EP0520847B1 - Procédé de travail au laser dans une zone contaminée d'une installation nucléaire, et équipement pour sa mise en oeuvre - Google Patents

Procédé de travail au laser dans une zone contaminée d'une installation nucléaire, et équipement pour sa mise en oeuvre Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0520847B1
EP0520847B1 EP92401465A EP92401465A EP0520847B1 EP 0520847 B1 EP0520847 B1 EP 0520847B1 EP 92401465 A EP92401465 A EP 92401465A EP 92401465 A EP92401465 A EP 92401465A EP 0520847 B1 EP0520847 B1 EP 0520847B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
laser
energy
equipment according
working
contaminated zone
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP92401465A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0520847A1 (fr
Inventor
Jean-Pierre Cartry
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Areva NP SAS
Original Assignee
Framatome SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Framatome SA filed Critical Framatome SA
Publication of EP0520847A1 publication Critical patent/EP0520847A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0520847B1 publication Critical patent/EP0520847B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F22—STEAM GENERATION
    • F22B—METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS
    • F22B37/00—Component parts or details of steam boilers
    • F22B37/002—Component parts or details of steam boilers specially adapted for nuclear steam generators, e.g. maintenance, repairing or inspecting equipment not otherwise provided for
    • F22B37/003—Maintenance, repairing or inspecting equipment positioned in or via the headers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B7/00—Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass
    • B08B7/0035—Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like
    • B08B7/0042—Cleaning by methods not provided for in a single other subclass or a single group in this subclass by radiant energy, e.g. UV, laser, light beam or the like by laser
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00—Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/001—Decontamination of contaminated objects, apparatus, clothes, food; Preventing contamination thereof
    • G21F9/005—Decontamination of the surface of objects by ablation

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and equipment for laser work on a surface contained in a contaminated area of a nuclear installation.
  • the invention applies in particular to the decontamination by laser beam, in aqueous or gaseous medium, of surfaces which have received a deposit of radioactive materials such as activated metal oxides, in order to reduce the level of radiation and thus allow the access or approach of response personnel.
  • the primary circuit of pressurized water nuclear power plants is concerned with this invention and more particularly the water box of the steam generators and the primary pipes.
  • Decontamination may be necessary during a check or repair to be carried out in the contaminated part of the plant, when replacing equipment such as a steam generator, and also when dismantling this plant.
  • the object of the invention is to make it possible to work efficiently by means of a laser in a contaminated area.
  • the method according to the invention is characterized in that the working energy is generated, in the form of at least two pulsed laser beams, by means of at least two pulsed laser energy generators synchronized apart the contaminated area; this energy is transported by means of at least two optical fibers associated respectively with said beams, to a location close to said surface; at this location, the laser beams from the optical fibers are combined so as to produce a single resulting combined laser beam; and this resulting combined beam is sent to said surface, possibly via at least one deflection mirror.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown in Figure 1, in axial section, one 1 of the two compartments of the water box 2 of a steam generator of a pressurized water nuclear reactor.
  • This compartment 1 is delimited upwards by the tubular plate 3, on one side by the middle vertical partition 4 of the water box, and on the other side and downwards by the hemispherical bottom 5 of the water box , which is crossed by a manhole 6.
  • FIG. 1 also shows an item of equipment 7 adapted to allow the decontamination by laser beam of the surfaces which delimit the compartment 1.
  • This equipment comprises an external device 8 arranged outside the water box, in a suitable protected room radiation, and an internal apparatus 9 disposed inside the compartment 1 and which can be introduced into the latter through the manhole.
  • the apparatus 8 comprises a console for control 10, a generator of electrical energy and fluids 11, two identical pulsed laser beam generators 12A, 12B, and a suction pump 13 at the inlet of which a filter 14 is provided.
  • the apparatus 9 comprises a device or box 15 for combining laser beams and a confinement enclosure 16, carried by a support 17.
  • the box 15 has two inputs respectively connected to the output of the generators 12A and 12B by an optical fiber 18A, 18B multimode type having a length of at least about 15 m.
  • the enclosure 16 is connected on the one hand, via a line 19, to a source of protective (neutral or reducing) or active gas contained in the generator 11, and on the other hand, via a line 20, to the filter 14 and at the pump 13.
  • the support 17 constitutes the end of an articulated robot, shown diagrammatically at 21, remote-controlled from the console 10 and making it possible to arrange the apparatus 9 facing any region of the surfaces 3, 4, 5 to decontaminate and in the vicinity thereof.
  • the apparatus 9 is shown in more detail in Figure 2.
  • the housing 15 is fixed to the support 17 and provided with an electrical supply 23 connected via a line 26 ( Figure 1) to the generator 11
  • An inlet face of the housing 15 is pierced by two orifices in which the distal end of the optical fibers 18A, 18B are respectively fixed, and, after their combination in this housing, the two incoming beams form a single parallel pulsed laser beam which comes out through an outlet 29.
  • the support 17 carries a frame 30 in which several columns 31 parallel to the axis XX of the housing 15, urged by springs 32 in the opposite direction to this housing, are sliding mounted.
  • the enclosure 16, which has a cup shape, has a bottom 33 perpendicular to the axis XX which is fixed to the distal end of the balusters 31, and a side wall 34 whose free edge is provided with rollers 35.
  • the bottom 33 has an orifice 36 of axis XX whose diameter is slightly greater than that of the combined beam 37.
  • Each laser generator 12A and 12B is of a type allowing the transport of the beam by optical fiber. It can in particular be of the Nd-YAG type (wavelength 1.06 ⁇ m) or of the excimer type (wavelength 0.3 ⁇ m). It comprises at its output two amplifiers 38, 39 in series (or, as a variant, a single amplifier) and emits pulses having a duration of 10 to 30 ns.
  • a synchronization device or box 40 is associated with the two generators 12A, 12B, and the assembly is adjusted to supply at the output of the combination box 15 a combined beam 37 whose pulses have an energy of 0.3 to 2 joules or plus and an energy density (or fluence) of 1 to 4.5 J / cm2.
  • rollers 35 are applied, with a force determined by the springs 32, to the surface to be decontaminated, which is the partition 4 in the example shown.
  • a protective or active gas scans the enclosure 16, and the pulsed beams emitted by the generators 12A and 12B, transported by the optical fibers 18A, 18B and combined at 15, are sent directly, in the form of the single parallel beam 37, to the surface to be treated, perpendicular to it. All the surfaces to be decontaminated are scanned in this way by moving the support 17 by means of the robot 21.
  • the above-mentioned energy density is chosen so as to allow thermal penetration corresponding to the thickness, or part of the thickness, of the layer of radioactive oxide to be removed, each pulse creating a shock wave on this layer.
  • a neutral or sweeping gas reduces the oxidation of the etched surface, while the use of an active gas, in particular oxygen, makes it possible to increase the thickness of the oxide layer. interested in laser pulses.
  • the choice of sweep gas will therefore be established according to the specific conditions of each application.
  • the use of a multimode optical fiber for the transport of each laser beam provides a considerable advantage linked to the distribution of energy in the beam leaving said fiber, and therefore at the spot of impact of the beam on the wall. Indeed, in this case, the energy distribution is substantially constant over the entire surface of the spot; it is in the form of a slot instead of having a distribution comprising a central peak as is the case with transmission of the beam by air.
  • the fibers must be long enough for the energy homogenization to be correct, for example of the order of 10 m. With shorter optical fibers, it would be appropriate in certain cases to use in the generators 12A and 12B devices known per se providing a homogeneous distribution, in niche, of the energy.
  • the apparatus 9A shown in Figure 3 differs from that of Figure 2 in that the support 17 is arranged so that the axis X-X of the combination housing 15 is parallel to the surface to be treated.
  • the posts 31 are perpendicular to this axis X-X, and a deflection mirror 38 inclined at 45 ° is fixed opposite the orifice 36 of the enclosure 16.
  • the operation of this variant is the same as that described above. This variant is particularly applicable to laser work in small spaces.
  • FIG. 3 can be modified as follows: the 16-column 31-mirror 38 enclosure assembly 38 is connected to the support 17 by means of another support mounted mobile on the latter, in translation and / or in rotation around the axis of the housing 15. It is thus possible, for each position of this housing, to effectively scan a relatively large region to be treated, whatever the shape of this region.
  • Figures 4 and 5 show such a modification, applied to the decontamination of the wall of a primary pipe, assumed to be straight in the case of Figure 4 and curved in that of Figure 5.
  • the housing 15 is fixed by spacers 42 in the suction duct 20, as is a motor 43.
  • the conduit 20 is carried by a carriage 44 for centering and guiding in the conduit 45 to be decontaminated.
  • the enclosure 16 constitutes the distal end of an L-shaped tube 46, the other end of which, directly connected to this enclosure by a bypass 20A, is mounted co-axially in rotation in the distal end of the conduit 20 and receives the housing 15.
  • the deflection mirror 38 is fixed in the bend of the tube 46.
  • the proximal end of this tube externally carries a toothed ring 47 which meshes with an output pinion 48 of the motor 43.
  • Appropriate means for advancing the carriage 44, possibly driven by the same motor 43, are generally provided.
  • FIG. 5 also shows a tip 49 for motorized guidance and advancement of the conduit 20, temporarily mounted at the end of the conduit 45.
  • the two generators 12A, 12B can be replaced by a single laser generator; if the power it emits can be transported by a single optical fiber, the box 15 is a simple device for optical treatment of the laser beam. Otherwise, the beam leaving the generator is divided into two partial beams, each of these is transported by an optical fiber, and they are recombined in the housing 15.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Laser Beam Processing (AREA)
EP92401465A 1991-06-26 1992-05-27 Procédé de travail au laser dans une zone contaminée d'une installation nucléaire, et équipement pour sa mise en oeuvre Expired - Lifetime EP0520847B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR919107897A FR2678418B1 (fr) 1991-06-26 1991-06-26 Procede de travail au laser dans une zone contaminee d'une installation nucleaire, et equipement pour sa mise en óoeuvre.
FR9107897 1991-06-26

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0520847A1 EP0520847A1 (fr) 1992-12-30
EP0520847B1 true EP0520847B1 (fr) 1996-02-07

Family

ID=9414326

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92401465A Expired - Lifetime EP0520847B1 (fr) 1991-06-26 1992-05-27 Procédé de travail au laser dans une zone contaminée d'une installation nucléaire, et équipement pour sa mise en oeuvre

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0520847B1 (ru)
CA (1) CA2070265A1 (ru)
CZ (1) CZ284233B6 (ru)
DE (1) DE69208161T2 (ru)
ES (1) ES2082401T3 (ru)
FR (1) FR2678418B1 (ru)
RU (1) RU2084976C1 (ru)
TW (1) TW232070B (ru)
ZA (1) ZA924699B (ru)

Families Citing this family (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9323052D0 (en) * 1993-11-09 1994-01-05 British Nuclear Fuels Plc Radioactive decontamination
GB9407058D0 (en) * 1994-04-09 1994-06-01 British Nuclear Fuels Plc Material removal by laser ablation
DE69612411T2 (de) * 1995-01-31 2001-12-06 Toshiba Kawasaki Kk Unterwasserbehandlungsverfahren und -system
JP3044188B2 (ja) * 1996-02-15 2000-05-22 核燃料サイクル開発機構 レーザー除染法
FR2780288B1 (fr) * 1998-06-26 2001-02-16 Rene Wajsfelner Procede de decapage et d'aseptisation de l'interieur d'un recipient et dispositif pour sa mise en oeuvre
FR2863916B1 (fr) * 2003-12-19 2007-04-27 Commissariat Energie Atomique Procede et dispositif de nettoyage d'une surface au moyen d'un faisceau laser
FR2879101B1 (fr) * 2004-12-14 2007-03-02 Cogema Decontamination laser de la surface d'une piece profilee.
FR2894711B1 (fr) 2005-12-09 2009-04-10 Cogema Dispositif et procede de decontamination automatisee d'un crayon de combustible nucleaire
TWI332647B (en) 2007-11-20 2010-11-01 Au Optronics Corp Liquid crystal display device with dynamically switching driving method to reduce power consumption
RU2468457C1 (ru) * 2011-08-03 2012-11-27 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования "Санкт-Петербургский национальный исследовательский университет информационных технологий, механики и оптики" Способ удаления радиоактивной пленки с поверхности объекта
DE102011053172B4 (de) * 2011-08-31 2017-05-24 Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe Gmbh Spülvorrichtung zum Reinigen eines von einer Sammelrohrleitung abzweigenden Einzelrohres eines Rohrsystems
FR2980384B1 (fr) 2011-09-22 2014-08-08 Stmi Soc Des Tech En Milieu Ionisant Dispositif permettant l'utilisation d'une source laser au sein d'une enceinte confinee sans contamination de ladite source via l'utilisation d'une manche
RU2619692C1 (ru) * 2016-05-24 2017-05-17 Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "Научно-производственное предприятие Волоконно-Оптического и Лазерного Оборудования" Способ лазерной очистки металлов
CN106001005B (zh) * 2016-06-06 2018-09-18 中国科学院力学研究所 一种铜铬合金触头的激光清洗方法
RU2724106C1 (ru) * 2019-03-22 2020-06-22 Федеральное государственное бюджетное учреждение наук Институт проблем машиноведения Российской академии наук (ИПМаш РАН) Способ дезактивации металлических поверхностей
CN110180839B (zh) * 2019-06-27 2021-01-26 清华大学 一种激光清洗装置及激光清洗方法

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
LU71852A1 (ru) * 1975-02-14 1977-01-05
GB2118028B (en) * 1982-04-05 1985-12-18 Maxwell Lab Inc Decontaminating surfaces
CA1198482A (en) * 1982-04-14 1985-12-24 Thaddeus A. Wojcik Laser decontamination method
JPS61242273A (ja) * 1985-04-18 1986-10-28 株式会社フジタ 鉄筋コンクリ−ト構造物の切断工法及びその装置
JPS63241399A (ja) * 1987-03-30 1988-10-06 株式会社東芝 レ−ザ除染装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2678418A1 (fr) 1992-12-31
DE69208161D1 (de) 1996-03-21
EP0520847A1 (fr) 1992-12-30
FR2678418B1 (fr) 1994-08-05
CZ191892A3 (en) 1993-01-13
DE69208161T2 (de) 1996-07-04
CZ284233B6 (cs) 1998-09-16
ES2082401T3 (es) 1996-03-16
ZA924699B (en) 1993-12-27
TW232070B (ru) 1994-10-11
CA2070265A1 (fr) 1992-12-27
RU2084976C1 (ru) 1997-07-20

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0520847B1 (fr) Procédé de travail au laser dans une zone contaminée d'une installation nucléaire, et équipement pour sa mise en oeuvre
CA2025463C (fr) Procede de nettoyage de la surface de matieres solides et dispositif de mise en oeuvre de ce procede, utilisant un laser impulsionnel de puissance, a impulsions courtes, dont on focalise le faisceau sur la surface a nettoyer
EP1899082B1 (fr) Procede et dispositif d'ablation laser d'une couche superficielle d'une paroi, telle qu'un revetement de peinture dans une installation nucleaire
EP0642846B1 (fr) Procédé et dispositif de décontamination contrÔlé de surface par laser
FR2525380A1 (fr) Procede de decontamination par laser
EP0507641B1 (fr) Procédé et équipement de travail au laser dans une zone contaminée d'une installation nucléaire
FR2514108A1 (fr) Procede et dispositif d'elimination des boues sur la plaque tubulaire des generateurs de vapeur
EP0717785B1 (fr) Dispositif de traitement d'un materiau a tete photo-ionique miniaturisee
EP0475806B1 (fr) Appareil de travail au laser, notamment pour le décontamination d'une conduite d'un réacteur nucléaire
BE897641A (fr) Appareil pour usinage au laser
KR102314806B1 (ko) 금속관 내부 레이저 클리닝 장치
FR2777810A1 (fr) Procede et dispositif de traitement de la surface interne d'une bouteille de gaz
EP1528846A2 (fr) Source EUV
JP3926433B2 (ja) 核燃料ペレットからダストを除去する方法および装置
EP2678865B1 (fr) Dispositif d'inspection d'un générateur de vapeur
WO2005058514A1 (fr) Procede et dispositif de nettoyage d’une surface au moyen d’un faisceau laser
FR2651508A1 (fr) Dispositif de traitement de pieces par chocs laser.
EP0284476A1 (fr) Dispositif et procédé de martelage par des particules de la surface intérieure d'un tube de générateur de vapeur, avec contrôle de l'efficacité du martelage
EP0681735B1 (fr) Procedes et installations de decontamination d'une surface radioactive au moyen d'un faisceau de lumiere coherente
CA2744371C (fr) Procede d'ablation d'une couche superficielle d'une paroi, et dispositif associe
EP2572821B1 (fr) Dispositif permettant l'utilisation d'une source laser au sein d'une enceinte confinée sans contamination de ladite source via l'utilisation d'une manche
Milijanic et al. Possibilities of a metal surface radioactive decontamination using a pulsed CO2 laser

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19920808

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): BE CH DE ES LI SE

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19940622

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): BE CH DE ES LI SE

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FG2A

Ref document number: 2082401

Country of ref document: ES

Kind code of ref document: T3

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 69208161

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19960321

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SE

Payment date: 19990503

Year of fee payment: 8

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 19990503

Year of fee payment: 8

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CH

Payment date: 19990505

Year of fee payment: 8

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Payment date: 19990517

Year of fee payment: 8

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Payment date: 19990519

Year of fee payment: 8

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20000528

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: ES

Free format text: THE PATENT HAS BEEN ANNULLED BY A DECISION OF A NATIONAL AUTHORITY

Effective date: 20000529

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LI

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20000531

Ref country code: CH

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20000531

Ref country code: BE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20000531

BERE Be: lapsed

Owner name: FRAMATOME

Effective date: 20000531

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

EUG Se: european patent has lapsed

Ref document number: 92401465.7

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20010301

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: ES

Ref legal event code: FD2A

Effective date: 20020204