WO2011151591A2

WO2011151591A2 - Device for guiding a flexible lance

Info

Publication number: WO2011151591A2
Application number: PCT/FR2011/051241
Authority: WO
Inventors: Didier Martin; Jean-Paul Mandier
Original assignee: Sra Savac
Priority date: 2010-06-03
Filing date: 2011-05-31
Publication date: 2011-12-08
Also published as: FR2961003A1; CN103261788A; CN103261788B; WO2011151591A3; FR2961003B1; ES2569714T3; EP2577158A2; EP2577158B1; SI2577158T1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (2) for guiding a flexible lance (3) for inspecting and/or cleaning a confined enclosure (1) having difficult access (4), which comprises a system for driving and guiding a flexible lance (2), hingedly mounted on the device (2), a means for controlling the position of the device, an electric power and control socket intended for being connected, via a flexible cable (17), to an electric power and control device. The device (2) comprises a means for supporting and moving across the inner surface of the wall (5) defining the enclosure (1).

Description

Guiding device for flexible lance

The present invention relates to a guiding device for flexible lance to access difficult to reach places such as for example the interior of a steam generator equipping a thermal power plant including the nuclear type.

The steam generators equipping a thermal power plant and more particularly those equipping the power plants, generally include a part called cyclone separator for the steam breeding. This part of the generator is in the form of a cylindrical metal enclosure provided with two openings of diameter less than 40 cm and diametrically opposed, called punch holes. This enclosure is also provided on its bottom, vertical metal pipes which, for generating steam, are arranged in rows and rows in a grid. By this arrangement, the alignments of parallel pipes to the alignment of the punch holes form lines of pipes and the pipe alignments perpendicular to this direction form columns of pipes.

During the operation of a steam generator, water present in the generator chamber is raised at high temperature and at high pressure for the purpose of generating steam. The pipes and other metal parts of the cyclone separator are then subjected to extreme conditions that cause inevitable corrosion. Without intervention, deposits related to this corrosion accumulate in the bottom of the enclosure of the cyclone separator and may eventually make unusable such an installation. For this reason, this type of installation must be regularly inspected and cleaned of these deposits. This inspection and cleaning is usually done by means of lances equipped with either an inspection camera or high-pressure water jets. To reach specific locations of the steam generator it is common to use, to guide these lances through the cramped openings that are punch holes, a lance guide device.

This type of device must be able to move in the circular enclosure of the steam generator so that the lance, generally flexible, can be deployed to inspect and, if necessary, clean the base of the pipes making up the cyclone separator. To perform these inspection or cleaning operations of the enclosure of a cyclone separator of a steam generator, it is known to use a device for lance guidance, as described in patent EP0526120.

Patent EP0526120 discloses a lance guiding device which, being able to move freely over a rail, comprises a system for driving and guiding a lance and means for controlling the positioning of the device on the rail. Prior to the use of such a device, a rail is placed in the cyclone separator along the diameter associated with the two punches present in its wall. The device, equipped with a lance is inspection or cleaning, is placed on this rail. It is then, through control means, moved along the rail to the place to inspect / clean, to deploy, by the drive means and guide, the lance. The lance is then used to inspect / clean the space between two columns of pipes.

This type of device, if it allows the inspection and cleaning of the base of the pipes present in the steam generator, has a number of disadvantages.

Indeed, the establishment of such a device is complicated, since requiring the installation of u n ra i l. In addition, the device allows to inspect / clean that according to the columns of pipes since the lance can be deployed only perpendicular to the rail and, depending on the configuration of the cyclone separator to inspect or clean, some areas of the pipes The cyclone separator is not accessible.

The document US 2010/001 1522 discloses an inspection and cleaning device comprising in particular a drive and guide system for a flexible lance and means for holding and moving on the inner face of a cylindrical wall delimiting the enclosure of a steam generator. The holding and displacement means advantageously comprise two pairs of wheels comprising permanent magnet elements, the wheels of one pair being motorized independently of the wheels of the other pair. The use of wheels comprising permanent magnet elements is ideal for holding on metal walls such as those fitted to the speakers of the steam generators of nuclear power plants. In addition, such holding and displacement means allow the device to access the entire inner periphery of the enclosure, and therefore a deployment of the lance on any place to inspect or clean regardless of its position in the enclosure this without the use of an additional installation such as a rail.

However, the inspection and cleaning device disclosed in US 2010/001 1522 has a number of disadvantages.

The present invention aims to remedy these disadvantages.

The technical problem underlying the invention is therefore to provide a device for inspecting and cleaning a confined chamber with difficult access such as for example the interior of a steam generator equipping a thermal power plant. This device must also allow a complete inspection of such a speaker without requiring a heavy installation such as a rail.

To this end, the invention relates to a guiding device for flexible lance for inspecting and / or cleaning a confined enclosure with difficult access, the guiding device being in the form of a carriage and comprising:

a system for driving and guiding a flexible lance, articulated on the device,

means for controlling the positioning of the device; an electrical power supply and control socket intended to be connected by a flexible cable to a control and power supply device;

- Means for holding and moving on the inner face of a wall defining the enclosure, the holding and displacement means comprising at least two wheels, motorized independently of one another, comprising permanent magnet elements ,

characterized in that the device extends along a longitudinal axis and comprises:

a central body comprising the wheels and their drive systems, a rear part comprising the power supply and control plug, and

a front part comprising the system for driving and guiding the lance, the front part being mounted motorized and pivoting on the body of the device about a transverse axis parallel to the axes of rotation of the wheels of the device, the front part being also mounted motorized and pivotable about the longitudinal axis of the body of the device.

Such an assembly of the front part, the one comprising the drive and guide system of the lance, allows maximum control of the deployment angle of the lance. Indeed, the displacement of this part about a transverse axis and about a longitudinal axis, allows a controlled movement of the front part, and therefore the deployment of the lance, according to the directions included in a half-sphere facing inside the enclosure.

Preferably, two of the motorized wheels rotate about substantially parallel axes of rotation and offset relative to each other.

Such an offset of the axes of the motorized wheels of the device allows the passage of obstacles, such as vertical welds, present on the wall of the enclosure to be inspected / cleaned. Indeed, during such a meeting, only one of these two drive wheels will be simultaneously blocked.

Advantageously, the device also comprises at least one support member complementary to the motorized wheels.

A te l o rg a n e pe rm and a point of support and additional support of the device on the wall of the enclosure thus ensuring optimized stability for the deployment of the lance.

Advantageously, the lance drive system comprises a drive wheel equipped with lugs, driven by a motor intended to be powered and controlled by the control device, the lugs being intended to mesh with holes formed in the lance, which has a flattened shape, rollers being provided to provide guidance downstream of the lance. Such a lance drive system allows a robust drive, continuous and controlled lance, important quality for a device to be installed in a difficult access chamber does not allow the intervention of a technician. The maintenance of the lance by rollers offers both a support and a guide of the spear.

Advantageously, the rear part of the device is pivotally mounted on the body of the device about a transverse axis substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the wheels of the carriage.

Such mounting of the rear part on the body allows a displacement of the latter so that the device can marry at best the curvature of the wall of the enclosure.

Advantageously, the control means comprise at least one positioning camera and at least one lighting system associated with at least one positioning camera.

Such a camera allows a direct and visual control of the positioning of the device on the wall of the enclosure. The use of a lighting system coupled to this camera makes it possible to mitigate the absence of light in this type of enclosure.

Preferably, a camera is positioned on one side of the device, intended to be turned down to determine the height of the device.

Such a camera allows a visual check of the position of the device vis-à-vis the bottom of the enclosure. The operator can thus better control the movement of the device.

Advantageously, at least one camera is positioned on the front face of the body of the device so as to control the orientation of the drive and guide system of the flexible lance.

Such visual control of the orientation of the drive system and guide the lance allows deployment of the lance in a controlled direction to reach the places to inspect or clean.

Advantageously, the front part of the device is equipped with a control camera turned in the direction of the output of the lance.

Such a visual control makes it possible to follow the lance during its deployment to be able to place it precisely in the place to be inspected or cleaned. The present invention also relates to an assembly for the inspection of a confined enclosure with difficult access comprising a device according to the invention and a flexible lance of rectangular section having at its free end an inspection camera of which the axis of vision of the optical sensor is oriented at about 45 ° downward, when the lance is horizontal.

Such an assembly is ideal for inspecting a confined chamber with difficult access, such as the enclosure of a nuclear power station steam generator. In addition, such equipment of the lance allows for accurate inspection of the bottom of the generator enclosure and in particular the base of the pipes.

Advantageously, the lance contains elements for transmitting video data to the control and power supply device, as well as a supply conduit for miniature tools for extracting migrating bodies.

The present invention also relates to an assembly for the inspection of a confined enclosure with a difficult access comprising a device according to the invention and a flexible high-pressure cleaning lance and of rectangular section, the lance comprising several ducts of supply of liquid under pressure and a downstream end equipped with a plurality of outlet orifices arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the lance.

Such an assembly is ideal for cleaning a confined chamber with difficult access such as the enclosure of a nuclear power plant steam generator. In addition, such equipment of the lance makes it possible to use the device for cleaning the corroded deposits present at the bottom of the enclosure stably since the symmetry of the outlets of the liquid at high pressure makes it possible to balance the forces induced on the the lance by the liquid at high pressure.

In any case, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing showing, by way of non-limiting example, an embodiment of this lance guiding device.

Figger 1 is a partial and exploded view of the inside of a cyclone separator in which the device according to the invention works;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the device; Figure 3 is a bottom view, on an enlarged scale, of the wheel drive system;

Figure 4 is a side view of the device;

Fig. 5 is viewed from the side, on an enlarged scale, of the drive and guide system of the lance;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device.

FIG. 1 partially represents the inside of a cyclone separator 1 fitted to a nuclear power station steam generator in which a flexible lance guide device 3 is working. Such a cyclone separator 1 is in the form of a cyclone separator 1. enclosure 1 cylindrical metal provided with two openings 4 of diameter less than 40 cm and diametrically opposed, said punch holes. This enclosure has a cylindrical wall 5 whose inner face is metallic. This enclosure is also provided, on its bottom 6, with vertical metal pipes 7 which, for generating steam, are arranged in rows and rows in a grid. By this arrangement, the alignments of pipes 7 parallel to the alignment of the punch holes 4 form pipelines 8 and the pipe alignments perpendicular to this direction form columns of pipes 9.

The device 2 is in the form of a trolley in three parts, namely a front portion 10, called a head, a central portion January 1, called body, and a rear portion 16 comprising a power supply and control . Such an arrangement makes it possible, in situation, to equip the device with a flexible power supply and control cable 17 connected to its rear part 16 and a flexible lance 3 which passes on the underside of the device 2 to exit on the head 10 of the device 2.

Figure 2 shows a bottom view of this ispositif 2 which has an elongate shape. In this figure, the rear portion 16 has a projection of general shape isosceles triangle whose rear apex is truncated. On this truncation 18 of the rear portion 16 is provided an opening for receiving the connector of the cable 17 of supply and control. The reference region 16 is pivotally mounted about a transverse axis on the body 1 1 of the device 2. This assembly can be, as shown in FIG. 3, hinged around a part 20. The body 1 1 of the device 2 has a generally flat parallelepiped flattened shape. It has, on its underside, two wheels 12, 13 d isposées autou r transverse axes of rotation, substantially parallel and offset from each other. These two wheels 1 2, 13 have on their periphery elements 21 permanent magnet. These wheels 12, 13, as shown in FIG. 3, are motorized by means of two independent motors 14, 15. Such an independent motorization of these wheels 1 2, 1 3 allows a control of the trajectory during the movements of the device. 2.

A support piece 22 is also disposed on the underside of the body 1 1 of the device and offset relative to the wheels 12, 13 so as to achieve an additional point of support. This support member 22 improves the stability of the device 2 during its movement along the wall 5 of the chamber 1 and during the deployment of the lance 3. The device 2 also has on its body 1 1 , cameras 23 arranged on the lateral sides thereof. Each of these cameras 23 can be equipped with a lighting system. This lighting system can be constituted, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by light-emitting diodes 24 disposed on the periphery of these cameras 23.

The body 1 1 of the device 2 is also equipped, as illustrated in FIG. 3, with a motorization system between the head 10 of the device 2 and its body 11. This motorization system allows pivoting mounting of the head 10 on the body 1 1 of the device 2 about a transverse axis substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the wheels 12, 13. Such a configuration allows a controlled pivoting of the head 1 0 at an angle substantially equal to 45 °. The motorization system advantageously comprises a motor 25 and a gear assembly 26.

To control the position of the device 1, the body 1 1 may comprise a camera 27 on its front face. This camera 27 may be combined, as illustrated in FIG. 2, with a lighting system comprising, for example, light-emitting diodes. 28.

The head 10 of the device 2 is also mounted, with the aid of an intermediate piece 29, pivoting about the longitudinal axis of the device 2. This mount is motorized by means of a machine with a motor 30 and gears 31, and allows the head 10 to perform a controlled pivotal movement at an angle substantially equal to 90 °. The head 10 comprises a first parallelepipedal portion 32 from which extends a projecting portion 33. This second portion 33 forms an angle substantially equal to 1 10 ° with the first portion 32 of the head 10.

The head 1 0 also comprises a system for driving and guiding the lance 3. The drive and guide system comprises a channel 34 formed in the two parts 32, 33 for guiding the lance 3 through the head 10 of the device 2. The drive and guide system also comprises a motor 35 mounted on the first part 32. This motor causes, via a gear system 36, as shown in FIGS. 5, a wheel 37 equipped with lugs 38, which is arranged in the channel 34. These lugs 38 are intended to mesh with the lance 3 when it is inserted into the channel 34 of the head 10. This guidance of the lance can be completed by pebbles, not shown here.

Thus, when the lance 3 is installed on the device 2, it is inserted in the head 10 of the device 2 by the channel 34. The lance 3 springs, as shown in Figure 1, on the upper face of the projecting portion 33 of the head 10 guided by the channel 34 and the rollers. The deployment of the lance 3 can then be achieved by the rotation of the wheel 37 provided with lugs 38 which will cause the lance 3.

In order to precisely control the deployment of the lance 3, the head 10 has, on its projecting portion 33, a camera 39. This camera 39 may also be equipped with a lighting system, for example with light emitting diodes.

The lance 3 which can equip the device 2, is a flexible lance of rectangular section pierced, along its length, holes. These holes are intended to cooperate with the wheel 37 with pins 38 of the head 10 when the lance 3 is engaged by the wheel 37. Depending on the type of operation to be performed in the enclosure, inspection or cleaning, the lance 3 equipping the Device 2 will be configured differently.

For an inspection of the enclosure 1, the free end of the flexible lance 3 is equipped with an optical sensor, and the lance 3 contains elements for transmitting video data to the control and power supply device. The lance 3 also includes a conduit for supplying miniature tools for extracting migrating bodies. For cleaning, lala nce 3 comprises several ducts for supplying pressurized liquid, and its downstream end is equipped with several outlet orifices arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the lance 3. Such a symmetrical arrangement makes it possible to maintain place the lance, the forces exerted by the pressure of the jet of liquid out of each orifice being compensated by the jet of liquid of the symmetrical orifice.

When the chamber 1 of a cyclone separator of a steam generator of a thermal power plant is to be inspected or cleaned, the procedure is as follows. The cable 17 for supply and control is previously connected to the device 2, and the flexible lance 3, equipped according to the needs of an inspection camera or a high-pressure lance, is introduced by The device 2 is equipped with the device 2, the latter being introduced, as illustrated in FIG. 1, into the enclosure 1 from one of the two punch holes. 4. The device is then placed on the inner face of the wall 5 of the chamber 1 of the cyclone separator. The device remains in place, by means of its wheels 12, 13 and its support piece 22, on the inner face of the metal wall 5 which is generally vertical.

Thus arranged, the device can be controlled by an operator by an electronic device, ideally computerized, such as for example a computer d isposing an acquisition card connected to the device via the cable 17 power and control . The operator then accesses by these electronic means both the control means that are the cameras 23, 27, 39 disposed on the d ispositif and the control of the various motorizations 14, 1 5, 25, 30, 35 of the device. Ideally, the control of the different actuators of the device by means of a joystick.

The operator can then use the three cameras 23, 27, 29 control disposed on the body 1 1 of the device 2 to determine the position of the device 2 vis-à-vis the chamber 1. Once the position of the device 2 has been established, the operator can independently control the two wheels 12, 13 of the device to move it to the desired location on the inner face of the wall 5. The device itif pleace, the opera Reaction of the two heads 25, 30 positioning the head 10 to obtain the deployment angle required to reach the place to inspect or clean. The lance 3 is then deployed to the desired length. To do this, the wheel 37 with pins 38 is rotated by the motor 35 disposed on the head of the device. The required length of deployed lance 3 being reached, the operator uses, depending on the chosen equipment, either the camera disposed on the lance to inspect / clean the location where the lance is deployed, or the high pressure lance to clean. this same place.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment of this guide device for flexible lance, described above as an example, it encompasses all the variants.

Claims

1. Device (2) for guiding flexible lance (3) for the inspection and / or cleaning of an enclosure (1) confined with a difficult access (4), the device (2) of guiding being under the form of a carriage and comprising:

a drive and guide system for a flexible lance (3) mounted articulated on the device (2),

means for controlling the positioning of the device (2),

a power supply and control socket intended to be connected by a flexible cable (17) to a control and power supply device,

- Means for holding and moving on the inner face of a vertical wall (5) defining the enclosure (1), the holding and displacement means comprising at least two wheels (12, 13), independently motorized the one of the other, having permanent magnet elements (21),

characterized in that the device (2) extends along a longitudinal axis and comprises:

a central body (11) comprising the wheels (12, 13) and their drive systems (14, 15),

a rear part (16) comprising the electrical power supply and control plug, and

a front part (10) comprising the system for driving and guiding the lance (3), the front part (10) being mounted motorized and pivoting on the body (11) of the device (2) about an axis crosswise parallel to the axes of rotation of the wheels (12, 13) of the device (2), the front portion (10) also being mounted motorized and pivotable on the body (11) about the longitudinal axis of the device (2).

2. Device (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two of the motorized wheels (12, 13) rotate about axes of rotation substantially parallel and offset with respect to each other.

3. Device (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it also comprises at least one support member (22) complementary to the wheels (12, 13) motorized.

4. Device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the delala nce (3) comprises a drive wheel (37) equipped with lugs (38). ), driven by a motor (35) to be fed and controlled by the control device, the lugs (38) being intended to mesh with holes in the lance (3), which has a flattened shape, the rollers being provided to provide guidance downstream of the lance.

5. Device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rear portion (16) of the device (2) is pivotally mounted on the body (1 1) of the ispositif (2) around a transverse axis substantially parallel to the axes of rotation of the wheels (12, 13) of the carriage.

6. Device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control means comprise at least one positioning camera (23, 27) and at least one lighting system (24, 28) associated at least one positioning camera (23, 27).

7. Device (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one camera (23) is positioned on one side of the device (2), intended to be turned downwards so as to determine the height of the device ( 2).

8. Device (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one camera (27) is positioned on the front face of the body (1 1) of the device (2) so as to control the orientation of the system for driving and guiding the lance (3) flexible.

9. Device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the front part (10) of the ispositif is equipped with a camera (39) of control turned in the direction of the output of the lance (3).

10. Set for the inspection of an enclosure (1) confined with a difficult access (4), characterized in that it comprises a device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 9 and a lance (3) flexible rectangular section having at its free end an inspection camera whose optical sensor axis of vision is oriented at about 45 ° downwards, when the lance is horizontal.

1 1. Assembly for inspecting an enclosure (1) confined with a difficult access (4), characterized in that it comprises a device (2) according to one of Claims 1 to 9 and a high-pressure cleaning lance ( 3) flexible and rectangular section, the lance comprising a plurality of pressurized liquid supply ducts and a downstream end equipped with a plurality of outlet orifices arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the lance (3).