety constraints make it prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The irradiation target is nested within the existing instrumentation tube of the nuclear reactor. The target fits inside the tube's internal volume, and the entire assembly is contained within the reactor's existing structural framework, utilizing available space efficiently without requiring additional external infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrumentation tube serves as an intermediary structure that enables the irradiation process. It provides a pre-existing pathway and containment structure that allows the target to be inserted, irradiated, and removed without requiring direct installation of complex irradiation equipment at the end-use facility.
3Reliability
If reactor operation is interrupted for irradiation target insertion and removal, then safe access can be maintained, but productivity is reduced due to downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The irradiation target is inserted into the instrumentation tube before the reactor reaches full power level, allowing irradiation to begin during reactor operation. The target is positioned and secured in advance, enabling the reactor to be brought to operating conditions without interruption for subsequent irradiation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic operation where the reactor can be operated at different power levels during the irradiation process. The target remains inserted during operation, and the system can adapt power levels to optimize both safety and productivity, eliminating the need to shut down for routine irradiation operations.
4Reliability
If access to instrumentation tubes is restricted during operation, then safety is maintained, but the ability to insert and remove targets is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the reactor's own operational characteristics and existing infrastructure to enable target insertion and removal. The instrumentation tube's design and the reactor's operational procedures work together to allow safe access during operation without requiring external intervention or special access protocols.
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 the reliable and efficient production and removal of short-term radioisotopes within instrumentation tubes during reactor operation, maximizing production while maintaining safety and minimizing interference with existing instrumentation and operational processes.
Implementation Method 1
an example embodiment retention assembly includes a restriction fork that can move into and squeeze an area available for passage, preventing objects larger than the fork tines' separation from passing
Implementation Method 2
a driving plunger that pushed the targets is retractable through the fork
Implementation Method 3
Elements, and specific isotopes thereof, may be formed by bombarding parent materials with appropriate radiation to cause a conversion to desired daughter isotopes
Data Source
AI summary
A retainer is placed on a conduit to control movement of objects within the conduit in access-restricted areas. Retainers can prevent or allow movement in the conduit in a discriminatory fashion. A fork with variable-spacing between prongs can be a retainer and be extended or collapsed with respect to the conduit to change the size of the conduit. Different objects of different sizes may thus react to the fork differently, some passing and some being blocked. Retainers can be installed in inaccessible areas and allow selective movement in remote portions of conduit where users cannot directly interface, including below nuclear reactors. Position detectors can monitor the movement of objects through the conduit remotely as well, permitting engagement of a desired level of restriction and object movement. Retainers are useable in a variety of nuclear power plants and with irradiation target delivery, harvesting, driving, and other remote handling or robotic systems.