JPH05288884A - Robot operated plant - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To save the labor for a maintenance work and to improve the reliability of an operation by a method wherein a robot provided with operating units fitting in operating parts of valves is made to execute automatically the operation and control of the valves. CONSTITUTION:Sequences of operations of various valves, conditions therefor, etc., are recorded in a computer 33 for control and sent to the main body 30 of a robot through a crame 31. The crane 31 selects information on the position of a valve 36 from the information on them and moves to plane coordinates being given. The main body 30 gives an instruction to a telescopic arm 32 so that the main body 30 be directed to the front of the valve 36. The coordinates of a seat 38 of a binocular lens 35 of the main body 30 are adjusted so that an operating part 39 of the valve 36 coming into the visual field of the lens 35 be aligned with the center of the lens 35. Based on an image thus obtained, it is confirmed that the valve 36 is the one scheduled to be operated. An operating unit 37 corresponding to the valve 36 is selected from a plurality of operating units and fitted to the fore end of an arm 34. The arm 34 is moved and the operating unit 37 is inserted into the operating part 39. The valve 36 is rotated by a prescribed number of times by a drive part 40 in accordance with instructions for opening and closing. Information on the number of rotations is sent to the computer 33.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a valve operation of a complex and large-scale system in a nuclear power plant and the like, and a robot operation plant for valve operation by a robot, which relates to this management system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A complex and large-scale system such as a nuclear power plant is equipped with tens of thousands of valves, and among these valves, the valves are opened to operate the plant during normal operation. Only a few of them are adjusted in degree, and most of them are fixedly used in an open or closed state.

The valves whose states are fixed are operated at the time of starting / stopping the plant or at the time of inspecting the plant. In order to automate the start / stop of the plant, the valves are operated at the start / stop. It is necessary to automate the valves that are used.

[0004] This means that in a nuclear power plant in which the plant is started and stopped only once a year, a large number of valves are equipped with actuators that are rarely used, which is economically inconvenient and difficult to maintain. The top was complicated.

On the other hand, most of the drain valves and the like, which are operated only during periodic inspections of the plant, are manually operated. However, since humans manage these valves, these valves must be checked during the inspection before starting the plant. A lot of work is done to check the condition. Here, the valve operated at the time of starting the system and the valve operating at the time of steady operation will be described taking one system of the nuclear power plant as an example.

The system configuration diagram shown in FIG. 4 is called an air extraction system and is a system for ensuring the degree of vacuum of the condenser of the main turbine. In FIG. 4, the white valves are shown in an open state and the filled valves are shown in a closed state during normal operation. The main steam reaches the first stage ejector 5 through the valve 4, the regulating valve 2 and the valve 3 and the valve 4, and reaches the second stage ejector 7 through the valve 6.

Further, the air and steam in the condenser 8 are supplied to the valve 9
Through the inter-condenser 10 through the valve 11, the second-stage ejector 7, and the valve 6, and the two preheaters 12, 13 and the recombiner respectively.
It is discharged from the stack 20 through the exhaust gas hold-up device 18 and the exhaust gas vacuum pump equipment 19 through the exhaust gas condensers 14 and 15, and the exhaust gas condensers 16 and 17.

As described above, a large number of valves exist in the system for maintaining the degree of vacuum of the condenser 8, but most of the valves are fixed during normal operation. In the valve of the path described above, the adjustment valve 2 that controls the pressure of steam only adjusts the valve opening frequently during normal operation in order to adjust the pressure of steam reaching the ejectors 5 and 7.

Then, among the total of 35 valves shown in FIG. 4, the valves other than the adjusting valve 2 are not operated during normal operation 34.
The purpose of the individual valves, with some exceptions, is to start the system according to the operating conditions of the plant.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to automate the start and stop of one system, all valves constituting the system are actuated by electric power or air as a drive source.
It is necessary to provide an actuator, which increases equipment cost and maintenance work for a large number of actuators. Therefore, there are problems in terms of economy and maintenance, and a great deal of effort is spent on checking the state of manually operated valves at the time of regular inspection.

It is an object of the present invention to operate and manage valves that are used only during start-up / shutdown and periodic inspections, which make up the majority of the valves constituting a plant, with the operating portion of the valve. It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot-operated plant capable of deleting actuators of a large number of valves, which is automatically performed by a robot equipped with a matching operating device.

[0012]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A robot provided with a drain valve that is used only when inspecting a plant during plant operation and an operator that operates a valve that is used only when starting and stopping the plant, and the valve operation by the robot. The robot operation system that reduces the number of actuators equipped on the valve to automate plant operation, and the computer means that executes and manages the operation command to the robot of this robot operation system and the operation result and measurement. To do.

[0013]

[Action] Valves in the plant that are used only during start-up / shutdown and regular inspection, other than those that are frequently operated during normal operation, do not have an actuator, and the robot must be used when operating these valves. The operating device provided on the side is fitted to the operating portion of the valve to operate.

Further, the robot is moved by a preset rail or crane, and various valve operation sequences for starting and stopping the plant, the conditions thereof, a record of the operation, and information from the plant are collected. Based on these, a computer means for outputting a command such as selection of a valve to be operated automatically and appropriately operates a large number of valves.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the same components as those of the above-described conventional technique are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The robot body 30 is supported by a crane 31 having two degrees of freedom installed on the ceiling by a telescopic arm 32. Through the crane 31 and the telescopic arm 32, a management computer 33 as a calculation means is provided. Instruction data for the robot main body 30 from a robot driving power source (not shown) and data from the robot 30 main body side to the computer 33 side are transferred.

The robot main body 30 is provided with an arm 34 having 6 degrees of freedom and a binocular lens 35, the tip of the arm 34 is detachable, and an operating device 37 for operating the valve 36 can be attached.
Information is exchanged between the robot body 37 and the robot body 30, and driving power is supplied from the robot body 30.

Between the robot body 30 and the lens 35 is a pedestal 38 having 6 degrees of freedom. Further, on the plant side, a robot operating device 37 is fitted in the operating portion 39 of the valve 36, and structural modifications are made to make it easier to operate.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of the operating portion of the valve.
2A is a plan view and FIG. 2B is a sectional view. Operating part 39
Has a deep cut in the center like the screw head corresponding to a Phillips screwdriver.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the structure of a robot operating device.
3A is a front view and FIG. 3B is a side view. The operating device 37 has a Phillips screwdriver-like tip, and the operating part of the valve is
It has a structure that can be easily inserted and fitted into the 39. In addition,
A drive unit 40 of the operating device 37 is provided between the operating device 37 and the arm 34.

The management computer 33 records various valve operation sequences for starting and stopping the plant and the conditions thereof, and further collects information from the plant and operates based on these. You can select the valve. In addition, the position and direction of this valve in the plant, the type and shape of the valve, the type of actuator, the torque during operation, the type of operation to open or close the valve,
Information such as the number of revolutions of the valve operating portion until opening or closing is output to the robot or the like, and the valve state or the like is input via the robot or the like. Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.

The management computer 33 records the operation sequence and conditions of various valves for starting and stopping the plant,
It is sent to the robot body 30 via a crane 31 that supports the robot body 30. The crane 31 selects the position information of the valve 36 from these pieces of information, and moves it to the given plane coordinates.

After the movement of the crane 31, the robot body 30 issues a command to the telescopic arm 32 connected to the crane 31 to rotate the robot body 30 in a predetermined vertical position and in the vertical axis direction, thereby causing the robot body 30 to move to the valve 36. Turn it to the front.

Next, the coordinates of the pedestal 38 of the lens 35 are adjusted so that the operating portion 39 of the valve 36 reflected on the binocular lens 35 of the robot body 30 becomes the center of the lens 35. From this image, it is confirmed that the target valve 36 is the valve to be operated. In addition,
Since the positional relationship between the robot 30 and the valve 36 can be evaluated in detail from the adjustment amount of the pedestal 38 of the lens 35, the operation path of the arm 34 is uniquely determined. Since the arm 34 has a degree of freedom, the crane 31
The retractable arm 32 does not require detailed positioning accuracy. At the tip of the arm 34, an operating device corresponding to the valve 36 to be operated
Wear the 37. However, a plurality of types of operating devices 37 are prepared for the robot body 30, and the specified operating device 37 is selected.

Next, the arm 34 is moved along the determined path, and the operating device 37 is inserted into the operating portion 39 of the valve 36. When the insertion state is confirmed from the image information, the valve 36 is rotated a predetermined number of times by the drive unit 40 in accordance with an opening or closing command.

In particular, when closed, regardless of the predetermined number of times,
Torque is applied until it does not rotate even if given torque is applied. This rotation speed information is sent to the management computer 33, and the management computer 33 manages the state of the valve 36 based on this.

Further, at the time of inspection, it is necessary to operate the drain valve for draining water, and conventionally, this operation was manually performed, but this work can also be automated by the present invention with the same function as the above valve operation. .. At this time, it may be necessary to open and close the valve while paying attention to the water level in the drain tank (not shown). In order to easily deal with such a situation, the robot body 30 is provided with a plurality of arms 37, and an operating device 37 for operating the valve 36 is provided at the tip of one arm 37, and the tip of the other arm not shown. A water level measuring device is attached to the water level measuring device, and water level information measured by this water level measuring device
33, and the valve 36 is opened or closed according to the command.

As described above, since the valve operation which is rarely used can be automated without installing an actuator on the valve, the plant construction cost can be reduced, and at the same time, the maintenance work on the valve actuator can be reduced.

Further, since the movable pedestal 38 is provided between the lens 35 and the robot body 30, the position of the lens 35 can be moved to an optimum position, and the positional relationship between the robot body 30 and the valve 36 can be recognized in detail. ..

With such a configuration, it is possible to measure a large number of points without installing a large number of measuring instruments, and the valve operation of the plant which has not been adopted from the economical point of view has been automated. And, moreover, since the information on the open / closed state of these valves can be managed collectively by the management computer 33,
Reliability of operation management in the plant is increased.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, even in a large-scale plant equipped with an extremely large number of valves, it is possible to reduce the construction cost and reduce the maintenance work at the time of starting / stopping, periodic inspections, etc. It has the effect of improving reliability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an embodiment according to the present invention.

2A and 2B are configuration diagrams of an operating portion of a valve according to an embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG. 2B is a sectional view).

3A and 3B are configuration diagrams of a robot operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 3A is a front view and FIG. 2B is a side view).

FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram of an air extraction system of a nuclear power plant shown as a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 ... Robot body, 31 ... Crane, 32 ... Telescopic arm,
33 ... Management computer, 34 ... Arm, 35 ... Lens, 36 ... Valve, 37 ...
Operation unit, 38 ... Pedestal, 39 ... Operation unit, 40 ... Drive unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A robot equipped with a drain valve that is used only when inspecting a plant during plant operation and an operator that operates a valve that is used only when starting and stopping the plant, and a valve provided by the valve operation by the robot. A robot operation plant characterized by comprising a robot operation system for automating plant operation by reducing the number of actuators, and a computer means for executing and managing operation commands, operation results and measurement of robots in this robot operation system. ..