RU2765571C1 - Safe for storing and working with sample closed radionuclide sources - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radionuclide sources storing.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a device for storing sealed low-activity radionuclide sources with the possibility of using these sources without removing them from storage places to test the performance of portable radiation monitoring devices. The safe for storing and working with exemplary sealed radionuclide sources contains a metal case in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, equipped with a protective cover on the front wall, designed for introducing exemplary sealed radionuclide sources with an active part in the center into the safe. Behind the working lid with a lock, there are working windows made in the side wall of the housing, which coincide in size with the active part of the sealed radionuclide sources located on the side wall of the housing with the help of pockets fixed on the inner surface.

EFFECT: invention provides for the simultaneous storage and use of sealed radionuclide sources of ionizing radiation for testing the performance of portable radiation monitoring devices without removing the sources from storage sites.

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Description

The invention relates to devices for storing sealed radionuclide sources of low activity with the possibility of using these sources without removing them from storage sites to test the performance of portable radiation monitoring devices (RK).

At present, there is an insoluble contradiction between the tightening of requirements for accounting and control over the circulation of radioactive substances and the need to use sealed radionuclide sources (SRS) for daily verification of the correctness of measurements of radiation characteristics by RK instruments. At the same time, on the one hand, regulatory documents require to ensure the safety of SRS using a rather laborious procedure (special storage places, sealing, documentation of all procedures), on the other hand, constant online access to SRS is required.

From the prior art currently known many devices for storing valuable items, including sources of ionizing radiation. The need for their application is due to the requirements of radiation safety, accounting and control of radioactive substances. At the same time, the main useful function of exemplary SRS is the creation of a radiation field with known characteristics for setting up measuring equipment, which requires manipulations that certainly reduce the level of physical protection of sources.

A safe for storing valuables is known, including a body and a door containing fiber-reinforced concrete (RF Patent No. 2299963 C1, priority date 09/08/2005, publication date 05/27/2007, authors: Sviridov N.V. et al., RU).

Known container for storage and/or transportation of radioactive waste, containing a housing, the lower end surface of which is provided with damping support ledges, made in the form of ribs of a parallelepiped volume, located along the contour of the bottom of the housing with the formation of openings, and a sealed lid, and the damper ribs are made of expanded clay concrete, and the hull is made of reinforced concrete with an internal protective layer against radioactive waste in the form of liquid salt alloys (RF Patent No. 26677 U1, priority date 01/15/2002, publication date 12/10/2002, authors: Gataullin PM et al., RU).

Known reinforced concrete container for transportation and disposal of radioactive waste, containing a body in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped with a recess under the cover in the upper part and a cover installed with a gap relative to the body, and on the ribs of the parallelepiped there are damping devices in the form of pairwise connected metal squares with a damping lining of the inner surface (Patent RF No. 29398 U1, priority date 05/22/2002, publication date 05/10/2003, authors: Yanovskaya N.S. et al., RU).

A container for storing hazardous material is known, containing a concrete body forming a storage space and having an inlet section forming an access hole for introducing hazardous material, which is closed by a concrete body installed with a seal (RF Patent No. 2243606 C2, priority date 26.04.2000, date publication 27.06.2003, author GEORGIA Hans, GB).

As a prototype, a safe with a high degree of fire resistance is adopted, designed to store valuables, including radioactive sources, containing a body and a door with a locking device, made with outer and inner metal walls, between which a concrete filler is placed with reinforcing elements made in the form gratings (RF Patent No. 41062 U1, priority date 19.02.2003, publication date 10.10.2004, authors: Sviridov N.V. et al., RU, prototype).

A common disadvantage of the known analogs and the prototype is the limited functionality of their use as devices for storing radioactive sources, while all known designs have varying degrees of protection from radioactive radiation, but their main drawback is that the designs do not allow the use of radiation characteristics of sources without removing them from storage.

The technical problem solved by the invention is the creation of a device that provides simultaneous storage and use of sealed radionuclide sources to test the performance of portable radiation monitoring devices.

To solve the technical problem, a safe is proposed for storing and working with exemplary sealed radionuclide sources, containing a metal case in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, equipped with a protective guard cover on the front wall, designed to introduce exemplary sealed radionuclide sources into the safe with an active part in the center, and a working cover with a lock, behind which there are working windows made in the side wall of the case, coinciding in size with the active part of the sealed radionuclide sources, placed on the side wall of the case with the help of pockets fixed on the inner surface by a welded joint, equipped with a fixing screw for positioning the active surface of the sealed radionuclide sources of ionizing radiation in front of the working windows with the possibility of using these sources with known radiation characteristics to test the performance of portable radiation monitoring devices without removing the source ic from the place of storage and violation of the requirements of regulatory documents.

According to the invention, the safe provides access to the radiation characteristics of SRS, at the same time providing their physical protection and can be used as a device for storing and using SRS in laboratories and production areas where periodic on-line checks of RK devices are required by persons who are not responsible for accounting and control of radioactive substances in the organization.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings, where figure 1 schematically shows a safe for storage and work with exemplary sealed radionuclide sources, general view, non-working position; figure 2 shows a diagram of the movement of the ZRI inside the safe to ensure the working position; figure 3 shows the layout of the SRI in a pocket with a fixing screw.

The drawings show the following symbols:

1 - case with eyelets for fastening the safe;

2 - working cover with a lock on the side wall;

3 - protective cover with lock and seal;

4 - working windows in the side wall;

5 - direction of movement of the SRS;

6 - pocket with fixing screw.

The inventive safe for storing and working with exemplary sealed radionuclide sources contains a body in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, which can be made of stainless steel or St3 steel with a corrosion-resistant coating that is resistant to decontamination agents with a thickness of 1-3 mm. The radiation protection of the safe is minimal, since the radiation characteristics of the ZRI are low, and it is provided with the necessary thickness of the metal. The body of the safe is equipped with a protective cover 3 with a lock and a seal on the front wall and a working cover 2 with a lock on the side wall (figure 1). Protective protective cover 3 is intended for introduction into the safe of exemplary sealed radionuclide sources with known radiation characteristics. SRS is a metal circle with a thickness of not more than 1 mm with an active part in the center formed by a deposited radioactive substance. In the side wall of the housing behind the working cover 2, there are working windows 4, which match in size with the diameter of the active part of the SRS, and pockets 6 are fixed by spot welding on the inner surface of the side wall, in which the SRS is placed, and the pockets 6 are equipped with a fixing screw, as shown in Fig. figure 3, so that the active surface of the SRS is turned outward and exactly coincides with the boundaries of the working window 4. In this case, in the example, a captive nut is welded on the pocket 6, into which the fixing screw is screwed all the way to the back side of the SRS.

The claimed safe is used as follows. Exemplary closed radionuclide sources of ionizing radiation are placed in the safe through the front protective cover 3, and the side working cover 2 is used to work with them. Since the outer diameter of the SRS is larger than the diameter of the active surface, it is impossible to remove them from the outside. Biological protection in a non-working state is provided by a closed working cover 2 with a lock. The thickness of the protection may vary depending on the type and intensity of radiation. The active surface of the SRS is turned outward, which makes it possible to check portable devices of the RK by measuring the radiation from the SRS and comparing the readings with the passport characteristics of the SRS with the working cover 2 open through the working windows 4, without removing the SRS from the safe and without breaking the seals.

The technical result achieved by the invention is to expand the functionality of devices for storing sealed radionuclide sources of low activity by providing simultaneous storage and use of sealed radionuclide sources of ionizing radiation to test the performance of portable radiation monitoring devices without removing sources from storage sites.

Claims (1)

A safe for storing and working with exemplary sealed radionuclide sources, containing a metal case in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, equipped with a protective security cover on the front wall, designed to introduce exemplary sealed radionuclide sources into the safe with an active part in the center, and a working cover with a lock behind which working windows are located, made in the side wall of the housing, coinciding in size with the active part of the sealed radionuclide sources, placed on the side wall of the housing with the help of pockets fixed on the inner surface by a welded joint, equipped with a fixing screw for positioning the active surface of the sealed radionuclide sources of ionizing radiation opposite the working windows with the possibility of using these sources with known radiation characteristics to test the operability of portable radiation monitoring devices without removing the sources from the storage site and violating the requirements ii regulatory documents.

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