JPH1123782A - Spent fuel treating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make compact a device for taking spent fuel out of a cask in a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. SOLUTION: A fuel take-out device 30 taking spent fuel out of a cask 3 has a running dolly 33 freely moving on a horizontal frame 31, a guide tube 35 provided on the running dolly 33 freely rotatably within a vertical plane and a rotation drive device 37 provided on the running dolly 33 and rotating the guide tube 35. At the upper end of the guide tube 35, a fuel hanging-up device 40 freely detachably provided with a gripper operation mechanism 47 at a wire tip end is placed. Along the guide tube 35, a fuel sending-out device 50 pushing out the gripper operation mechanism 47 is placed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling a so-called spent fuel which has undergone a predetermined combustion in a nuclear reactor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, spent fuel that has undergone predetermined combustion in a light water-cooled reactor has radioactivity and emits heat, and is generally cooled in a cooling pool provided in a nuclear power plant. The spent fuel transport container is stored in a so-called cask and transported to a fuel reprocessing facility. Usually, several spent fuels are stored together in a cask, and at a fuel reprocessing facility, spent fuel is removed from the cask in a state of being isolated from humans, and a processing device such as a spent fuel shearing device is used. Sent out to FIG. 11 shows a conceptual structure of a fuel receiving portion of a conventionally proposed fuel reprocessing facility.

[0003] Referring to FIG. 11, the fuel receiving section is schematically described. A cask 3 loaded and carried on a trailer 1 is placed in a receiving chamber 7 of a building 5 and lifted by a handling crane 9. It is placed on the transfer carriage 13 in the air lock chamber 11. The air in the air lock chamber 11 is
It does not flow out to the receiving room 7. Thereafter, the transfer cart 13 moves into the loading chamber 15, where the cask 3 is erected, and the interior of the cask 3 is opened to the bottom opening of the upper take-out chamber 17. At this time, if necessary, a hermetic sealing device or the like is used, and the upper lid and the like of the cask 3 are operated and removed from the inside of the removal chamber 17. The spent fuel A in the cask 3 is lifted and moved into the take-out chamber 17 by the take-out device 19 one by one, and then moved laterally and supplied to the processing device 23 in the processing cell 21. In the processing device 23, processing such as shearing and decomposition is appropriately performed.

As shown in FIG. 12, a take-out device 19 comprises a frame 19a, a truck 19b, a guide tube 19c,
It has a turning drive device 19d, a push chain 19e, an auxiliary device 19f, a gripper 19g, and a controller 19h. Then, the push chain 19e is extended in the vertical posture of the guide tube 19c as shown in the drawing, the gripper 19g is lowered, the spent fuel A in the cask 3 is engaged, and the spent fuel A is operated by operating the auxiliary device 19f. grab.
The positioning of the gripper 19g is performed by combining the movement of the carriage 19b and the movement of the guide tube 19c in the vehicle width direction. Then, transfer spent fuel A to guide tube 1
The guide tube 19c is driven counterclockwise by the turning drive device 19d to be brought into a horizontal posture. In this state, the cart 19b is connected to the processing cell 21 (FIG. 1).
1), the spent fuel A is moved by the push chain 19e to the processor 23 (FIG. 1).
Send out to 1).

[0005]

As described above, the conventional spent fuel take-out device uses a push chain, which is an extrudable chain, to send out spent fuel to the processing device. However, this requires a controller and auxiliary devices, and the guide tube must be relatively long. For this reason, the construction height of the frame and the building of the fuel reprocessing facility also increase,
There is a problem that the manufacturing cost must be increased. Furthermore, since a push chain is used, which is essentially a structure that can transmit a compressive force from a chain that is convenient for transmitting a tensile force, there is also a problem that the structure is relatively complicated and expensive. is there. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a spent fuel handling apparatus for a fuel reprocessing facility having a small manufacturing cost and a compact structure.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a traveling vehicle movable on a horizontal frame, and a fuel provided on the traveling vehicle so as to be pivotable in a vertical plane. The spent fuel handling device having a guide member and a driving device provided on the traveling vehicle and for turning the fuel guide member between a vertical position and a horizontal position, further includes a wire tip at an upper end portion of the fuel guide member. A fuel lifting device provided with a gripper and a gripper operating mechanism detachably is provided, and a fuel delivery device for pushing the gripper operating mechanism along the fuel guide member is provided. The fuel lifting device is preferably of a hoist type, and the tip of the winding wire and the gripper operating mechanism are detachably connected to each other by a detachable pin. Further, the fuel guide member has a U-shaped cross-section main body portion and a telescope-shaped telescopic portion at the lower end,
The structure is such that spent fuel can be drawn into and stored in the groove-shaped internal space with one side open. Further, the fuel delivery device can be selected from any of a chain drive structure, a rack and pinion drive structure, a roller conveyor drive structure, a cylinder drive structure, and a feed screw drive structure.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, referring to FIG. 1, a spent fuel handling device, that is, a fuel removal device 30 provided in a removal room 17 in a building of a fuel reprocessing facility as described above.
Has a horizontal frame 31 erected corresponding to the take-out opening 17a at the bottom, and the traveling trolley 33 rests on a rail 31a laid on the frame 31. The traveling vehicle 33 has a trolley shape, and has a driving motor, driving wheels, rolling wheels, a brake, and the like, on which a fuel guide member, that is, a guide tube 35 and a turning drive device 37 are mounted. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide tube 35 has a main body 35a having a U-shaped cross section having a groove-shaped internal space, and telescopic telescopic guides 35b and 35c incorporated at the lower end.
The outer surfaces of the telescopic guides 35b and 35c are stepped surfaces so as to form the stroke regulating gaps 35ba and 35ca, respectively. The expansion and contraction operation will be described later, but the number and the number of steps of the expansion and contraction guide can be appropriately changed according to the required expansion and contraction amount.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a fuel lifting device 40 is provided at the upper end of the guide tube 35. The fuel lifting device 40 includes a hoist 41, sheaves 42 and 43, a lifting wire 44, and a wire connection mechanism 4.
5, a gripper operating mechanism 47 and a gripper 49 are provided.
If the hoist 41 is rewound in the illustrated position,
And the gripper operating mechanism 47 is guided by the guide tube 35 and descends, the gripper 49 descending to the position shown by the two-dot chain line is inserted into the spent fuel A in the cask 3, and the gripper operating mechanism 47 expands the gripper 49. Engage and connect.
Then, the hoist 41 is driven again to lift the lifting wire 4.
4, the spent fuel A is pulled up from the cask 3 and stored in the guide tube 35. The aforementioned gripper 49 and the telescopic guide 35b of the guide tube 35,
35c are connected by a wire or the like, and the telescopic guide 3
5b and 35c are configured to move up and down. Further, a drive motor 51 of the fuel delivery device 50 is provided at an upper end portion of the guide tube 35. The fuel delivery device 50 further includes pulleys 53 and 55 provided at both ends of the guide tube 35, a loop chain 57 wound around these, and a drive table 59 connected to both ends of the loop chain 57. These fuel delivery devices 50
Operates when the guide tube 35 is in the horizontal posture, as described later.

Next, the structure of the wire connection mechanism 45 will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, a lifting wire 44 is inserted into a guide 35e attached to an upper portion of a main body 35a of a guide tube 35 (not shown), and is attached to an integral connection plate 46a of a mounting bracket 46 fixed to an end of the wire 44. A connection pin hole 46b is formed. On the upper end side of the gripper operating mechanism 47, a connection fork 48 for receiving the connection plate 46a is provided so as to protrude therefrom.
A connection pin hole 48a is formed in this. FIG. 4
As can be seen in the above, another connecting pin hole 48b is formed in the connecting fork 48, in which the connecting fork 48 receives a connecting plate 58 protruding from the drive base 59. The connection plate 58 also has a connection pin hole corresponding to the connection pin hole 48b.

In the above-described wire connection mechanism 45, the connection pins 60 are selectively inserted into the connection pin holes 48a and 48b. The connecting pin 60 has a protrusion 61 which can be freely protruded and retracted at the tip.
When the grip portion at the base end of the connection pin 60 is grasped, the protrusion 6
1 sinks into the outer surface. The connection pin 60 is connected to the master-slave manipulator B provided in the take-out chamber 17.
Operated by 3 and 4, when the connection pin 60 is inserted into the connection pin hole 48a, the connection plate 46a on the lifting wire 44 side and the connection fork 48 on the gripper operation mechanism 47 side are connected. When the gripper is pulled out by the manipulator B and pulled out and inserted into the connection pin hole 48b, the connection fork 48 on the gripper operation mechanism 47 side is connected to the connection plate 58 on the drive base 59 side.

Next, a procedure for removing and transferring spent fuel A using the fuel removal device 30 having the above-described structure will be described. First, as shown in FIG.
The cask 3 is erected and aligned directly below the take-out opening 17a at the bottom. Then, the traveling unit 33 is appropriately moved to move the fuel removal device 30 to position the guide tube 35 in the vertical posture to the spent fuel A in the cask 3. Thereafter, the fuel lifting device 40 is operated to lower the gripper 49, and the grip portion is inserted into the upper end of the spent fuel A. Thereafter, the gripper operation mechanism 47 is remotely operated to grip the spent fuel A with the gripper 49, and the hoist 41 of the lifting device 40 is operated to operate the gripper 49.
Is pulled up to the uppermost position in the guide tube 35. Then, the spent fuel A is completely drawn into the guide tube 35, and the telescopic guides 35b and 35c also return to the retracted positions.

In the above state, when the guide tube 35 is turned 90 degrees counterclockwise by the turning drive device 37, the guide tube 35 is in a horizontal posture as shown in FIG.
In this state, the master-slave type manipulator B is operated to pull out the connection pin 60 from the connection pin hole 48a, and the gripper operation mechanism 47 is separated from the lifting wire 45. Then, the connection pins 60 are inserted into the connection pin holes 48b to connect the drive base 59 to the gripper operation mechanism 47. In this state, the traveling vehicle 33 is operated, and FIG.
As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, the guide tube 35 is moved toward the processing cell (not shown), and finally the open end of the guide tube 35 (the lower end in the vertical position, and the right end in the horizontal position) is processed by the processing device. Contact. Then, the drive motor 51 of the fuel delivery device 50 is driven,
When the drive base 59 is driven to the open end side by the loop chain 57, the gripper operation mechanism 47, that is, the spent fuel A is sent out into the processing device, and predetermined processing is performed. Then, after the processing is completed, when the drive motor 51 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the drive stand 59 and, consequently, the gripper 49 not gripping the spent fuel A move to the left end side (in FIG. 2) of the guide tube 35. When the traveling cart 33 returns to the position above the take-out opening 17a, the master-slave type manipulator B is again operated to separate the gripper operating mechanism 47 from the drive platform 59 and connect it to the lifting wire 44.
Such an operation is performed for all the spent fuel A stored in the cask 3.

In the embodiment described above, the fuel delivery device 50 has a loop chain drive structure using the loop chain 57. However, as shown in FIG. Conveyor roller 151 disposed at the end of the motor, and the motor-equipped conveyor roller 15 disposed at the end of the guide tube 35
3 and a similar drive stand (not shown).

Further, as shown in a modified embodiment of FIG. 8 (other than the modified portion is not shown), the fuel delivery device 250 includes a rack 251 disposed in parallel in the guide tube 35,
It may be constituted by a pinion gear 253 meshing with the rack 251, a drive stand (not shown) provided with a motor 255 for driving the pinion gear 253, and a plurality of conveyor rollers 257 disposed in the guide tube 35 sandwiched by the rack 251. good. Furthermore, as shown in a modified embodiment of FIG.
May be constituted by a rodless cylinder 351 arranged in parallel in the guide tube 35, a piston mount 353 connected to the rodless cylinder 351, and a drive table (not shown) attached to the piston mount 353. As shown in a modified embodiment of FIG. 10 (other parts are not shown), a fuel delivery device 450 is provided with a guide shaft 451 arranged in parallel in a guide tube 35, and a guide tube 451 sandwiched between the guide shafts 451. A screw shaft 453 extending inside 35, a gear unit 455 connected to the upper end of the screw shaft 453, a drive motor 457, and a drive table (not shown) to which a feed screw mechanism 459 is attached may be used. The fuel delivery devices 150, 250, 350, and 45 of the modified embodiment shown in FIGS.
Although the details of the individual operations of 0 will not be described in detail, it will be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the configuration that the same operation as that of the fuel delivery device 50 is obtained.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the fuel lifting device that moves the spent fuel up and down and the fuel delivery device that moves the spent fuel in a horizontal direction are configured as separate devices, the operation can be performed with a simple structure and no waste occurs. Cost can also be minimized. Further, according to the present invention, since the wire of the lifting device and the gripper operating mechanism are connected by a detachable pin by remote control, the connection switching between the lifting device or the fuel delivery device for the spent fuel can be easily performed. . Further, according to the present invention, the telescopic type telescopic portion is provided at the lower end of the fuel guide member for drawing in spent fuel, and the overall length can be shortened during the turning operation of the fuel guide member, which is required for a fuel reprocessing facility. The overall height of the building is reduced, and the construction cost of laying can be reduced. Further, according to the present invention, the fuel delivery device can be selected and used from a plurality of drive types, so that the production cost can be minimized by always using the optimum one according to the use condition.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall structural side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing a part of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view showing a main part of the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing a partially modified example of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view showing another modification in which a part of the embodiment is changed.

FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory view showing still another modified example in which a part of the embodiment is changed.

FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory view showing still another modified example in which a part of the embodiment is changed.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual layout diagram showing a part of a fuel reprocessing facility.

FIG. 12 is an overall conceptual diagram of a conventionally used spent fuel lifting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 3 Cask 17 Extraction chamber 17a Extraction opening 30 Fuel extraction device 31 Frame 31a Rail 33 Traveling trolley 35 Guide tube 35a Main body 35b, 35c Telescopic guide 35d Guide 37 Rotation drive device 40 Fuel lifting device 41 Hoist 42, 43 Sheave 44 Lifting wire 45 Wire connection mechanism 47 Gripper operation mechanism 49 Gripper 50 Fuel delivery device 51 Drive motor 53, 55 Pulley 57 Loop chain 59 Drive stand 150, 250, 350, 450 Fuel delivery device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A traveling vehicle movable on a horizontal frame, a fuel guide member provided on the traveling vehicle so as to be rotatable in a vertical plane, and a drive provided on the traveling vehicle to pivot the fuel guide. A fuel lifting device having a gripper and a gripper operating mechanism detachably provided at a wire tip at an upper end portion of the fuel guide member, and the gripper operating mechanism along the fuel guide member. A spent fuel handling device comprising a fuel delivery device for pushing out. 2. The spent fuel handling device according to claim 1, wherein a tip end of the wire of the fuel lifting device and the gripper operating mechanism are connected by a detachable pin. 3. The spent fuel handling device according to claim 1, wherein the fuel guide member has a main body having a U-shaped cross section and a telescopic telescopic portion at a lower end. 4. The fuel delivery device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a chain drive structure, a rack and pinion drive structure, a roller conveyor drive structure, a cylinder drive structure, and a feed screw drive structure is employed. A spent fuel handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.