Spherical Element Positioning Device for Pebble Bed Reactor Burnup Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spherical element detecting and positioning devices in pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactors face challenges in achieving triple functions of automatic material separation, precise positioning, and directional conveyance due to interference from adjacent elements and environmental factors like high-temperature, high-pressure, and radioactive helium environments.
Innovation Solution
A spherical element detecting and positioning device comprising a pressure-bearing casing, internal member, and execution part with a turntable and support lugs, along with a magnetic transmission system, enables precise positioning and directional conveyance by separating spherical elements and using a collimating counter-bored hole for accurate measurement, while the magnetic assembly ensures non-contact sealing and reduced radiation exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a lifter is used to perform dual functions of positioning distribution and pneumatic conveyance, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to interference from downstream airflow and inability to meet operating requirements for burnup measurement and directional conveyance
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into three independent functional modules: a pneumatic conveyance module for transporting spherical elements, a positioning module with support lugs for precise positioning during burnup measurement, and a burnup measurement module. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function independently without interference, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and reliability.
2Measurement precision
If spherical elements are temporarily stored in pipe sections waiting for burnup measurement, then the measurement precision can be improved, but the loss of time increases due to waiting periods
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning module with support lugs performs preliminary positioning of spherical elements before burnup measurement. By pre-positioning elements accurately in the measurement module, the system eliminates the need for repeated positioning adjustments during measurement, thereby reducing measurement time while maintaining high precision.
3Reliability
If equipment assemblies and pipes are arranged to decouple burnup measurement from pneumatic conveyance functions, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges the pneumatic conveyance module, positioning module, and burnup measurement module into an integrated system where the pneumatic conveyance module feeds spherical elements to the positioning module, which then positions them for the burnup measurement module. This merging achieves reliable decoupled functions while avoiding excessive complexity through streamlined integration.
4Measurement precision
If a collimator is used with high-activity y spectrometer for on-line burnup measurement, then the measurement precision is improved, but the object-affected harmful factors increase due to radiation effects from adjacent spherical elements
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning module extracts and isolates a single spherical element from the stream using support lugs, positioning it individually in the burnup measurement module. This extraction eliminates radiation interference from adjacent spherical elements, allowing the collimator and spectrometer to achieve high measurement precision without radiation effects from neighboring elements.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to the field of reactor engineering technologies, and particularly to a spherical element detecting and positioning device. The spherical element detecting and positioning device includes a pressure-bearing casing, an internal member and an execution part; the pressure-bearing casing includes a tank body, one sphere inlet adapter pipe and two sphere outlet adapter pipe respectively arranged on the tank body; the internal member is arranged in the rotor counter-bored hole and includes a lining ring and a limit ring; and the execution part includes a turntable and two support lugs. The spherical element detecting and positioning device provided by the present disclosure can achieve triple functions of performing automatic material separation, precise positioning and directional conveyance of spherical elements, has compact structure and simple control, and can meet the operation reliability and maintainability requirements for long-term and intermittent operation under the strong radioactive environment.