EP2164077A1 - Device and method for treating and/or decontaminating surfaces - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for treating and/or decontaminating surfaces comprises a generator (1) and units for generating waves (8) and energy to contaminated surface deposits (10) on a reactor pressure vessel and/or reactor components and/or sublimating. An independent claim is also included for a method for treating and/or decontaminating surfaces.

Description

The invention relates to a device and a method for the treatment and / or decontamination of surfaces, in particular surfaces of reactor internals, such as the reactor pressure vessel, can be dispensed with solvents and or corrosive chemicals.

Conventional are for removing loose and adhering radioactive contamination, in particular radiative surface oxides, mechanical and / or chemical processing processes, such as brushing, wiping, polishing, sometimes with the aid of washing substances and / or solvents, such as organic or non-organic acids, alkalis, solvents, ultrasound , High pressure cleaning with steam or water used.

However, mechanical methods are disadvantageous only because they can only be implemented with considerable outlay, in particular with regard to operating resources, operating materials, residues to be disposed of and time required for processing. Also, no selective approach is conventionally possible because known methodologies do not differentiate between base material, such as the actual reactor pressure vessel material, and the contaminated oxide layers deposited on the base material, and attack and / or damage both materials equally in the decontamination and cleaning process. In addition, mechanical processing tools usually leave traces of processing and are solely by their Design spatially limited in their application. At the same time, efficient and gentle decontamination of surfaces has not been possible to date.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing an efficient and gentle way of decontaminating surfaces.

This object is achieved by a device for treatment and / or decontamination of surfaces with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments as well as a corresponding method are specified in further claims and the following description.

Accordingly, the device according to the invention comprises at least one generator arrangement and means with which directional waves, in particular electromagnetic type, but also ultrasonic waves and / or X-rays and / or gamma rays generated and energy transfers to contaminated surface deposits, in particular surface deposits of a reactor pressure vessel and / or reactor internals, effected and / or these surface deposits, in particular contaminated oxide layers, are soluble and / or sublimable.

In the method according to the invention for the treatment and / or decontamination of surfaces, which likewise achieves the stated object, waves, in particular electromagnetic, but also ultrasonic waves and / or X-rays and / or gamma rays, are generated using an appropriate device and energy transfers to contaminated surface deposits , in particular surface deposits of a reactor pressure vessel and / or reactor internals, causes such surface deposits to be dissolved and / or sublimated.

In an advantageous embodiment, the generator arrangement comprises one or more components, wherein at least one source and / or a waveguide or a beam guidance system and / or a decoupling element is provided as component and / or the components are in operative connection with one another.

In a preferred embodiment, the generator arrangement accordingly has at least one laser as the source and / or at least one optical system, in particular with lens and / or diaphragm and / or focus, as coupling-out element and / or at least one optical fiber as waveguide or beam guidance system, laser and decoupling element via the at least one glass fiber cooperate and / or are connected. The laser used can be embodied in particular as a solid-state laser or pulsed solid-state laser, for example as a titanium: sapphire or Nd: YAG / YLF laser, and wavelengths in the range of about 266-1064 nm and / or pulse lengths of about 10 ns to 100ns, or as a CO ₂ laser with wavelengths in the micron range, in particular at about 10.6 microns. In the case of such lasers, pulse energies in the range of a few mJ up to several 100 mJ can be achieved.

By means of the generated laser beam, a predeterminable energy transfer, maximum pulse energy per pulse duration, is effected per unit time on a defined surface area and thus on contaminated surface deposits present in the surface area and / or the respective surface deposits, in particular in the form of oxide layers, are heated, dissolved and sublimated. The energy transfer to various materials, such as the base material of the reactor pressure vessel and the contaminated oxide layer deposited thereon, is also co-determined, for example, by the absorption behavior of the various materials with regard to the respectively used electromagnetic waves or radiation. As a further factor concerning the amount of energy transfer, the beam focus or the beam cross-sectional area must also be taken into account. Thus, for example, due to the different absorption behavior of base material / material and oxide layer, the focus can be selected such that, although the oxide layer is dissolved and sublimated, the base material is not damaged or attacked. Even existing cracks or damage to the base material can be decontaminated and / or treated in this way almost without contact without further damage. Such a treatment can also be low-selective by a suitable choice of the respective laser and / or pulse energy and / or focusing be performed. Thus, a surface treatment and / or decontamination is also possible in layers in several steps, which allows a particularly gentle handling of the base material or the base material such as the reactor pressure vessel and / or its internals.

Also, at least one scanning device, in particular as a scanning or raster device, can be provided, with which a predeterminable surface area can be scanned homogeneously scanned with electromagnetic waves. Size and / or geometry of the respective surface area as well as rattling speed and / or resolution are predefinable.

A larger surface can be treated or decontaminated by juxtaposition of several such surface areas. The number of surface areas and their arrangement is adapted to the shape and / or size of the surface to be treated or decontaminated.

Alternatively, by defining the respective raster and / or scanning region, even smaller surface areas and individual deposits can be selectively treated and / or dissolved and sublimated.

Accordingly, in another embodiment, the scanning device comprises at least one deflection element, in particular a movable mirror or prism, for example for the controlled steering or deflection of laser beams, or a field generator, in particular an electromagnet, a coil or a capacitor or a combination thereof.

In a further development, it is advantageous to provide at least one control / regulating device which cooperates with the at least one generator arrangement and / or the at least one scanning device in such a way that the energy of the respective electromagnetic wave, in particular of the laser light, and / or its energy transfer and / or propagation direction and / or whose impact point and / or size and / or geometry of the predeterminable surface area can be controlled and / or regulated.

Accordingly, the field strength of at least one variable magnetic field and / or a variable electrical and / or Electromagnetic field, a scan of the predeterminable surface area can be effected. The scanning can be carried out continuously or stepwise.

The transmittable or provided by the electromagnetic wave amount of energy can be distributed homogeneously over the respective predeterminable surface area.

For ease of handling, at least one handling device can be provided in an advantageous embodiment, to which at least one generator arrangement or components thereof, in particular an end of a waveguide and / or a decoupling element, and / or at least one further means, in particular a scanning device, can be arranged, and / or with which they can be guided and / or positioned relative to the contaminated or treated surface.

The handling device may comprise a hand or handle for manual and manual guidance and / or positioning of at least one generator arrangement or components thereof and / or at least one scanning device.

Alternatively or additionally, at least one manipulator or a robot, in particular a multi-axis industrial robot, can be provided with which the guidance and / or positioning of the generator arrangement and / or scanning device can be carried out automatically.

To expose the environment to radiation-contaminated radioactive solids or particles during the decontamination and / or treatment process To avoid as far as possible, an extraction device for extracting the dissolved and / or sublimated deposits can be provided in an advantageous development.

In this case, the suction device can also have a flexible suction hose and / or a nozzle, wherein the respective nozzle can be arranged at a distal end of the respective hose.

Advantageously, the nozzle can be formed as a surface nozzle and / or adapted to the scanning or raster region of the respective scanning device, in particular in such a way that the respective raster region is covered or covered as completely as possible in terms of area.

In a further embodiment, the surface nozzle has sealing means which as far as possible complete or seal the scanning or raster region against the environment during the decontamination process, and thus largely protects the ambient air from contamination by contaminated particles.

In a further embodiment variant, the nozzle has a recess for the passage and / or reception for coupling in at least one component of a generator arrangement, in particular a beam guidance system and / or waveguide, an optical system, a laser or a laser beam.

For improved movement and / or position control, it is advantageously possible to form the nozzle at least partly from transparent material, in particular a plastic.

It can also be provided that the suction device has at least one filter for filtering and / or separating dissolved, contaminated solids from the ambient air.

Alternatively or in addition to a laser, the generator arrangement can also have at least one ultrasound source, an x-ray source, a gamma-ray source (γ source) or a microwave generator.

Furthermore, the object is also achieved by a method for the treatment and / or decontamination of surfaces, wherein by at least one of the aforementioned devices directed electromagnetic waves generated and energy transfers to contaminated surface deposits, in particular surface deposits of a reactor pressure vessel and / or reactor internals, are effected in that they are dissolved and / or sublimated.

It is advantageous to use laser beams as electromagnetic waves which can be generated by means of a laser, in particular by means of a solid-state laser or a pulsed solid-state laser or an excimer laser (157 nm ≦ λ ≦ 248 nm; ArF excimer laser λ = 193 nm). Furthermore, the generated laser beams can be focused by means of an optics set up for this purpose, the laser beams being guided by a waveguide or a beam guidance system, in particular a glass fiber or a glass fiber bundle and / or a mirror or prism arrangement from the laser to the optics and / or decoupled via the optics.

As a rule, such laser beams consist of electromagnetic waves having, for example, wavelengths in the range of about 157 nm to about 1060 ± 4 nm, and / or a pulse length of about 4ns to about 100ns and / or a pulse energy of about 6mJ up to approx. 355 mJ, depending on the wavelength and type of laser used and / or focusing of the respective beam.

Accordingly, according to the method, a predeterminable amount of energy per unit of time can be transferred to a defined surface area and thus to contaminated surface deposits present in the surface area and / or contaminated deposits occurring in the respective surface area, in particular in the form of oxide layers, can be heated, dissolved and / or sublimated.

In one embodiment variant, a predeterminable region of the respective surface is scanned homogeneously with electromagnetic waves by means of at least one scanning device. In this case, the scanning of the respective surface area by movement of at least one deflection element, in particular a movable mirror or prism, or by field adaptation, in particular with respect to field line shape and / or strength, an electrical and / or magnetic or electromagnetic field causes.

Furthermore, it can be provided that the energy of the respective electromagnetic wave and / or the effected energy transfer and / or its propagation direction and / or its impact point and / or size and shape of the scanned surface area by means of a control / regulating device, in cooperation with the generator arrangement and / or Scanning device is controlled and / or regulated.

In a further embodiment it is provided that a movement, guidance, alignment and positioning of the generator arrangement or components thereof and / or the scanning device relative to the contaminated surface by means of at least one handling device is performed manually or automatically.

In a further embodiment, the generator arrangement or components thereof and / or the scanning device and the respectively generated electromagnetic waves are guided and / or moved away by means of the at least one handling device at a predeterminable distance and / or in a predeterminable orientation over the surface areas to be decontaminated.

The alignment, positioning and / or guidance can be carried out by means of at least one manipulator or a robot, in particular a multi-axis industrial robot.

In a further development of the method, the dissolved and / or sublimated deposits are sucked off directly by means of a suction device.
The suction is also feasible by means of a flexible suction hose or a flexible suction line and a nozzle, wherein the nozzle adjacent to Impact region of the electromagnetic waves and / or this is arranged overlapping.

For suction, a nozzle designed as a surface nozzle can be used, which is adapted to the scanning or raster region of the respective scanning device, in particular such that it covers or is covered in terms of surface area.

Continuing with the process, the extracted air is filtered so that the dissolved and / or sublimed solids or deposits are deposited in a filter, the filter being periodically cleaned and / or separated solids removed and properly disposed or stored.

In an alternative embodiment, waves in the form of ultrasonic waves, microwaves, X-rays, γ-rays or a combination thereof are generated and / or transferred by means of the respective generated waves per unit time a predeterminable amount of energy to a defined surface area and thus on the surface area present contaminated surface deposits and / or in the respective surface area occurring contaminated deposits, in particular in the form of oxide layers, heated, dissolved and / or sublimated.

Accordingly, a particularly homogeneous, efficient and gentle decontamination of surfaces, in particular of the reactor pressure vessel and / or the reactor internals is made possible while avoiding mechanical processing tools and the resulting processing traces and using directed electromagnetic waves. The complex provision and disposal (after use) of solvent and contaminated residues in comparatively large quantities can be advantageously eliminated.

Another advantage lies in the comparatively low cost and / or the few and compact peripherals that is required to carry out the process.

The further explanation of the invention, advantageous embodiments and developments is based on a figure and the associated embodiment.

The only figure ( Fig. 1 ) shows an exemplarily designed device for the treatment and / or decontamination or decontamination of surfaces, wherein at least one generator arrangement 1, comprising lasers, for example a short pulse excimer or solid state laser 2, a beam guiding system, with inserted solid state laser 2, for example a glass fiber bundle 4, as well Optics with focus (not explicitly shown), which is for example protected in a corresponding housing 6, arranged with which directional waves generated 8 and energy transfers to contaminated surface deposits 10, in particular surface deposits of a reactor pressure vessel and / or reactor internals 12, are effected and / or These surface deposits 10 are soluble and / or sublimable.

By means of laser pulses of suitable intensity and duration, the correspondingly irradiated deposits are thereby dissolved or vaporized and / or transferred into a plasma.

Furthermore, a scanning or raster device (not explicitly shown) is provided which can likewise be integrated into the housing 6 and with which a predeterminable surface area, in particular with electromagnetic waves 8, can be scanned homogeneously. For deflecting, for example, the respective laser beam 16, a mirror or prism movable in one or more axes and / or electromagnetic field generators and / or electromagnetic lenses is provided (in FIG Fig. 1 not explicitly shown).

In addition, a handling device in the form of a multi-axis robot 18 is provided, on which optics, one end of a fiber optic bundle 20 for optical connection of the laser 2 and optics and the scanning device is arranged and with which these automated guide and / or positioned relative to the contaminated surface are. The movement of the laser beam by means of Handling device over the surface can be done in the vertical and / or horizontal direction. In this movement is also advantageous providable that is regulated to a uniform average distance of the optics to the surface. The removal of deposits can also be carried out layer and / or step by step by several departures of the corresponding structures and surface areas In addition, a hand or handle for manual and manual guidance and / or positioning is providable. Alternatively, the handling device may also be designed as a hand-held device for exclusively manual operation and guidance, which appears to be appropriate in particular for only local work and only small, almost punctiform surface areas.

In order to automatically use such hand-held devices corresponding interfaces for attachment to a manipulator or robot 18 may be provided.

The dissolved and / or sublimated by means of laser beams 16 components 22 of the previous deposits 10 are sucked directly by means of a suction device 24. For better handling, the suction takes place by means of a flexible suction hose 26 or a flexible suction line and a nozzle arranged at this end. In the example shown here, this nozzle is designed as a funnel-shaped surface nozzle 28, which is adapted to the area or scanning area detected by the scanning device and covers it completely. Alternatively, the nozzle used can also have any other types of geometries and shapes and, for example, be arranged laterally adjacent to the laser beam and / or to the impact area of the electromagnetic waves.

Furthermore, the surface nozzle has sealing means 32, for example sealing lips made of soft rubber or bristles, which are arranged on the end of the nozzle, between the nozzle and the surface, and comprise the opening region of the nozzle. During the decontamination process, these sealants close and / or seal the scanning or raster region against the environment as completely as possible so that the ambient air is largely protected against contamination by contaminated particles and the stress is kept as low as possible.

As in Fig. 1 at least one receptacle, in particular a recess, for the passage and / or coupling of the optical waveguide or fiber optic bundle 20 and the optics and / or the scanning device 6 is shown in the nozzle.

For improved movement and / or position control, it is advantageously possible to form the nozzle 28 at least partially from transparent material, in particular a plastic, or to provide a transparent shop window.

The extracted air is filtered in a dedicated filter 30 so that the dissolved and / or sublimed solids 22 are deposited in the filter 30 and / or the filter 30 cleaned regularly and / or the separated solids 22 taken out and disposed of properly or stored ,

Furthermore, at least one control / regulating device 34 is provided, which cooperates with laser 2, optics and scanning device 6 such that the energy of the laser beams, in particular the pulse energy, and / or their respective energy transfer, for example by appropriate focusing, and / or their propagation direction and / or the impact point and / or the scanning surface and scanning speed can be controlled and / or regulated.

The suction device 24 also interacts advantageously with the control / regulating device.

By using glass fiber bundle 20 and suction hose 26, the actual laser 2 with energy supply and the actual suction device 24 with filter 30 can also be arranged spatially remote from the surface 12 to be treated or to be decontaminated.

This is particularly advantageous in a limited space, increases the freedom of movement and facilitates handling, since only waveguide or beam guiding system, in particular light guide or Glass fiber 20, as well as optics and optionally the scanning device 6 and the suction hose 26 with nozzle 28 to move and / or lead are.

Claims (15)

Apparatus for the treatment and / or decontamination of surfaces, wherein at least one generator arrangement (1) and means are provided, with which directional shafts (8) can be generated and energy transfers to contaminated surface deposits (10), in particular surface deposits of a reactor pressure vessel and / or of reactor internals, effected are and / or these surface deposits are soluble and / or sublimable. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the generator arrangement (1) at least one laser (2) as a source and / or at least one optic, in particular with focus, as decoupling element and / or at least one glass fiber (20) or a mirror system as a waveguide or Beam guiding system comprises, wherein the laser (2) and decoupling element on the at least one glass fiber (20) or the mirror system cooperate and / or are connected. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one generator arrangement (1) with laser (2) by means of the generated laser beam per unit time causes a predeterminable energy transfer to a defined surface area and thus on existing in the surface area contaminated surface deposits (10) and / or respective surface deposits, in particular in the form of oxide layers, heated, dissolves and sublimated. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one scanning device (6), in particular as a scanning or raster device is formed, with which a predeterminable surface area with electromagnetic waves (8) is homogeneously scanned. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one handling device is provided, to which at least one generator arrangement (1) or components thereof, such as in particular an end of a waveguide (20) and / or a decoupling element, and / or at least one other Means, in particular a scanning device (6), can be arranged and / or generator arrangement (1) or components thereof and / or scanning device (6) by means of the handling device (18) guide and / or relative to the surface to be decontaminated (12) are positionable , Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the guidance and / or positioning of the generator arrangement (1) or components thereof and / or scanning device (6) and / or optics is carried out automatically. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a suction device (24) for extracting the dissolved and / or sublimated contaminated deposits (10) is provided. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the suction device (24) has a flexible suction hose (26) and / or a nozzle (28) which is arranged in particular at a distal end of the respective hose (26) Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the nozzle is designed as a surface nozzle and has sealing means (32) which during the decontamination process seal or seal the sensing or grid area against the environment, thereby largely protecting the ambient air from contamination. Device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the nozzle (28) has a receptacle for coupling at least one optical waveguide (20) or a beam guiding device or a laser (2) or a laser beam (16). Device according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the suction device (24) has at least one filter (30) for filtering and / or separation of dissolved, contaminated solids (22) from the ambient air. Process for the treatment and / or decontamination of surfaces, wherein by means of at least one device according to one of claims 1 to 11 directed waves (8), in particular electromagnetic type, generated and energy transfer to contaminated surface deposits (10), in particular surface deposits of a reactor pressure vessel and / or Reactor internals are effected in such a way that these surface deposits are dissolved and / or sublimated. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that are generated as waves laser beams (16) by means of a laser (2), in particular a solid-state laser, an excimer laser or a pulsed solid-state laser, and the laser light via a glass fiber or a glass fiber bundle (20) or a beam guiding system from the laser (2) is directed to the optics, wherein by means of the generated laser beam (16) per unit time a predeterminable amount of energy to a defined surface area and thus transferred in the surface area contaminated surface deposits (10) transferred and / or contaminated deposits occurring in particular surface area, in particular in the form of oxide layers, heated, dissolved and / or sublimated. Method according to claims 12 and 13, characterized in that by means of at least one scanning device (6) a predeterminable region of the respective surface with waves, in particular electromagnetic waves, is scanned homogeneously. Method according to one of the preceding claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the dissolved and / or sublimated deposits (10) are sucked directly by means of a suction device (24) and the extracted air is filtered, so that the dissolved and / or sublimed solids or Deposits are deposited in a filter (30).

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