Steam Generator Heating Tube Inspection Probe with Guide Rail Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional remote inspection apparatuses for steam generator heating tubes face inefficiencies due to sagging issues and the need for constant correctional control, making it time-consuming to inspect the entire area effectively.
Innovation Solution
A remote inspection apparatus with a fixing unit installed in a steam generator's hand hole, featuring guide rails and a probe feeding unit driven by a steel belt, allowing for easy installation and thorough inspection of heating tubes, including areas previously hard to reach, with a camera for real-time monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional remote inspection apparatuses are used, then inspection capability is provided, but sagging occurs and constant correctional control is needed, making the process time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs support rollers that contact the guide rail to counteract the weight of the probe feeding unit, preventing sagging. The rollers are positioned at multiple points along the guide rail, providing continuous support and eliminating the need for correctional control during inspection operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces guide rails as an intermediary structure between the probe feeding unit and the steam generator walls. The guide rails provide a stable, pre-positioned pathway that supports the probe feeding unit's weight and guides its movement, eliminating sagging and the need for real-time correctional control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional inspection apparatuses are used, then heating tubes can be inspected, but difficult-to-reach areas between tubes cannot be effectively accessed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable probe feeding unit that can travel along the guide rails to different positions within the steam generator. The probe itself is flexible and can be dynamically positioned to access various areas including difficult-to-reach spaces between heating tubes, providing comprehensive inspection coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends inspection capability into previously inaccessible dimensions by using narrow-probe cameras that can fit between heating tubes. The guide rail system provides access along the length of the steam generator, while the probe can extend laterally between tubes, creating a three-dimensional inspection coverage that reaches all areas.
3Reliability
If manual correctional control is implemented, then sagging can be corrected, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail system is designed to self-support the probe feeding unit's weight through distributed support rollers, eliminating the need for external correctional control. The system automatically maintains proper positioning through its mechanical design, ensuring inspection accuracy without requiring manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a remote inspection apparatus for a heating tube of a steam generator, the apparatus including a fixing unit installed in a flange surface of a hand hole of the steam generator in a fixed manner, and having one or more rail guiders for guiding a guide rail into the steam generator; the guide rail configured to be guided by the rail guider to enter between the heating tube and a divider plate inside the steam generator; a rail driving unit fitted at one end of the guide rail and arranged outside the steam generator, and having a bobbin around which a steel belt is wound; and a probe feeding unit configured to receive a driving force from the rail driving unit through the steel belt to be moved along the guide rail, and having a band shaped probe extending in a length direction and an inspection camera fitted at one end of the probe.