JP2727084B2 - Equipment for loading and demounting radioactive samples - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a radioactive sample prepared in a hot cell, which is carried into an analysis device in a nuclear reactor facility or the like to perform an analysis operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting and demounting device for automatically performing these analysis operations.

(Prior Art) In a nuclear reactor facility, after adjusting a radioactive sample in a hot cell, the radioactive sample is carried in and mounted on an analyzer, and the mounted radioactive sample is desorbed after analysis and carried out in the hot cell.

In the conventionally known analysis system, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 39-33556, the analyzer and the hot cell are arranged apart from each other, and the hot cell and the analyzer are arranged using a cask containing a radioactive sample. The radioactive sample is loaded on the analyzer and desorbed by transporting the radioactive sample.
Then, the work of taking out and taking in the sample from the inside of the known hot cell is automatically performed using a screw mechanism.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, according to the above-described known technique, when a radioactive sample reciprocates between a hot cell and an analyzer which are located at a distance from each other, there is a danger of radioactive contamination and radiation exposure. In addition, there is a problem that work efficiency is poor.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to automate the reciprocation of a sample between a hot cell and an analyzer, improve the safety against radioactive contamination and radiation exposure, and mount and demount the radioactive sample with improved work efficiency. It is to provide a device.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention is configured as follows.

A hot cell, an analyzer arranged adjacent to the hot cell, a connecting portion for connecting the hot cell and the analyzer in an airtight state, a first movable body screwed to the first rotating screw, A second rotating screw disposed in parallel with the first rotating screw and transferred integrally with the first movable body; a second movable body screwed to the second rotating screw; A transfer rod provided on the movable body, a sample table provided at the tip of the transfer rod and reciprocating between the hot cell and the analyzer,
A position detection device that is provided outside the hot cell and on the analysis device side and detects a position of the movable body due to rotation of the rotation screw;
An electric motor provided outside the hot cell and on the side of the analyzer, which drives the rotary screw to rotate, and automatically loads and removes the radioactive sample on the sample stage from the analyzer.

(Operation) According to the configuration of the present invention, the movable body moves by rotating the rotary screw, and the movement of the movable body moves the sample stage from the hot cell to the inside of the analyzer, and this movement is connected in an airtight state. Since the connection is made through the connecting portion, radioactive contamination and radiation exposure are prevented.

Example An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

With reference to FIG. 1, an analyzer 1 carries a radioactive sample into it to perform an analysis test, and has a connecting portion 2 protruding from a side surface thereof. By being fitted into the part 4, the analyzer 1 and the hot cell 3 are connected in an airtight state. A passage 2a for a radioactive sample is formed in the connection part 2, and the other parts are provided with the following rotating screws 8, 19, a rotating shaft 13, a hollow shaft 16, and the like. Symbol 1a in the analyzer 1
Indicates an analysis stage for placing a sample.

In an operation room 5 provided outside the hot cell 3, a first electric motor 6 and a second electric motor 7 as drive sources are arranged, and rotation screws 8, 19 which are rotated by the respective electric motors 6, 7 are provided. Are provided as described below.

First, the first rotary screw 8 is arranged in the connection portion 2, and the first rotary screw 8 and the first electric motor 6 are connected via the drive shaft 9 and the speed reducer 10. A first movable body 11 is screwed onto the first rotating screw 8, and the first movable body 11
Is movable along the first rotary screw 8 by the rotation of the first rotary screw 8. The first movable body 11 has an insertion hole 12 through which a transfer rod 21 described later is inserted. A rotating shaft 13 is arranged in parallel with the first rotating screw 8, and one end of the rotating shaft 13 is connected to a driving shaft 14 of the second electric motor 7 via a speed reducer 15. Hollow shaft at the other end
16 are connected by a spline or the like so as to be able to transmit rotation and slide in the axial direction. The hollow shaft 16 is rotatably and non-slidably coupled to the movable body 11, and a gear 17 is fixed to an end of the hollow shaft 16. Note that the hollow shaft 16 is not limited to the above structure, as long as it has a structure in which the hollow shaft 16 moves integrally with the movable body 11 and is rotatably coupled by the rotating shaft 13. The gear 17 meshes with a gear 18 provided on the second rotary screw 19. The second rotation screw 19 is installed in parallel with the first rotation screw 8 and has a structure that is rotatably coupled to the movable body 11 and moves integrally therewith.

A second movable body 20 is screwed to the second rotation screw 19, and the second movable body 20
It can be moved along the rotary screw 19 of FIG. Further, a transfer rod 21 is provided on the second movable body 20 in parallel with the second rotary screw 19, and the transfer rod 21 is attached to the first movable body 11.
The transfer rod 21 is inserted into the
22 are provided.

Further, in order to automate the mounting and demounting operations of the radioactive sample, a stop position detecting device shown in FIG. 2 is installed on the drive shafts 9 and 14 of the electric motors 6 and 7, respectively.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a description will be given of a stop position detecting device installed in the electric motor 6 in FIG. 1, but a similar stop position detecting device is also installed in the electric motor 7 in FIG.

A gear 23 is fixed to the drive shaft 9 of the first electric motor 6, and a gear 24 meshing with the gear 23 is provided. A main shaft 25 is fixed to the gear 24, and a speed reducer 26 that receives the rotation of the main shaft 25 to reduce the speed is provided. A countershaft 27 for outputting reduced rotation from the reduction gear 26 is provided. The rotation of the counter shaft 27 is set within one rotation while the first movable body 11 moves one way of the first rotary screw 8. Photocouplers (photoelectric switches) 28 and 29 are provided on the main shaft 25 and the sub shaft 27, respectively.

The two stop positions of the first movable body 11 (FIG. 1 (a) and FIG.
(The position shown in FIG. 2B) is detected, the start and stop of the first electric motor 6 are controlled based on the detection signal, and the first electric motor 6 is forward / reverse-converted and the first movable body 11 is rotated.
The conversion of the traveling direction is controlled.

Further, the photocoupler 28 installed on the main shaft 25 and the photocoupler 29 installed on the sub-shaft 27 work together to improve the detection accuracy of the two stop positions of the first movable body 11. ing.

The operation of the above embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b) and 1 (c) and FIG.

In the initial stage shown in FIG. 1A, the first movable body
Reference numeral 11 denotes a position near the end of the first rotary screw 8 inside the hot cell 3, and the hollow shaft 16 is substantially pulled out from the rotary shaft 13. The sample stage 22 is still positioned in the hot cell 3, and a container 30 containing a radioactive sample is placed on the sample stage 22 by a manipulator (not shown).

Next, from the state shown in FIG. 1 (a), the first electric motor 6 is started to rotate forward to rotate the first rotating screw 8 forward, and the first movable body 11 is moved in the direction of the analyzer 1. Move to
The first movable body 11 moves the container 30 containing the radioactive sample in the direction of the analyzer 1 through the hollow shaft 16 and the second rotary screw 19, and the first movable body 11 is moved to the stop position ( (See FIG. 1 (b)) that the drive shaft 9 of the first electric motor 6 has reached
Detected by photocouplers 28 and 29 installed in Based on this detection signal, the first motor 6 is stopped and the second motor 7 is started to rotate forward to rotate the rotating shaft 13 forward. And transmitted to the second rotary screw 19 via the second rotary screw 19.
The second movable body 20 and the transfer rod 21 move toward the analyzer 1 by the rotation of. Then, the radioactive sample is placed in the sample stage 1a in the analyzer 1 (the state shown in FIG. 1 (c)). In this state, the photocoupler installed in the second electric motor 7 outputs a detection signal, The second electric motor 7 is stopped.

On the other hand, as described below, the radioactive sample after analysis is taken out of the analyzer and returned into the hot cell by the operation in the reverse order to the above operation.

First, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the analysis stage 1a
The second electric motor 7 is started in the reverse direction from the state in which the sample table 22 is inserted into the sample table 22, and the rotating shaft 13 is transmitted to the second rotating screw 19 via the hollow shaft 16, the gear 17, and the gear 18. This second rotating screw 19
The second movable body 20 and the transfer rod 21 move in the direction of the hot cell due to the reverse rotation of, and carry out the radioactive sample from the analyzer 1 in the direction of the connection 2. When the photocoupler installed on the drive shaft 14 of the second electric motor 7 detects that the second movable body 20 has reached the stop position in the hot cell 3 as shown in FIG. The second electric motor 7 is stopped by the detection signal, and the first electric motor 6 is started in the reverse direction to rotate the first rotary screw 8 in the reverse direction. For this reason, the first movable body 11 is moved in the direction of the hot cell 3, and the radioactive sample is carried out by the first movable body 11 toward the inside of the hot cell 3. The hollow shaft 16, the second rotating shaft 19, and the second movable body 20 are also moved integrally by the movement of the first movable body 11. The fact that the first movable body 11 has reached the stop position in the hot cell 3 is detected by the photocouplers 28 and 29 set near the drive shaft of the first electric motor 6, and the first electric motor 6 is detected by this detection signal. It stops and stops in a state where the radioactive sample is located in the hot cell 3 as shown in FIG.

In the above embodiment, since the reciprocation of the radioactive sample between the hot cell 3 and the analyzer 1 is performed through the sealed connection portion 2, there is no risk of radioactive contamination or radiation exposure.

Also, since the movable bodies 11 and 20 that move the rotating screws 8 and 19, the transfer rod 21 provided on the movable body 20, and the like, automatically load and demount the radioactive sample with respect to the analyzer 1,
The work efficiency is greatly improved as compared with a conventional cask in which radioactive samples are transported.

Further, a stop position detection device including photocouplers 28 and 29 is installed, and the stop position detection device detects the stop positions of the movable bodies 11 and 20 and starts the electric motors 6 and 7 based on the detection signals. In addition, the stop and forward / reverse conversion can be automatically and accurately controlled.

In addition, since the driving mechanism has a two-stage structure, the first movable body 11 moved by the first rotary screw 8 and the second movable body 20 moved by the second rotation screw 19 are formed. The radioactive sample is mounted and desorbed by the step operation.
For this reason, when the sample stage 22 is in the analyzer 1, the hollow shaft 16 is fitted into the rotating shaft 13 and the overall length of the device is shortened, so that the space in the hot cell 3 can be effectively used.

Furthermore, since the motors 6 and 7 and the stop position detecting device are arranged in the operation room 5 outside the hot cell 3, maintenance in case of failure and inspection at normal time are easy.

(Effect of the Invention) The apparatus for loading and demounting a radioactive sample according to the present invention has the following effects.

Since the analyzer is connected to the hot cell in an airtight manner and the radioactive sample is reciprocated between the hot cell and the analyzer via the sealed connection, there is no risk of radioactive contamination or radiation exposure.

In addition, a movable body that moves the rotating screw, a transfer rod provided on the movable body, and a sample stage provided at the distal end of the transfer rod mount and remove the radioactive sample to and from the analyzer. And load the sample,
The work efficiency can be improved because it is automated as compared with a detachable one.

In addition, the stop position of each movable body is detected by a stop position detection device including a photocoupler and the like, and the start and stop and the forward / reverse conversion of the electric motor are automatically controlled based on the detection signal. Good and few malfunctions.

Further, since the drive mechanism has a two-stage structure, the overall length of the device is shortened, so that the space in the hot cell can be effectively used.

Further, since the electric motor and the stop position detecting device are arranged in the operation room outside the hot cell, maintenance in case of failure and inspection at normal time are easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (a), 1 (b) and 1 (c) are operation state diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Analysis apparatus 1a: Analysis stage 3: Hot cell 6: First motor 7: Second motor 8: First rotating screw 11: First movable body 13: Rotating shaft 16: Hollow shaft 17: Gear 18: Gear 19: Second rotating screw 20: Second movable body 21: Transfer rod 22: Sample table 30: Container

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yuji Enoki 4002, Narita-cho, Oarai-machi, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki Prefecture Inside the Oarai Engineering Center, Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (72) Inventor Takashi Nakamura 9-1 Yayodai, Izumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa (72) Inventor Katsuhiko Shiro 2-9-4 Hanasaki, Narashino-shi, Chiba (56) References JP-A-60-123294 (JP, A) JP-A-61-64989 (JP, U) JP-A-39-33556 (JP, Y1)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A hot cell, an analyzer arranged adjacent to the hot cell, a connecting portion for connecting the hot cell and the analyzer in an airtight state, and a first screw screwed to a first rotating screw. A movable body, a second rotating screw arranged in parallel with the first rotating screw and transferred integrally with the first movable body, and a second movable body screwed to the second rotating screw. A transfer rod provided on the second movable body, a sample table provided at the tip of the transfer rod, reciprocating between the hot cell and the analyzer, and provided outside the hot cell and on the analyzer side, A position detecting device for detecting the position of the movable body due to the rotation of the rotating screw; and a motor provided outside the hot cell and on the side of the analyzer and for driving the rotating screw to rotate, the radioactive sample on the sample stage automatically. Is attached to and detached from the analyzer. Instrumentation of sex sample, desorption apparatus.