CA2885509A1 - Device for introducing lubricant into a tubing - Google Patents
Device for introducing lubricant into a tubing Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2885509A1 CA2885509A1 CA2885509A CA2885509A CA2885509A1 CA 2885509 A1 CA2885509 A1 CA 2885509A1 CA 2885509 A CA2885509 A CA 2885509A CA 2885509 A CA2885509 A CA 2885509A CA 2885509 A1 CA2885509 A1 CA 2885509A1
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- lubricant
- piston
- tubing
- cndot
- transport gas
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- G—PHYSICS
- G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
- G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
- G21C17/00—Monitoring; Testing ; Maintaining
- G21C17/10—Structural combination of fuel element, control rod, reactor core, or moderator structure with sensitive instruments, e.g. for measuring radioactivity, strain
- G21C17/108—Measuring reactor flux
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
- Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
- Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
- Measuring Volume Flow (AREA)
- Transmission Devices (AREA)
- Rolling Contact Bearings (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a device (14) for the automated application of a lubricant (16) inside a pipeline (18). According to the invention, the device (14) comprises to this end: a supply line (22) for a transport gas (24) connected to the pipeline (18), into which supply line a connecting piece (31) is connected as a T-junction or 4-way junction (32); a transverse line (34) connected to this connecting piece (31), which transverse line encloses a lubricant plunger (36) which can be moved along the line longitudinally; and a lubricant reservoir (56) connected to the transverse line (34), wherein the lubricant plunger (36) is sealed at the outer circumference thereof against the transverse line (34). The lubricant plunger has a depression (50) to accept a portion of lubricant (16). The plunger can be moved from a load position (58) into a delivery position (60). In the load position (58), the depression (50) communicates with the lubricant reservoir (56) and, in the delivery position (60), the depression is arranged inside the connecting piece (31) where the transport gas (24) flowing into the pipeline (18) can flow over it.
Description
Specification Device for introducing lubricant into a tubing The invention concerns a device for introducing a lubricant into a tubing, especially into a so-called ball tube of a ball measurement system as part of the instrumentation of a nuclear reactor, such as is known for example from the publications DE 1 953 605 Al or EP 2 453 443 Al.
Ball measurement systems are regularly used in nuclear facilities, preferably in nuclear power plants with a pressurized water reactor. It involves a device for measuring the power density distribution of the radiation in the reactor core. In this method, balls of a radioactivatable material, such as vanadium, are sent through the reactor core. The balls have a characteristic diameter of less than one millimeter to a few millimeters and are carried in tubes parallel to the nuclear fuel rods. Thanks to the given positioning within the tubes, the balls are activated by the emitted radiation within the reactor and allow inferences as to the local power density distribution within the reactor due to their known sequence within the tubes.
The radioactivated balls lie against one another in the manner of a column of balls within the tubing, also known as ball tube or short tube or tubes, and after a certain time spent in the reactor core they are taken out onto a measurement table located outside the reactor's pressure vessel (detection zone). This is accomplished by the pneumatic post principle through a propellant or transport gas, usually nitrogen, introduced into the tubing system. Since the tube diameter is attuned to the ball diameter, the balls maintain their relative position to one another and after leaving the reactor core they can be matched up with exact coordinates inside the reactor core. The radiation given off from the balls is read off by means of detectors on a measurement table and thus provides definite information as to the radiation
Ball measurement systems are regularly used in nuclear facilities, preferably in nuclear power plants with a pressurized water reactor. It involves a device for measuring the power density distribution of the radiation in the reactor core. In this method, balls of a radioactivatable material, such as vanadium, are sent through the reactor core. The balls have a characteristic diameter of less than one millimeter to a few millimeters and are carried in tubes parallel to the nuclear fuel rods. Thanks to the given positioning within the tubes, the balls are activated by the emitted radiation within the reactor and allow inferences as to the local power density distribution within the reactor due to their known sequence within the tubes.
The radioactivated balls lie against one another in the manner of a column of balls within the tubing, also known as ball tube or short tube or tubes, and after a certain time spent in the reactor core they are taken out onto a measurement table located outside the reactor's pressure vessel (detection zone). This is accomplished by the pneumatic post principle through a propellant or transport gas, usually nitrogen, introduced into the tubing system. Since the tube diameter is attuned to the ball diameter, the balls maintain their relative position to one another and after leaving the reactor core they can be matched up with exact coordinates inside the reactor core. The radiation given off from the balls is read off by means of detectors on a measurement table and thus provides definite information as to the radiation
2 conditions inside the reactor core.
One drawback of the existing system is the complicated method of providing the balls with a lubricant, so that they slide through the tubes during the transport with the fewest possible problems and do not get stuck. In existing systems, a worker at the measurement table must open the tubes with the radiation-emitting content and wet the balls or the inner walls of the tubes with sufficient lubricant.
The problem which the invention solves is to automate this process by means of a suitable device and thus make possible a lubrication without the need for a worker at the measurement table and without the need to open the tubes. The lubrication should be done, in particular, as needed during the power-producing operation of the plant and meet the high safety standards for a nuclear power plant.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.
The device according to the invention for introducing a lubricant into a tubing, or lubricant device or lubricating device for short, accordingly comprises = a feed line for a transport gas, connected to the tubing, to which is switched a connection piece configured as a T-piece or cross piece, = a transverse line connected to the connection piece, enclosing a lubricant piston able to move along its lengthwise dimension, = a lubricant depot connected to the transverse line, wherein the lubricant piston = is sealed off against the transverse line at its outer circumference, = has a recess to receive a portion of the lubricant, = can be moved from a receiving position to a dispensing position (and vice versa), and wherein the recess
One drawback of the existing system is the complicated method of providing the balls with a lubricant, so that they slide through the tubes during the transport with the fewest possible problems and do not get stuck. In existing systems, a worker at the measurement table must open the tubes with the radiation-emitting content and wet the balls or the inner walls of the tubes with sufficient lubricant.
The problem which the invention solves is to automate this process by means of a suitable device and thus make possible a lubrication without the need for a worker at the measurement table and without the need to open the tubes. The lubrication should be done, in particular, as needed during the power-producing operation of the plant and meet the high safety standards for a nuclear power plant.
This problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.
The device according to the invention for introducing a lubricant into a tubing, or lubricant device or lubricating device for short, accordingly comprises = a feed line for a transport gas, connected to the tubing, to which is switched a connection piece configured as a T-piece or cross piece, = a transverse line connected to the connection piece, enclosing a lubricant piston able to move along its lengthwise dimension, = a lubricant depot connected to the transverse line, wherein the lubricant piston = is sealed off against the transverse line at its outer circumference, = has a recess to receive a portion of the lubricant, = can be moved from a receiving position to a dispensing position (and vice versa), and wherein the recess
3 = communicates with the lubricant depot in the receiving position, and = is arranged inside the connection piece in the dispensing position and the transport gas flowing to the tubing can flow across or onto it.
The movable lubricant piston accordingly produces inside a closed conduit system, sealed against the outside, a discontinuous portionwise transport of lubricant from the lubricant depot to the feed line into the tubing being wetted with lubricant. The process can be fully automated with the aid of suitable driving and control means. Because the transport gas flows across the recess in the lubricant piston that receives the lubricant in dispensing position, along with the dispensing there occurs a swirling or misting and thus an especially good distribution of the lubricant in the downstream conduit components being lubricated.
In preferred embodiment, the receiving position and the dispensing position are each defined by a mechanical end stop for the lubricant piston, so that a costly position measurement and regulation for the adjustment of said positions is not necessary.
Advantageously, the lubricating device is configured so that the transport gas flowing into the feed line upon exceeding a specific gas pressure brings about a displacement of the lubricant piston from the receiving position to the dispensing position. In other words, the transport gas here performs a dual function: first, as a kind of pneumatic drive unit, it moves the lubricant piston, acting as a pneumatic cylinder, in the transverse line from the receiving position to the dispensing position, and secondly in the dispensing position it blows the lubricant portion previously transported there from the lubricant piston into the tubing being lubricated. Accordingly, one can say that the lubricant piston is driven by its own medium.
This functional principle is realized in a preferred embodiment in that
The movable lubricant piston accordingly produces inside a closed conduit system, sealed against the outside, a discontinuous portionwise transport of lubricant from the lubricant depot to the feed line into the tubing being wetted with lubricant. The process can be fully automated with the aid of suitable driving and control means. Because the transport gas flows across the recess in the lubricant piston that receives the lubricant in dispensing position, along with the dispensing there occurs a swirling or misting and thus an especially good distribution of the lubricant in the downstream conduit components being lubricated.
In preferred embodiment, the receiving position and the dispensing position are each defined by a mechanical end stop for the lubricant piston, so that a costly position measurement and regulation for the adjustment of said positions is not necessary.
Advantageously, the lubricating device is configured so that the transport gas flowing into the feed line upon exceeding a specific gas pressure brings about a displacement of the lubricant piston from the receiving position to the dispensing position. In other words, the transport gas here performs a dual function: first, as a kind of pneumatic drive unit, it moves the lubricant piston, acting as a pneumatic cylinder, in the transverse line from the receiving position to the dispensing position, and secondly in the dispensing position it blows the lubricant portion previously transported there from the lubricant piston into the tubing being lubricated. Accordingly, one can say that the lubricant piston is driven by its own medium.
This functional principle is realized in a preferred embodiment in that
4 a branch line branches off from the feed line upstream from the connection piece, looking in the flow direction of the transport gas, the other end of which emerges into the transverse line so that the transport gas flowing into the branch line forces the lubricant piston into the dispensing position. This automatically accomplishes a transport of the lubricant piston into the dispensing position once the transport gas flows into the feed line and from there to the branch line and strikes the lubricant piston with enough pressure. Accordingly, the system is not only driven, but also controlled by its own medium.
In general, the recess carrying the lubricant portion can be arranged at the end of the lubricant piston and the connection piece can be configured as a T-piece. But it is advantageous for the connection piece to be configured as a cross piece, wherein the lubricant piston passes entirely through the cross piece for the total displacement path between receiving position and dispensing position, and accordingly the recess is arranged more in a middle area of the lubricant piston.
This ensures in the receiving position and for practically the entire displacement path to the dispensing position that the lubricant piston relatively tightly closes the feed line leading to the tubing or at least constitutes a substantial flow obstacle therein, this has the effect that the lubricant piston is subjected to relatively high pressure via the branch line and thus is moved reliably into the dispensing position.
The terms T-piece, cross piece and transverse line are to be understood here in a broad sense and do not necessarily mean a perpendicular arrangement of the transverse line in relation to the feed line, but rather also include other angle relations. In the case of a rigid lubricant piston, the transverse line must be straight inside the displacement region. For the feed line, a straight course is not absolutely required.
In general, the back transport of the lubricant piston from the dispensing position to the receiving position after the lubricant dispensing has occurred could also be accomplished by the transport gas. However, it has proven to be advantageous to have a return spring present, which returns the lubricant piston to the receiving position upon dropping below the specific gas pressure. Thus, the entire movement is controlled by the transport gas itself in the most easy conceivable manner. At sufficiently high pressure, the transport gas sets the lubricant piston in motion in the direction of the dispensing position; upon falling below the critical pressure value, it is pulled back by the return spring to the starting position, i.e., the receiving position, so that the recess is again filled with a portion of lubricant.
The lubricant depot is preferably located somewhat higher geodetically than the lubricant piston, so that the lubricant can pass easily through a short connection piece or a connection line under the action of gravity downward into the recess of the lubricant piston, which receives it (by flowing, trickling, creeping, etc., depending on its consistency), when the latter is found in the receiving position.
In one easily realized and expedient configuration, the lubricant piston has a cylindrical base body, in which the recess is formed as a circumferential annular groove. Thanks to an exact fitting of the diameter of the lubricant piston and the transverse line receiving it and/or by the use of suitable seal elements (0-rings etc. placed on the circumference of the lubricant piston), laterally to the recess, it is ensured that no lubricant can get into the transverse line when the lubricant piston is located outside the receiving position.
In close coordination with the preferred purpose of use of the lubricating device for the lubrication of the ball tubes of a ball measurement system, the lubricant is a pulverized dry lubricant, which preferably contains molybdenum disulfide as its principal component. Such lubricants are available on the market, for example, under the brand name "Molykote" of the Dow Corning Corporation.
As the propellant or transport gas, inert-acting nitrogen is used, for example. For other purposes, air (pressurized air) could also be used.
As already mentioned, the lubricating device serves preferably to introduce a lubricant into the tubings of a ball measurement system, also known as ball tubes and containing a number of radioactivatable balls, as part of the core instrumentation of a nuclear reactor.
The lubrication of the ball columns can be done by a corresponding number of valves in relation to the subsystem or in relation to the ball tube, being mounted for example in a valve bank and connected to an external pressurized gas source at the inlet side.
It is advantageous here to use the very same propellant or transport gas which is being used to drive and control the lubricant piston and swirl the dispensed lubricant portion as well for the transport of the balls in the particular tubing (ball tube). However, a lubrication cannot be done at the same time as the transport of the balls, since no pressure difference occurs in this case between ball tube and feed line of the lubricating device. Instead, whenever the balls are in their designed waiting position, a portion of lubricant can be introduced automatically as needed into the corresponding tubing by propellant gas flowing into the feed line and be distributed therein. After the stoppage of the gas supply, the lubricating device automatically returns to the starting position and is automatically readied for the next cycle of use by the filling of the lubricant portion into the recess of the lubricant piston.
All these processes occur automatically by simple mechanical/pneumatic interactions and require no electronic regulation or the like, and except for the supply of gas or vapor under pressure they need no other energy input. The control of the lubricant piston by turning on and off the application of pressure can occur during the power operation from outside the measurement table room, so that access of persons to the measurement table room is no longer required and the exposure dose of personnel can be decisively reduced.
Even though the device according to the invention has been described here primarily with a view to the preferred use in a nuclear ball measurement system, it can generally be used wherever a lubricant or some other portionable liquid, gel-like or solid substance, especially one consisting of powderlike or friable solid units or separate or separable solid units, is supposed to be introduced under the described boundary conditions with the help of a moving transport fluid (gas, liquid, vapor or mixture thereof) into a tubing or some other target volume, especially a volume closed off against the surroundings. In place of a lubricant depot and a lubricant piston, one would then speak in general of a substance depot and a transport piston, and so on.
Further measures characterizing the invention more closely and improving it shall be presented below, together with the description of a sample embodiment of the invention, with the aid of the schematic figures. There are shown:
FIG. 1 a segment of a pressurized water reactor with a ball measurement system and with a corresponding lubricant device, FIG. 2 the structural layout of the lubricant device in detail, here shown in a first operating state, and FIG. 3 the lubricant device in a second operating state.
In FIG. 2, the lower part of the lubricant device has been left out, being visible in FIG. 3, and in FIG. 3 the upper part of the lubricant device has been left out, being visible in FIG. 2 In FIG. 1 a segment of a nuclear reactor 1 is shown, here a pressurized water reactor 2, with a reactor pressure vessel 4, coordinated with a ball measurement system 6 with a detector arrangement 8. The ball measurement system 6, shown only schematically, has a system of closed tubings, also known as ball tubes 10, which are led through the wall of the reactor pressure vessel 4 into it and past the fuel rods of the reactor core 12. The ball tubes 10 contain columns of radioactivatable balls, such as balls of vanadium. The actual measurement unit with the detector arrangement 8 is located outside the reactor pressure vessel 4.
The balls wetted with a lubricant are delivered by a transport gas under pressure by the principle of pneumatic post through the ball tubes 10 into the reactor pressure vessel 4 and back again to the detector arrangement 8. After the balls have completed this circuit once, valid information about the power density distribution inside the reactor core 12 can be obtained by the measurement at the detector arrangement 8.
In order to introduce the lubricant into the ball tubes 10, a lubricant device 14 is provided, shown only schematically in FIG. 1, which is coupled to the tubing system outside the reactor pressure vessel 4.
The lubricant device 14 is shown in detail in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and this in two different operating states, which shall be described at length hereafter.
The structural makeup of the lubricant device 14 is as follows:
The tubing 18 to be filled with lubricant 16 of the ball measurement system 6 is connected by means of a T-piece 20 to a feed line 22 for a pressurized transport gas 24. The transport gas 24 used here is nitrogen, which is supplied from the outside by a gas bottle 26 and/or a compressor, shown here only schematically. For the control of the gas supply, a shutoff valve 28 is arranged in the feed line 22.
The diameter of the connection bore in the T-piece 20 is so small that the balls 30 located in the tubing 18 cannot pass through and thus cannot cross laterally into the feed line 22.
Switched to the feed line 22 is a connection piece 31 in the form of a cross piece 32, which is also connected to a transverse line 34. Arranged in the transverse line 34 and able to move lengthwise is a lubricant piston 36, while the two end stops 38, 40 establish the maximum displacement path 42 of the lubricant piston 36. The end stops 38, 40 are positioned such that the lubricant piston 36 passes entirely through the cross piece 32 for the total displacement path 42. The lubricant piston 36 has a cylindrical base body 44, whose diameter is fitted exactly to the diameter of the transverse line 34, so that on the one hand the desired lengthwise movability is assured, and on the other hand a sealing of the transverse line 34 is achieved. To intensify the sealing action, 0-rings can be provided on the outer circumference of the lubricant piston 36, not being otherwise shown in the figures. The two end faces 46, 48 of the lubricant piston 36 are each provided to bear against the corresponding end stops 38, 40 in the end position.
The lubricant piston 36 moreover has in its middle region a recess 50 in the form of a circumferential annular groove 52, which communicates in the right end position of the lubricant piston 36, as shown in FIG. 2, with a lubricant depot 56, connected by means of a T-piece 54 to the transverse line 34. The lubricant 16 stored up in the lubricant depot 56 is a powderlike dry lubricant based advantageously on molybdenum disulfide. The storage receptacle of the lubricant depot 56 is located directly above the connection to the transverse line 34, so that in the receiving position 58 realized by the right end position of the lubricant piston there is an automatic filling of the annular groove 52 with a corresponding portion of lubricant 16, which trickles down from above.
In the left end position, the annular groove 52 of the lubricant piston 36 is situated in the intersection region of feed line 22 and transverse line 34 within the cross piece 32 and thus the transport gas 24 flowing into the feed line 22 to the tubing 18 can flow through it when the shutoff valve 28 is opened. In this process, the lubricant 16 previously transported in the annular groove 52 is blown into the tubing 18 and swirled (dispensing position 60).
Upstream from the cross piece 32 and downstream from the shutoff valve 28, a branch line 64 branches off from the feed line 22 in a T-piece 62, emerging at the other end in a T-piece 66 in the otherwise closed transverse line 34. The connection is situated to the right of the right end face 48 of the lubricant piston 36, even when this is located in the right end position, that is, the receiving position 58. In this way, the right end face 48 of the lubricant piston 36 is exposed to pressure when transport gas 24 flows into the feed line 22 with the shutoff valve 28 opened.
Furthermore, at the left end of the transverse line 34 is arranged a return spring 68, configured as a compression spring, which acts on the left end face 46 of the lubricant piston 36 as soon as it is swiveled from the receiving position 58 to the dispensing position 60.
The spring force is dimensioned so that, when a specific gas pressure intrinsic to the system is crossed in the branch line 64, the transport gas 24 forces the lubricant piston 36 from the receiving position 58 into the dispensing position 60, while upon dropping below the specific gas pressure in the branch line 64 the rightward directed restoring force exerted by the return spring 68 is preponderant and forces the lubricant piston 36 back into the receiving position 58 and holds it there.
It should be noted, on the one hand, that due to the sealing of the lubricant piston 36 against the transverse line 34, the transport gas 24 cannot exert any pressure on the left end face 46 of the lubricant piston 46, and on the other hand the lubricant piston 36 passing through the cross piece 32 closes the feed line 22 at this place, if not totally then relatively tightly, even when a somewhat larger flow cross section is provided through the annular groove 52 located in the cross piece 32.
The movement sequences during the operation of the lubricant device 14 are now on the whole as follows:
The return spring 68 at first with the shutoff valve 28 closed fixes the lubricant piston 36 in the receiving position 58, whereby the annular groove 52 is filled with a portion of lubricant 16 from the lubricant depot 56 (FIG. 2).
Next, by opening the shutoff valve 28, a specific gas pressure is generated, which produces a leftward directed resultant force on the lubricant piston 36, forcing it into the dispensing position 60. The return spring 68 is accordingly compressed. Due to the prevailing pressure difference, the transport gas 24 can flow through the annular groove 52 and past it and thus delivers the lubricant portion collected there into the downstream connected tubing 18. The lubricant 16 is thus injected into the ball measurement system 6 for lubrication of the ball columns (FIG. 3).
Once the pressure is shut off by closing the shutoff valve 28, the return spring 68 moves the lubricant piston 36 back to the receiving position 58 again and the processes start all over.
List of reference numbers 1 Nuclear reactor 60 Dispensing position 2 Pressurized water reactor 62 T-piece 4 Reactor pressure vessel 64 Branch line 6 Ball measurement system 66 T-piece 8 Detector arrangement 68 Return spring Ball tube 70 Flow direction 12 Reactor core 14 Lubricant device 16 Lubricant 18 Tubing T-piece 22 Feed line 24 Transport gas 26 Gas bottle 28 Shutoff valve Ball 31 Connection piece 32 Cross piece 34 Transverse line 36 Lubricant piston 38 Left end stop Right end stop 42 Displacement path 44 Base body 46 Left end face 48 Right end face Recess 52 Annular groove 54 T-piece 56 Lubricant depot 58 Receiving position
In general, the recess carrying the lubricant portion can be arranged at the end of the lubricant piston and the connection piece can be configured as a T-piece. But it is advantageous for the connection piece to be configured as a cross piece, wherein the lubricant piston passes entirely through the cross piece for the total displacement path between receiving position and dispensing position, and accordingly the recess is arranged more in a middle area of the lubricant piston.
This ensures in the receiving position and for practically the entire displacement path to the dispensing position that the lubricant piston relatively tightly closes the feed line leading to the tubing or at least constitutes a substantial flow obstacle therein, this has the effect that the lubricant piston is subjected to relatively high pressure via the branch line and thus is moved reliably into the dispensing position.
The terms T-piece, cross piece and transverse line are to be understood here in a broad sense and do not necessarily mean a perpendicular arrangement of the transverse line in relation to the feed line, but rather also include other angle relations. In the case of a rigid lubricant piston, the transverse line must be straight inside the displacement region. For the feed line, a straight course is not absolutely required.
In general, the back transport of the lubricant piston from the dispensing position to the receiving position after the lubricant dispensing has occurred could also be accomplished by the transport gas. However, it has proven to be advantageous to have a return spring present, which returns the lubricant piston to the receiving position upon dropping below the specific gas pressure. Thus, the entire movement is controlled by the transport gas itself in the most easy conceivable manner. At sufficiently high pressure, the transport gas sets the lubricant piston in motion in the direction of the dispensing position; upon falling below the critical pressure value, it is pulled back by the return spring to the starting position, i.e., the receiving position, so that the recess is again filled with a portion of lubricant.
The lubricant depot is preferably located somewhat higher geodetically than the lubricant piston, so that the lubricant can pass easily through a short connection piece or a connection line under the action of gravity downward into the recess of the lubricant piston, which receives it (by flowing, trickling, creeping, etc., depending on its consistency), when the latter is found in the receiving position.
In one easily realized and expedient configuration, the lubricant piston has a cylindrical base body, in which the recess is formed as a circumferential annular groove. Thanks to an exact fitting of the diameter of the lubricant piston and the transverse line receiving it and/or by the use of suitable seal elements (0-rings etc. placed on the circumference of the lubricant piston), laterally to the recess, it is ensured that no lubricant can get into the transverse line when the lubricant piston is located outside the receiving position.
In close coordination with the preferred purpose of use of the lubricating device for the lubrication of the ball tubes of a ball measurement system, the lubricant is a pulverized dry lubricant, which preferably contains molybdenum disulfide as its principal component. Such lubricants are available on the market, for example, under the brand name "Molykote" of the Dow Corning Corporation.
As the propellant or transport gas, inert-acting nitrogen is used, for example. For other purposes, air (pressurized air) could also be used.
As already mentioned, the lubricating device serves preferably to introduce a lubricant into the tubings of a ball measurement system, also known as ball tubes and containing a number of radioactivatable balls, as part of the core instrumentation of a nuclear reactor.
The lubrication of the ball columns can be done by a corresponding number of valves in relation to the subsystem or in relation to the ball tube, being mounted for example in a valve bank and connected to an external pressurized gas source at the inlet side.
It is advantageous here to use the very same propellant or transport gas which is being used to drive and control the lubricant piston and swirl the dispensed lubricant portion as well for the transport of the balls in the particular tubing (ball tube). However, a lubrication cannot be done at the same time as the transport of the balls, since no pressure difference occurs in this case between ball tube and feed line of the lubricating device. Instead, whenever the balls are in their designed waiting position, a portion of lubricant can be introduced automatically as needed into the corresponding tubing by propellant gas flowing into the feed line and be distributed therein. After the stoppage of the gas supply, the lubricating device automatically returns to the starting position and is automatically readied for the next cycle of use by the filling of the lubricant portion into the recess of the lubricant piston.
All these processes occur automatically by simple mechanical/pneumatic interactions and require no electronic regulation or the like, and except for the supply of gas or vapor under pressure they need no other energy input. The control of the lubricant piston by turning on and off the application of pressure can occur during the power operation from outside the measurement table room, so that access of persons to the measurement table room is no longer required and the exposure dose of personnel can be decisively reduced.
Even though the device according to the invention has been described here primarily with a view to the preferred use in a nuclear ball measurement system, it can generally be used wherever a lubricant or some other portionable liquid, gel-like or solid substance, especially one consisting of powderlike or friable solid units or separate or separable solid units, is supposed to be introduced under the described boundary conditions with the help of a moving transport fluid (gas, liquid, vapor or mixture thereof) into a tubing or some other target volume, especially a volume closed off against the surroundings. In place of a lubricant depot and a lubricant piston, one would then speak in general of a substance depot and a transport piston, and so on.
Further measures characterizing the invention more closely and improving it shall be presented below, together with the description of a sample embodiment of the invention, with the aid of the schematic figures. There are shown:
FIG. 1 a segment of a pressurized water reactor with a ball measurement system and with a corresponding lubricant device, FIG. 2 the structural layout of the lubricant device in detail, here shown in a first operating state, and FIG. 3 the lubricant device in a second operating state.
In FIG. 2, the lower part of the lubricant device has been left out, being visible in FIG. 3, and in FIG. 3 the upper part of the lubricant device has been left out, being visible in FIG. 2 In FIG. 1 a segment of a nuclear reactor 1 is shown, here a pressurized water reactor 2, with a reactor pressure vessel 4, coordinated with a ball measurement system 6 with a detector arrangement 8. The ball measurement system 6, shown only schematically, has a system of closed tubings, also known as ball tubes 10, which are led through the wall of the reactor pressure vessel 4 into it and past the fuel rods of the reactor core 12. The ball tubes 10 contain columns of radioactivatable balls, such as balls of vanadium. The actual measurement unit with the detector arrangement 8 is located outside the reactor pressure vessel 4.
The balls wetted with a lubricant are delivered by a transport gas under pressure by the principle of pneumatic post through the ball tubes 10 into the reactor pressure vessel 4 and back again to the detector arrangement 8. After the balls have completed this circuit once, valid information about the power density distribution inside the reactor core 12 can be obtained by the measurement at the detector arrangement 8.
In order to introduce the lubricant into the ball tubes 10, a lubricant device 14 is provided, shown only schematically in FIG. 1, which is coupled to the tubing system outside the reactor pressure vessel 4.
The lubricant device 14 is shown in detail in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and this in two different operating states, which shall be described at length hereafter.
The structural makeup of the lubricant device 14 is as follows:
The tubing 18 to be filled with lubricant 16 of the ball measurement system 6 is connected by means of a T-piece 20 to a feed line 22 for a pressurized transport gas 24. The transport gas 24 used here is nitrogen, which is supplied from the outside by a gas bottle 26 and/or a compressor, shown here only schematically. For the control of the gas supply, a shutoff valve 28 is arranged in the feed line 22.
The diameter of the connection bore in the T-piece 20 is so small that the balls 30 located in the tubing 18 cannot pass through and thus cannot cross laterally into the feed line 22.
Switched to the feed line 22 is a connection piece 31 in the form of a cross piece 32, which is also connected to a transverse line 34. Arranged in the transverse line 34 and able to move lengthwise is a lubricant piston 36, while the two end stops 38, 40 establish the maximum displacement path 42 of the lubricant piston 36. The end stops 38, 40 are positioned such that the lubricant piston 36 passes entirely through the cross piece 32 for the total displacement path 42. The lubricant piston 36 has a cylindrical base body 44, whose diameter is fitted exactly to the diameter of the transverse line 34, so that on the one hand the desired lengthwise movability is assured, and on the other hand a sealing of the transverse line 34 is achieved. To intensify the sealing action, 0-rings can be provided on the outer circumference of the lubricant piston 36, not being otherwise shown in the figures. The two end faces 46, 48 of the lubricant piston 36 are each provided to bear against the corresponding end stops 38, 40 in the end position.
The lubricant piston 36 moreover has in its middle region a recess 50 in the form of a circumferential annular groove 52, which communicates in the right end position of the lubricant piston 36, as shown in FIG. 2, with a lubricant depot 56, connected by means of a T-piece 54 to the transverse line 34. The lubricant 16 stored up in the lubricant depot 56 is a powderlike dry lubricant based advantageously on molybdenum disulfide. The storage receptacle of the lubricant depot 56 is located directly above the connection to the transverse line 34, so that in the receiving position 58 realized by the right end position of the lubricant piston there is an automatic filling of the annular groove 52 with a corresponding portion of lubricant 16, which trickles down from above.
In the left end position, the annular groove 52 of the lubricant piston 36 is situated in the intersection region of feed line 22 and transverse line 34 within the cross piece 32 and thus the transport gas 24 flowing into the feed line 22 to the tubing 18 can flow through it when the shutoff valve 28 is opened. In this process, the lubricant 16 previously transported in the annular groove 52 is blown into the tubing 18 and swirled (dispensing position 60).
Upstream from the cross piece 32 and downstream from the shutoff valve 28, a branch line 64 branches off from the feed line 22 in a T-piece 62, emerging at the other end in a T-piece 66 in the otherwise closed transverse line 34. The connection is situated to the right of the right end face 48 of the lubricant piston 36, even when this is located in the right end position, that is, the receiving position 58. In this way, the right end face 48 of the lubricant piston 36 is exposed to pressure when transport gas 24 flows into the feed line 22 with the shutoff valve 28 opened.
Furthermore, at the left end of the transverse line 34 is arranged a return spring 68, configured as a compression spring, which acts on the left end face 46 of the lubricant piston 36 as soon as it is swiveled from the receiving position 58 to the dispensing position 60.
The spring force is dimensioned so that, when a specific gas pressure intrinsic to the system is crossed in the branch line 64, the transport gas 24 forces the lubricant piston 36 from the receiving position 58 into the dispensing position 60, while upon dropping below the specific gas pressure in the branch line 64 the rightward directed restoring force exerted by the return spring 68 is preponderant and forces the lubricant piston 36 back into the receiving position 58 and holds it there.
It should be noted, on the one hand, that due to the sealing of the lubricant piston 36 against the transverse line 34, the transport gas 24 cannot exert any pressure on the left end face 46 of the lubricant piston 46, and on the other hand the lubricant piston 36 passing through the cross piece 32 closes the feed line 22 at this place, if not totally then relatively tightly, even when a somewhat larger flow cross section is provided through the annular groove 52 located in the cross piece 32.
The movement sequences during the operation of the lubricant device 14 are now on the whole as follows:
The return spring 68 at first with the shutoff valve 28 closed fixes the lubricant piston 36 in the receiving position 58, whereby the annular groove 52 is filled with a portion of lubricant 16 from the lubricant depot 56 (FIG. 2).
Next, by opening the shutoff valve 28, a specific gas pressure is generated, which produces a leftward directed resultant force on the lubricant piston 36, forcing it into the dispensing position 60. The return spring 68 is accordingly compressed. Due to the prevailing pressure difference, the transport gas 24 can flow through the annular groove 52 and past it and thus delivers the lubricant portion collected there into the downstream connected tubing 18. The lubricant 16 is thus injected into the ball measurement system 6 for lubrication of the ball columns (FIG. 3).
Once the pressure is shut off by closing the shutoff valve 28, the return spring 68 moves the lubricant piston 36 back to the receiving position 58 again and the processes start all over.
List of reference numbers 1 Nuclear reactor 60 Dispensing position 2 Pressurized water reactor 62 T-piece 4 Reactor pressure vessel 64 Branch line 6 Ball measurement system 66 T-piece 8 Detector arrangement 68 Return spring Ball tube 70 Flow direction 12 Reactor core 14 Lubricant device 16 Lubricant 18 Tubing T-piece 22 Feed line 24 Transport gas 26 Gas bottle 28 Shutoff valve Ball 31 Connection piece 32 Cross piece 34 Transverse line 36 Lubricant piston 38 Left end stop Right end stop 42 Displacement path 44 Base body 46 Left end face 48 Right end face Recess 52 Annular groove 54 T-piece 56 Lubricant depot 58 Receiving position
Claims (11)
1. Device (14) for introducing a lubricant (16) into a tubing (18), with .cndot. a feed line (22) for a transport gas (24), connected to the tubing (18), to which is switched a connection piece (31) configured as a T-piece or cross piece (32), .cndot. a transverse line (34) connected to the connection piece (31), enclosing a lubricant piston (36) able to move along its lengthwise dimension, .cndot. a lubricant depot (56) connected to the transverse line (34), wherein the lubricant piston (36) .cndot. is sealed off against the transverse line (34) at its outer circumference, .cndot. has a recess (50) to receive a portion of the lubricant (16), .cndot. can be moved from a receiving position (58) to a dispensing position (60), and wherein the recess (50) .cndot. communicates with the lubricant depot (56) in the receiving position (58), and .cndot. is arranged inside the connection piece (31) in the dispensing position (60) and the transport gas (24) flowing to the tubing (18) can flow across or onto it.
2. Device (14) according to claim 1, wherein the receiving position (58) and the dispensing position (60) are each defined by an end stop (38, 40) for the lubricant piston (36).
3. Device (14) according to claim 1 or 2, which is configured such that the transport gas (24) flowing into the feed line (22) upon exceeding a specific gas pressure brings about a displacement of the lubricant piston (36) from the receiving position (58) to the dispensing position (60).
4. Device (14) according to claim 3, wherein a branch line (64) branches off from the feed line (22) upstream from the connection piece (31), looking in the flow direction (70) of the transport gas (24), the other end of which emerges into the transverse line (34) so that the transport gas (24) flowing into the branch line (64) forces the lubricant piston (36) to the dispensing position (60)
5. Device (14) according to claim 4, wherein the connection piece (31) is configured as a cross piece (32), and wherein the lubricant piston (36) passes entirely through the cross piece (32) for the total displacement path (42) between receiving position (58) and dispensing position (60).
6. Device (14) according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a return spring (68) is present, which returns the lubricant piston (36) to the receiving position (58) upon falling below the specific gas pressure.
7. Device (14) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lubricant piston (36) has a cylindrical base body (44), in which the recess (50) is formed as a circumferential annular groove (52).
8. Device (14) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lubricant (16) is a pulverized dry lubricant and preferably contains molybdenum disulfide as its principal component.
9. Device (14) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the transport gas (24) is nitrogen or contains this as principal component
10. Ball measurement system (6) as part of the nuclear instrumentation of a nuclear reactor (1) with at least one tubing (10, 18) containing a number of balls (30) and with a device according to one of claims 1 to 9 for introducing a lubricant (16) into the tubing (10, 18).
11. Ball measurement system (6) according to claim 10, wherein the transport gas (24) accomplishes the transport of the balls (30) in the tubing (18).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE102012216621.1 | 2012-09-18 | ||
| DE102012216621.1A DE102012216621B4 (en) | 2012-09-18 | 2012-09-18 | Ball measuring system with a device for introducing a lubricant into a ball tube |
| PCT/EP2013/068627 WO2014044568A1 (en) | 2012-09-18 | 2013-09-09 | Device for applying a lubricant inside a pipeline |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2885509A1 true CA2885509A1 (en) | 2014-03-27 |
Family
ID=49303949
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2885509A Abandoned CA2885509A1 (en) | 2012-09-18 | 2013-09-09 | Device for introducing lubricant into a tubing |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP2898514B1 (en) |
| KR (1) | KR20150056856A (en) |
| CN (1) | CN104813411B (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2885509A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE102012216621B4 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2014044568A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021004634A1 (en) | 2019-07-11 | 2021-01-14 | Framatome Gmbh | Lubricating device, instrumentation tube system of a nuclear power reactor and method for lubricating the instrumentation tube system |
| DE102020134045B3 (en) * | 2020-12-17 | 2022-05-12 | Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh | Lubricant applicator and method for applying a solid lubricant and applicator device, arrangement and loading station |
Family Cites Families (12)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3263081A (en) * | 1962-04-18 | 1966-07-26 | Westinghouse Electric Corp | Flux mapping system for measuring radiation |
| US3581845A (en) * | 1969-03-07 | 1971-06-01 | Ingersoll Rand Co | Air line oiler |
| DE1930439C2 (en) * | 1969-06-14 | 1971-04-08 | Siemens Ag | Device for determining the neutron flux distribution in a nuclear reactor |
| DE2139152C3 (en) * | 1971-08-05 | 1975-06-26 | Siemens Ag, 1000 Berlin Und 8000 Muenchen | Device for measuring the local neutron density distribution inside a nuclear reactor |
| US3785456A (en) * | 1972-03-21 | 1974-01-15 | Elk Craft Inc | Automatic lubrication system |
| DE4119609C2 (en) * | 1990-06-15 | 1994-05-11 | Barmag Barmer Maschf | Device for the intermittent supply of lubricating oil |
| DE19959473A1 (en) * | 1999-12-10 | 2001-06-13 | Frederic Dietrich | Device and method for the pneumatic conveying of powdery substances and use of the device |
| US6705432B2 (en) * | 2001-11-09 | 2004-03-16 | Lincoln Industrial Corporation | Lubricant injection |
| CN1159726C (en) * | 2002-06-21 | 2004-07-28 | 清华大学 | Determining method and device for reactor core of spherical-bed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor |
| CN201218404Y (en) * | 2008-01-29 | 2009-04-08 | 拜尔&克佩尔有限及两合公司 | Apparatus used for adding lubricant agent |
| EP2256071A1 (en) * | 2009-05-28 | 2010-12-01 | SPX APV Danmark A/S | Powder material intake device and method for taking powder material into a liquid |
| DE102010051062A1 (en) * | 2010-11-11 | 2012-05-16 | Areva Np Gmbh | Detector arrangement for a ball measuring system and associated ball measuring system and corresponding measuring method |
-
2012
- 2012-09-18 DE DE102012216621.1A patent/DE102012216621B4/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2013
- 2013-09-09 WO PCT/EP2013/068627 patent/WO2014044568A1/en active Application Filing
- 2013-09-09 CN CN201380060144.XA patent/CN104813411B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2013-09-09 KR KR1020157010181A patent/KR20150056856A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2013-09-09 CA CA2885509A patent/CA2885509A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2013-09-09 EP EP13773191.5A patent/EP2898514B1/en not_active Not-in-force
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN104813411A (en) | 2015-07-29 |
| DE102012216621B4 (en) | 2014-09-25 |
| KR20150056856A (en) | 2015-05-27 |
| EP2898514A1 (en) | 2015-07-29 |
| DE102012216621A1 (en) | 2014-03-20 |
| CN104813411B (en) | 2018-01-19 |
| WO2014044568A1 (en) | 2014-03-27 |
| EP2898514B1 (en) | 2019-02-13 |
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| EEER | Examination request |
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| FZDE | Dead |
Effective date: 20200909 |