Shielded Storage Basket for Radioactive Element Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for loading radioactive elements, such as worn RCC guides in nuclear reactors, are inefficient and expose operators to significant radiation due to the need for individual transfer and handling under ambient air, which increases operational time and costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a radiologically shielded storage basket that holds multiple radioactive elements underwater, allowing simultaneous loading into a package, eliminating the need for a transfer hood and reducing exposure time and costs by using complementary shapes for secure positioning and additional radiological protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radioactive elements are transferred one by one through a transfer hood from the pool to the package, then operators receive radiological protection during transfer, but the operational time is excessively long and radiation exposure remains significant
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the radioactive elements into groups of up to ten elements per basket. Instead of transferring elements individually, multiple elements are grouped together in shielded baskets that can be transferred as single units, dramatically reducing the number of transfer operations required
Solution Approach 2:
The shielded basket acts as an intermediary device between the pool and the package. Elements are placed in the basket underwater, the basket is extracted and transferred as a complete unit, and then elements are loaded into the package. This intermediary structure enables batch transfer while maintaining radiological protection
2Ease of operation
If individual transfer operations are performed for each radioactive element, then precise control over each element is maintained, but the number of operations increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments elements into batches of up to ten per basket, allowing controlled group transfer rather than individual transfer. This maintains operational control while reducing the total number of operations from potentially dozens to just a few basket transfers
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple radioactive elements are pre-loaded into the shielded basket while still underwater in the pool. This preliminary grouping action is performed once per basket, and then the entire group is transferred and loaded in a single operation, dramatically improving productivity
3Reliability
If a transfer hood is used to provide radiological protection during element transfer, then operators are protected, but the device complexity and implementation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the radiological protection function from the complex transfer hood structure and integrates it directly into the simpler basket design. The basket itself becomes the protective structure, eliminating the need for a separate hood system
Solution Approach 2:
The shielded basket serves multiple functions: it contains and protects multiple radioactive elements during pool operations, provides radiological shielding during extraction and transfer, and facilitates batch loading into the package. This multi-functional design replaces the specialized transfer hood
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 method significantly reduces operator radiation exposure, shortens operational time, and optimizes the loading process by allowing multiple elements to be loaded simultaneously, while meeting regulatory transport and storage criteria.
Implementation Method 1
placement of a plurality of radioactive elements in a storage basket provided with radiological protection means, in the pool
Implementation Method 2
each radioactive element is held in place by gravity in its storage basket
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of loading radioactive elements (8) in a package comprising the following steps:(a) placement of a plurality of radioactive elements (8) in a storage basket (30) provided with radiological protection means (32), in the pool;(b) extraction of the basket (30) containing the radioactive elements (8) out of the pool; and(c) loading said basket (30) containing the radioactive elements (8), into the package.