Sintering Shoe Separation Device Eccentric Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The sticking or adhesion phenomenon between shoes transporting nuclear fuel pellets in a sintering furnace prevents the extraction of individual shoes, due to diffusion of molybdenum and release of combustion residues, causing mechanical attachment that hinders actuator operation.
Innovation Solution
A shoe separation device that applies a mechanical stress in a vertical direction to break the adhesive bond between shoes, using eccentrics to lift one shoe relative to the other, with limiting mechanisms to control displacement and ensure safe separation without damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If shoes are moved continuously in a train through the sintering furnace, then productivity is improved, but shoes stick together due to molybdenum diffusion and combustion residues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a preliminary separating action at the airlock station before shoes enter the sintering furnace. A pushing device applies force to separate shoes that may have adhered during loading, preventing stuck shoes from entering the furnace and compromising the entire train operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an airlock as an intermediary zone between the loading area and the sintering furnace. This airlock provides a controlled environment where shoes can be separated using a pushing device, acting as a buffer zone that prevents adhesion problems from propagating into the main sintering process.
2Ease of manufacture
If shoes are extracted individually from the train, then shoe reuse is improved, but sticking prevents successful extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a preliminary separating action at the airlock station before shoes enter the sintering furnace. A pushing device applies force to separate shoes that may have adhered during loading, preventing stuck shoes from entering the furnace and compromising the entire train operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies a pushing force that may be stronger than strictly necessary to ensure separation. The pushing device exerts sufficient force to break adhesive bonds between shoes, using excessive action to guarantee separation success rather than risking insufficient force.
3Reliability
If mechanical stress is applied to separate stuck shoes, then separation is achieved, but shoe damage may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies separating force locally at the interface between stuck shoes rather than applying force to the entire shoe. The pushing device targets specifically the contact zone where adhesion occurs, minimizing stress on the shoe structure and preventing damage while achieving separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the direction and magnitude of applied force to optimize separation while protecting shoes. By applying force horizontally at the shoe interface rather than vertically or with excessive magnitude, the system achieves separation at lower stress levels that preserve shoe integrity.
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
Effectively separates stuck shoes without damaging them, allowing for efficient extraction and reuse, ensuring continuous operation of the sintering process.
Implementation Method 1
The separation means may comprise at least one eccentric able to come into contact with a lower surface of at least one shoe to lift it along an axis substantially orthogonal to a surface for movement of the shoes
Implementation Method 2
This sticking is partly due to the diffusion of molybdenum between a front face of a sabot and a rear face of a previous sabot
Implementation Method 3
a so-called sticking or adhesion phenomenon has been observed between contacting hooves
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~5
AI summary
The subject of the present invention is a device comprising means for separating at least two boats (210.1, 210.2) for transporting nuclear fuel pellets, which are capable of moving along a first axis (X) and two end faces of which are in contact with each other and able to be attached together, said separating means being capable of moving at least one of the two boats (210.1, 210.2), near said contacting end faces, along a vertical second axis (Y) approximately orthogonal to the first axis (X). According to a preferred form of embodiment, the vertical displacement of the boats is carried out by an eccentric which comes into contact with an inner surface of at least one of the boats. According to another form of embodiment, the vertical displacement is carried out by a mechanical shock caused by the free fall of a mass. The invention enables the effective separation of the boats following the sintering.