WO2016107836A1 - Method for decontaminating the inner surface of a tube and apparatus for carrying out such a decontamination - Google Patents

Method for decontaminating the inner surface of a tube and apparatus for carrying out such a decontamination Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016107836A1
WO2016107836A1 PCT/EP2015/081270 EP2015081270W WO2016107836A1 WO 2016107836 A1 WO2016107836 A1 WO 2016107836A1 EP 2015081270 W EP2015081270 W EP 2015081270W WO 2016107836 A1 WO2016107836 A1 WO 2016107836A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tube
laser beam
laser
tubes
decontamination
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2015/081270
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Sylvie Delepine-Lesoille
Fabrice LEBOINE
Laurence PETIT
Original Assignee
Agence Nationale Pour La Gestion Des Déchets Radioactifs
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Publication of WO2016107836A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016107836A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00—Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/001—Decontamination of contaminated objects, apparatus, clothes, food; Preventing contamination thereof
    • G21F9/005—Decontamination of the surface of objects by ablation
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00—Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/001—Decontamination of contaminated objects, apparatus, clothes, food; Preventing contamination thereof
    • G21F9/002—Decontamination of the surface of objects with chemical or electrochemical processes
    • G21F9/004—Decontamination of the surface of objects with chemical or electrochemical processes of metallic surfaces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00—Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/28—Treating solids
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
    • G21F9/00—Treating radioactively contaminated material; Decontamination arrangements therefor
    • G21F9/28—Treating solids
    • G21F9/30—Processing

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the field of the decontamination of tubes whose internal part is contaminated.
  • these passages of contaminating liquid over such periods can cause contamination of the inner surface of these tubes.
  • These tubes then have a so-called polluted portion which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface of the tube, and a so-called healthy part which is uncontaminated and which comprises the outer surface of the tube.
  • the solution for the decontamination of tubes is preferred. Indeed, it makes it possible, on the one hand, to recover and / or recycle the raw material of a part of the tubes and, on the other hand, to considerably reduce the volumes of ultimate waste to be stored. It is essential to save dedicated space or storage capacity in the radioactive waste storage centers currently in service; centers whose reception capacities are limited and not extensible. In addition, the creation and implementation of new storage centers is especially not acquired and this especially for reasons of social acceptance.
  • Nuclear installations are particularly representative of the extent of this problem. It is possible to cite as an example the case of the tube bundle of the steam generators equipping such installations whose tubes are contaminated on their inner surface by the radionuclides present in the primary liquid. These tubes are very thin (about 2 cm in diameter) but represent significant masses of metal with high commercial value (nickel alloy 600 and 690 in France), of the order of 100 tons per steam generator. Their decontamination in view of their valorization thus presents a major interest.
  • the methods for decontaminating such tubes use chemical strippers, abrasive compounds, or high-pressure water jet or laser stripping processes.
  • the documents FR2666523 and FR1351523 describe processes for decontamination by laser ablation of the inner surface of these same tubes. Such methods are more effective than abrasive agents. However, these methods present risks of re-deposition of the ejected contamination.
  • the contaminated effluents resulting from the abrasion of the inner surface of the tubes must be recovered and filtered in order to avoid the rejection of material. contaminated in the environment.
  • the presence of contaminated particles in these effluents, which may eventually be suspended in the air, requires also a reinforcement of the safety equipment to guarantee the safety of the operators carrying out the decontamination operations.
  • the object of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks and is thus intended to provide a laser method which:
  • the invention relates to a method for decontaminating at least one tube, the tube comprising a part, said polluted, which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface of the tube, and a part, said to be healthy, which is uncontaminated. and which includes the outer surface of the tube,
  • the method comprising a step of submitting the tube on the sound part of the tube to at least a first laser beam capable of cutting the material of the sound part, the first laser beam being displaced relative to the tube so as to cut into the sound part a portion of the tube that is separated from the polluted portion
  • the laser cutting only healthy material, thereby avoiding the vaporization of the contaminated material. This avoids any risk of re-deposition of contaminating material during the decontamination operation.
  • the portion of cut tube is therefore perfectly sound and can be recycled to equip a new industrial installation without requiring multiple passes or increased decontamination time as is necessary in the processes of the prior art.
  • such a process can allow optimized waste management. Indeed, it is possible to adapt the displacement of the laser so that the waste is made up a portion of the tube having the inner portion. Such an inner portion of the tube can easily be manipulated to be stored and / or subjected to additional and heavier decontamination operations.
  • the terminologies of "contaminated” and “uncontaminated” are understood here and in the remainder of this document according to the understanding of the person skilled in the art for whom a material is considered contaminated when a characteristic of said contamination revealing material. exceeds a threshold value for this characteristic or is in an area that may be in contact with the contamination.
  • the characteristic may be the activity of the material which is expressed in Becquerel, the threshold value being, for example for cobalt 60, of 10 kBq / kg.
  • This parameter can also be, in the case of steam generator tubes, the presence of oxide which contains the contaminated elements.
  • this method is more particularly applicable to the decontamination of the inner tube surface, the contamination of which is linked to the operation of a dangerous product passing through a tube, it can also be applied to the decontamination of a contaminated inner layer deliberately placed.
  • the method according to the invention can be applied, without departing from the scope of the invention, to the decontamination of tubes having at their inner surface an asbestos layer.
  • the tube may be subjected to the first laser beam on its wafer during the entire relative movement of the first laser beam.
  • Such a submission to the first laser beam of the tube on its wafer allows easy cutting of a tube portion since it can be done simply following the perimeter of the tube.
  • the tube may be a substantially straight tube, or made substantially straight, comprising an axis of the tube, the first laser beam having an emission direction parallel to the axis of the tube ,
  • step the relative displacement of the first laser beam relative to the tube can be performed around the axis of the tube so that the portion comprises the outer surface of the tube.
  • the method allows the provision of a healthy portion of tubular shape thus making possible a possible direct use of the portion as a tube.
  • a portion representing most of the sound part of the tube can thus comprise mainly the polluted part which can be decontaminated and / or stored according to more conventional procedures.
  • substantially straight tube or made substantially straight
  • this concept of substantially straight tube, or made substantially straight relates to the general shape of the tube and therefore comprises, by extension, substantially straight tubes, or made substantially straight, having one or both truncated bases.
  • An axis of the tube of such a straight tube, or made straight is a line substantially parallel to the direction of the generatrix of the cylindrical shape which is contained in the tube. In the case of a cylindrical tube of revolution, an axis of the tube may be the axis of symmetry of the tube.
  • the first laser beam is a laser beam of elongated section in a longitudinal direction which is preferably maintained substantially tangential to the relative displacement of the first laser beam.
  • the tube may be a tube, or a section of tube, the polluted part of which is a radioactive part, said tube or section being preferably a tube or section of steam generator tube.
  • the method according to the invention particularly benefits the decontamination of the steam generator tubes. Indeed, the decontamination process does not pass, unlike the processes of the prior art, by an operation of vaporization of the polluted portion of radioactive particles. This makes it possible to respect the nuclear safety constraints without heavy adaptation of the installation, especially as regards the filtration of vaporized particles.
  • the method may comprise, prior to the step of submitting to the first laser beam, the following steps:
  • step of submitting to the first laser beam is applied to only the selected secondary tubes.
  • the method may comprise, prior to the step of submitting to the first laser beam, a straightening step of the tube so as to make the tube substantially straight.
  • Such prior steps make it possible to supply one or more tubes, the secondary tubes selected during sorting, with a shape optimized for submitting the tube to the first laser beam.
  • the invention also relates to a plant for decontaminating tubes, the tubes each comprising a part, said polluted, which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface of the tube, and a part, said healthy, which is uncontaminated and which comprises the outer surface of the tube, the installation comprising:
  • At least a first laser system adapted to provide a first laser beam capable of cutting the material from the sound part of the tubes
  • a tube support arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube disposed on the tube support is subjected to the first laser beam on the sound part of the tube
  • a relative displacement system of the first laser beam configured to move the first laser beam relative to a tube disposed on the tube support so that a portion of the tube is cut in the sound part of the tube, said portion being separated from the polluted part.
  • the tubes to be decontaminated may be substantially straight or have previously been made substantially straight and each comprise a tube axis, the tube support being arranged in such a way that a tube disposed on the tube support is subjected to the first laser beam with the direction of emission of the first laser beam which is parallel to the axis of the tube,
  • the relative displacement system of the first laser beam is relative displacement of the first laser beam relative to the tube is made about the axis of the tube so that the portion of the tube comprises the outer surface of the tube.
  • the first laser system may be adapted to provide a first elongated section laser beam in a longitudinal direction, the relative displacement system being adapted to relatively move the first laser beam relative to a tube disposed on the tube support to maintain the longitudinal direction substantially tangential to the relative displacement of the first laser beam.
  • the first laser system may comprise at least one laser source selected from the group consisting of excimer lasers, lasers of aluminum and yttrium garnet matrix, and carbon dioxide lasers.
  • the first laser system may comprise at least one laser source whose emission wavelength is within a selected wavelength range in the group comprising the ultraviolet domain, the near infra-red domain and the far infrared field.
  • the installation may further include:
  • a second laser source adapted to supply a second laser beam configured in such a way that a tube disposed on the tube support is also subjected on its sound part to the second laser beam
  • the displacement system being configured to move the first and second laser beams relative to a tube disposed on the tube support each on a respective fraction of the tube so as to cut into the sound portion a portion of the tube which comprises the outer surface of the tube; tube and which is separated from the polluted part.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a step of submitting a tube to a first laser beam according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front view of the same step illustrated in FIG. 1
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a portion of decontaminated tube that is obtained after having performed the step illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,
  • FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of waste tube comprising a polluted part of the tube which is obtained after having carried out the step illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,
  • FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate a variant of the invention according to which the first laser beam has an elongate section, FIG. 5a illustrating said elongate section in a longitudinal direction and FIG. 5b being a front view of the tube on which the longitudinal direction of the first beam for two locations of the first laser beam,
  • Figure 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a step of submitting a tube to first and second laser beams according to a variant of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a tube 200 to be decontaminated during its decontamination according to a decontamination process according to the invention.
  • the tube 200 illustrated in Figure 1 shows a tube portion of a steam generator which has an inner surface 202 having a radioactive contamination.
  • decontamination of steam generator tubes is used here only as an embodiment of the invention for purely illustrative. This exemplary embodiment is therefore not limiting to the application of the decontamination process, this method being applicable to other types of tubes used in nuclear installations, such as enrichment plants, nuclear power plants or reprocessing facilities, or contaminated tubes in chemical processing facilities, such as oil refineries or rare metal extraction facilities.
  • the decontamination process is dedicated to the decontamination of tubes 200, like that illustrated in FIG. 1, which have a contamination of their internal surface 202 and which has a "healthy" external surface 203.
  • Such tubes thus each comprise:
  • a healthy part 220 which is not contaminated and which has the outer surface 203 of the tube 200.
  • the tubes to be decontaminated may not have isotropic contamination.
  • this value will represent the maximum axial dimension of the interface between the healthy part and the contaminated part. In this way, any zone of the tube having an axial dimension greater than this interface radius is not contaminated.
  • the method may comprise preliminary steps to decontaminate only right tubes or made straight.
  • the decontamination process may be a method of decontaminating one or more primary tubes comprising curved and other substantially straight tube segments.
  • the decontamination process according to this first possibility comprises the following preliminary steps: cutting the primary tube (s) into tube sections so as to form secondary tubes,
  • the cutting step can be carried out along the primary tube or tubes with a constant length of section or with variable length of section.
  • the configuration with variable length of section is preferred since it allows to vary the length of the sections to optimize the portion of the primary tube or tubes that can be decontaminated according to the principle of the invention.
  • variable length of section makes it possible to make substantially straight segments of tubes with a slight curvature.
  • the length of the tube sections may additionally be adapted to allow an optimization of the cut in the sound part 220 of the tube 200 when it is subjected to a laser beam.
  • the length of the section is preferably between 1 mm and 10 mm, more preferably between 1 mm and 4 mm and even more preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm.
  • the method may comprise a preliminary step of straightening the tubes to be decontaminated.
  • a tube straightening step consists in applying a plastic deformation hot or cold tube (s) to be decontaminated.
  • the straightening step thus makes it possible to attenuate or even eliminate the curvature of the tube or tubes to be decontaminated in order to make them substantially straight.
  • the method may also comprise a step of cutting the tube or tubes into tube sections to allow optimization. cutting in the healthy part 220 of the tube when subjected to laser radiation.
  • the tubes 200 have, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an axis of the tube 211.
  • the decontamination process further comprises a step of submitting the tube or tubes 200 to a first laser beam 21 capable of cutting the material of the sound part 220.
  • the tube or tubes 200 are each subjected to a first laser beam 21 on their sound part 220, the first laser beam 21 being moved relative to the tube 200 so as to cut in the healthy part a portion 225 of tube 200 which is separated from the polluted part.
  • This submission can be made on the edge of the tube or tubes 200 by passing around the perimeter of the tube 200 so that the cut portion comprises the outer surface 203 of the tube 200.
  • the tube or tubes 200 are preferably one or more substantially straight or substantially straight tubes, such as those obtained by means of the preceding steps as presented above.
  • the tube or tubes 200 may be subjected to the first laser beam 21 with the first laser beam 21 which is substantially parallel to the axis of the tube or tubes 20, the first laser beam 21 being displaced relative to the tube 200 or to the tubes around their axis of the tube 201.
  • the laser beam can be applied to the sound part at an axial dimension of the tube 200 equal or greater than the interface radius to which the diameter of the first laser beam 21 has been added.
  • This application is carried out with a sufficiently long duration for the first laser beam 21 to pass through the tube 200 along its entire length.
  • the first laser beam 21 is then moved about the axis of the tube 201 while maintaining the same axial dimension and subjecting each location of the sound portion 220 to the first laser beam 21 for a time sufficient for the first laser beam 21 to pass through the 200 tube over its entire length.
  • a circular tube portion has been cut in the healthy portion, said circular portion being, as illustrated in FIG. 3, separated from the polluted portion 210 of the tube.
  • the 200 is separated in two, the portion 225, shown in Figure 3, which is said to be healthy and which is not contaminated and a waste 226, illustrated in Figure 4, which comprises the polluted portion 210.
  • a waste 226, illustrated in Figure 4 which comprises the polluted portion 210.
  • the polluted part 210 not having to no moment subjected to the first laser beam 21, it retains its integrity and does not cause a new contamination of the tube 200 as is the case for the processes of the prior art.
  • the portion or portions 225 of tube can then be collected for recycling while the waste or waste 226 can be treated according to the usual methods of storage and / or decontamination, or they are mainly composed of contaminated material.
  • This step of submitting to the first laser beam 21 can be performed in a decontamination installation 1 as schematically illustrated in FIG.
  • Such an installation 1 comprises:
  • a first laser system 20 adapted to provide the first laser beam 21,
  • a tube support 40 arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube 200 disposed on the tube support 40 is subjected to the first laser beam 21 on the sound part 220 of the tube,
  • a relative displacement system 30 of the first laser beam 21 configured to move the first laser beam 21 relative to a tube 200 disposed on the tube support 40 so that a portion 225 of the tube is cut out in the healthy part 220 of the tube, said portion 225 being separated from the polluted part 210.
  • the submission to the first laser beam 21 may be accompanied by a submission of the tube to a flow of liquid or a gas in order to transporting said particles to a vaporized particle collection system.
  • the first laser system 20 is a laser system adapted to provide a laser beam whose power is able to cut, that is to say to vaporize, the material of the sound part 220 of the tube.
  • such a first laser system 20 may comprise, for example, a laser source of the excimer laser type, of the aluminum garnet matrix and yttrium laser type, or of the carbon dioxide laser type.
  • the laser source can be pulsed as well as continuous.
  • the laser power is preferentially important to optimize the decontamination time of a tube.
  • the laser sources having a power greater than 500W or even 1kW are preferred.
  • the first laser system 20 may also include a focusing device, such as a set of lenses, to focus the first laser beam 21 to decrease its diameter.
  • a focusing device such as a set of lenses, to focus the first laser beam 21 to decrease its diameter.
  • the laser system 20 may also include an optical fiber for guiding the first laser beam 21 towards the support 40.
  • the support 40 is positioned upstream of the first laser system 20 in the direction of emission of the first laser beam 21 so that a tube 200 disposed on the support 40 is subjected to the first laser beam 21.
  • the support 40 is preferably shaped to leave free access to the first laser beam 21 the wafer, which faces the laser beam 21, of a tube 200 disposed on the support 40.
  • the support 40 may have a longitudinal shape with a cross section in a circular arc, the inner diameter being slightly greater than the diameter of the tubes to decontaminate so as to receive them.
  • the support 40 can be fixed, the relative displacement system 30 being adapted to move, during the step of submission to the first laser beam 21, the first laser beam 21 around an axis of the tube 201.
  • a relative displacement system 30 may be a motorized platform for moving in rotation a part or the whole of the first laser system 20.
  • the first laser system 20 comprises an optical fiber for guiding the first laser beam 21
  • such a platform can move only the end of an optical fiber through which the first laser beam 21 emerges.
  • the laser system can be fixed, the relative displacement system being adapted to move during the step of submitting to the first laser beam 21 the support 40 and the tube 200 which is arranged on the latter.
  • the relative displacement system may comprise a motorized platform on which the support is mounted.
  • variants of the invention make it possible to increase the cutting rate of the step of submitting to the first laser beam 21.
  • the laser system 20 may comprise an optical device, not illustrated, for shaping the first laser beam 21.
  • Such a device for shaping the first laser beam 21 is adapted to provide, from a laser beam emitted by the laser source with a circular cross section, a first laser beam 21 of elongated cross-section, as illustrated on FIG. Figure 5a.
  • the displacement system 30 must be adapted to move the first laser beam 21 relative to the tube 200 so as to keep the elongate direction tangential vis-à-vis the displacement of the first laser beam 21, that is to say vis-à-vis the relative trajectory followed by the first laser beam 21 during its relative displacement.
  • the method of submitting the tube 200 to the first laser beam 21 differs from the method already described in the form of the first laser beam 21 and in that the first laser beam 21 is preferably displaced relative to the tube 200 so as to keep the elongated direction tangential relative to the relative displacement of the first laser beam 21.
  • a second laser beam 26 may be provided.
  • An installation 1 according to this second variant of the invention differs from the main embodiment in that it further comprises a second laser source 25 adapted to provide a second laser beam 26 capable of cutting the sound portion 220 of the tube 200, and in that the relative displacement system is configured to move the first and second laser beams 21, 26 relative to a tube 200 disposed on the support 40 each on a respective half of the tube 200 so as to cut into the sound portion 220 a portion 225 of the tube which comprises the outer surface 203 of the tube and which is separated from the polluted part 210.
  • the first and second laser sources 20, 25 are identical. Nevertheless, the first and second laser sources 20, 25 may not be identical without departing from the scope of the invention.
  • the relative displacement system 30 is adapted to move the first and the second laser beam 21, 26 relative to the tube differently to take into account this difference in cutting speed.
  • one of the first and second beams 21, 26, having a cutting speed greater than the other of the first and the second laser beam 21, 26 is moved so as to traverse a larger fraction of tube 200 than the other of the first and second laser beams 21,26.
  • Such an installation 1 is adapted to perform a step of submitting a tube with first and second laser beams 21, 26 which is different from the step of submitting a tube 200 to the first laser beam 21 according to the embodiment principal in that: the tube is subjected to both the first and the second laser beam
  • first and second laser beams 21, 26 are displaced relative to the tube 200 each on a respective half of the tube 200 so as to cut into the sound portion 220 the portion 221, the latter including the outer surface 203 of the tube .
  • the method comprising a step of submitting the tube on the sound part of the tube to at least a first laser beam capable of cutting the material of the healthy part, the first laser beam being moved relative to the tube so as to cut in the healthy part of a portion of the tube which is separated from the polluted part.
  • an installation for implementing a method of decontaminating a tube whose external surface is contaminated differs from an installation according to the invention.
  • a tube support and a relative displacement system adapted for decontaminating the outer surface of a tube having said contaminated surface are provided in this document.
  • a tube decontamination installation the tubes each comprising a portion, said polluted, which is contaminated and a portion, said healthy, which is uncontaminated one of the contaminated part and the healthy part comprises the inner surface of the tube, and the other of the contaminated part and the healthy part comprising the outer surface of the tube.
  • the installation includes:
  • At least a first laser system adapted to provide a first laser beam capable of cutting the material from the sound part of the tubes
  • a tube support arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube disposed on the tube support is subjected to the first laser beam on the sound part of the tube
  • a relative displacement system of the first laser beam configured to move the first laser beam relative to a tube disposed on the tube support so that a portion of the tube is cut in the sound part of the tube, said portion being separated from the polluted part.

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  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
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Abstract

The invention relates to a method for decontaminating at least one tube (200), the tube (200) comprising a so-called polluted portion (210), which is contaminated and which includes the inner surface (202) of the tube, and a so-called clean portion (220), which is not contaminated and which includes the outer surface (203) of the tube. The method comprises a step of exposing the clean portion (220) of the tube (200) to at least one first laser beam (21) capable of cutting the material of the clean portion (220), the first laser beam (21) being moved relative to a tube so as to cut into the clean portion (220) in order to create a portion (225) of the tube which is separated from the polluted portion (210). The invention also relates to an apparatus for decontaminating tubes.

Description

PROCÉDÉ DE DÉCONTAMINATION DE LA SURFACE INTERNE D'UN TUBE ET INSTALLATION POUR EFFECTUER UNE TELLE DÉCONTAMINATION  METHOD FOR DECONTAMINATING THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF A TUBE AND INSTALLATION FOR PERFORMING SUCH DECONTAMINATION
DESCRIPTIONDESCRIPTION
DOMAINE TECHNIQUE TECHNICAL AREA
L'invention se rapporte au domaine de la décontamination de tubes dont la partie interne est contaminée. The invention relates to the field of the decontamination of tubes whose internal part is contaminated.
ÉTAT DE LA TECHNIQUE ANTÉRIEURE STATE OF THE PRIOR ART
Il n'est pas rare dans le cadre du fonctionnement d'une installation industrielle, telle qu'une centrale nucléaire ou une installation de traitement de déchets, de faire passer un liquide contaminant, tel qu'un liquide radioactif, dans des tubes. Or ces passages de liquide contaminant peuvent être continus ou répétés de manière régulière sur des durées pouvant dépasser la dizaine d'années. It is not uncommon in the operation of an industrial facility, such as a nuclear power plant or a waste treatment facility, to pass a contaminating liquid, such as a radioactive liquid, into tubes. However, these passages of contaminating liquid can be continuous or repeated regularly over periods that may last more than ten years.
Il en résulte que ces passages de liquide contaminant sur de telles durées peuvent être à l'origine d'une contamination de la surface interne de ces tubes. Ces tubes présentent alors une partie dite polluée qui est contaminée et qui comporte la surface interne du tube, et une partie dite saine qui est non contaminée et qui comporte la surface externe du tube.  As a result, these passages of contaminating liquid over such periods can cause contamination of the inner surface of these tubes. These tubes then have a so-called polluted portion which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface of the tube, and a so-called healthy part which is uncontaminated and which comprises the outer surface of the tube.
Ces tubes deviennent, lorsqu'ils sont retirés de l'installation pour des raisons de maintenance ou de démantèlement de tout ou partie de cette dernière, des déchets contaminés qu'il faut soit stocker soit décontaminer.  These tubes become, when removed from the installation for maintenance or dismantling of all or part of the latter, contaminated waste that must be stored or decontaminated.
Pour des raisons financières et environnementales, la solution de la décontamination des tubes est à privilégier. En effet, elle permet d'une part, de valoriser et/ou recycler la matière première d'une partie des tubes et d'autre part, de réduire considérablement les volumes de déchets ultimes à stocker. Il est primordial d'économiser l'espace ou la capacité de stockage dédiés au sein des centres de stockages de déchets radioactifs, actuellement en service ; centres dont les capacités d'accueil sont limitées et non extensibles. Par ailleurs, la création et la mise en œuvre de nouveaux centres de stockage n'est surtout pas acquise et ce notamment pour des raisons d'acceptation sociale. For financial and environmental reasons, the solution for the decontamination of tubes is preferred. Indeed, it makes it possible, on the one hand, to recover and / or recycle the raw material of a part of the tubes and, on the other hand, to considerably reduce the volumes of ultimate waste to be stored. It is essential to save dedicated space or storage capacity in the radioactive waste storage centers currently in service; centers whose reception capacities are limited and not extensible. In addition, the creation and implementation of new storage centers is especially not acquired and this especially for reasons of social acceptance.
Les installations nucléaires sont particulièrement représentatives de l'ampleur de cette problématique. On peut en effet citer à titre d'exemple le cas du faisceau tubulaire des générateurs de vapeur équipant de telles installations dont les tubes sont contaminés sur leur surface interne par les radionucléides présents dans le liquide primaire. Ces tubes sont très fins (environ 2 cm de diamètre) mais représentent des masses conséquentes de métal à forte valeur commerciale (alliage de nickel 600 et 690 en France), de l'ordre de 100 tonnes par générateur de vapeur. Leur décontamination en vue de leur valorisation présente donc un intérêt majeur.  Nuclear installations are particularly representative of the extent of this problem. It is possible to cite as an example the case of the tube bundle of the steam generators equipping such installations whose tubes are contaminated on their inner surface by the radionuclides present in the primary liquid. These tubes are very thin (about 2 cm in diameter) but represent significant masses of metal with high commercial value (nickel alloy 600 and 690 in France), of the order of 100 tons per steam generator. Their decontamination in view of their valorization thus presents a major interest.
Généralement, les procédés permettant la décontamination de tels tubes font appel à des décapants chimiques, à des composés abrasifs, ou à des procédés de décapage à jet d'eau haute pression ou laser.  Generally, the methods for decontaminating such tubes use chemical strippers, abrasive compounds, or high-pressure water jet or laser stripping processes.
Ainsi en prenant l'exemple des tubes de générateurs de vapeur équipant les centrales nucléaires, le document US5046289 décrit un procédé de décontamination utilisant un mélange de produits abrasifs. Cette approche ne garantit toutefois pas une décontamination totale des tubes, et pose par ailleurs la question de la gestion des volumes conséquents de déchets secondaires radioactifs générés. En effet, il est nécessaire de gérer après décontamination, à la fois les abrasifs contaminés et le produit de l'abrasion de la surface interne contaminée des tubes.  Thus, taking the example of the steam generator tubes equipping the nuclear power plants, the document US5046289 describes a decontamination process using a mixture of abrasive products. This approach, however, does not guarantee complete decontamination of the tubes, and also raises the question of managing the significant volumes of radioactive secondary waste generated. Indeed, it is necessary to manage after decontamination, both the contaminated abrasives and the product of the abrasion of the contaminated internal surface of the tubes.
Les documents FR2666523 et FR1351523 décrivent quant à eux des procédés de décontamination par ablation laser de la surface interne de ces mêmes tubes. De tels procédés s'avèrent plus efficaces que des agents abrasifs. Toutefois, ces procédés présentent des risques de re-déposition de la contamination éjectée.  The documents FR2666523 and FR1351523 describe processes for decontamination by laser ablation of the inner surface of these same tubes. Such methods are more effective than abrasive agents. However, these methods present risks of re-deposition of the ejected contamination.
De plus, dans ces deux procédés, de même que pour l'utilisation d'agents chimiques ou abrasifs, les effluents contaminés issus de l'abrasion de la surface interne des tubes, doivent être récupérés et filtrés afin d'éviter le rejet de matière contaminée dans l'environnement. La présence de particules contaminées dans ces effluents, qui peuvent éventuellement se retrouver en suspension dans l'air, demande également un renforcement des équipements de sécurité pour garantir la sûreté des opérateurs effectuant les opérations de décontamination. Moreover, in these two processes, as well as for the use of chemical or abrasive agents, the contaminated effluents resulting from the abrasion of the inner surface of the tubes must be recovered and filtered in order to avoid the rejection of material. contaminated in the environment. The presence of contaminated particles in these effluents, which may eventually be suspended in the air, requires also a reinforcement of the safety equipment to guarantee the safety of the operators carrying out the decontamination operations.
EXPOSÉ DE L'INVENTION STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
L'invention vise à remédier à ces inconvénients et a ainsi pour but de fournir un procédé laser qui : The object of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks and is thus intended to provide a laser method which:
■ supprime les risques de redéposition pendant l'opération de décontamination, ■ eliminates the risk of redeposition during the decontamination operation,
■ limite l'empoussièrement, en particulier ne produit pas de poussières contaminées, ■ limits dust accumulation, in particular does not produce contaminated dust,
■ permet une gestion facilitée des déchets contaminés issus de cette opération. ■ facilitates the management of contaminated waste resulting from this operation.
L'invention concerne à cet effet un procédé de décontamination d'au moins un tube, le tube comportant une partie, dite polluée, qui est contaminée et qui comprend la surface interne du tube, et une partie, dite saine, qui est non contaminée et qui comprend la surface externe du tube,  To this end, the invention relates to a method for decontaminating at least one tube, the tube comprising a part, said polluted, which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface of the tube, and a part, said to be healthy, which is uncontaminated. and which includes the outer surface of the tube,
le procédé comportant une étape de soumission du tube sur la partie saine du tube à au moins un premier faisceau laser apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine, le premier faisceau laser étant déplacé relativement au tube de manière à découper dans la partie saine une portion du tube qui est séparée de la partie polluée  the method comprising a step of submitting the tube on the sound part of the tube to at least a first laser beam capable of cutting the material of the sound part, the first laser beam being displaced relative to the tube so as to cut into the sound part a portion of the tube that is separated from the polluted portion
De cette manière lorsque le tube est un tube cylindrique, il possible avec un tel procédé d'obtenir une partie polluée sous la forme d'un cylindre de diamètre extérieur plus faible que celui du tube.  In this way, when the tube is a cylindrical tube, it is possible with such a method to obtain a polluted part in the form of a cylinder of outside diameter smaller than that of the tube.
Avec un tel procédé, le laser venant découper uniquement de la matière saine, on évite ainsi la vaporisation de la matière contaminée. On écarte ainsi tout risque de re-dépôt de matière contaminante pendant l'opération de décontamination. La portion de tube découpée est donc parfaitement saine et peut être recyclée pour équiper une nouvelle installation industrielle sans nécessiter plusieurs passes ou une durée de décontamination augmentée comme cela est nécessaire dans les procédés de l'art antérieur.  With such a method, the laser cutting only healthy material, thereby avoiding the vaporization of the contaminated material. This avoids any risk of re-deposition of contaminating material during the decontamination operation. The portion of cut tube is therefore perfectly sound and can be recycled to equip a new industrial installation without requiring multiple passes or increased decontamination time as is necessary in the processes of the prior art.
En ce qui concerne les déchets issus de l'opération de décontamination, un tel procédé peut permettre une gestion optimisée des déchets. En effet, il est possible d'adapter le déplacement du laser de manière à ce que les déchets soient constitués d'une portion du tube comportant la partie interne. Une telle portion interne du tube peut aisément être manipulée pour être stockée et/ou soumise à des opérations supplémentaires et plus lourdes de décontamination. With regard to the waste resulting from the decontamination operation, such a process can allow optimized waste management. Indeed, it is possible to adapt the displacement of the laser so that the waste is made up a portion of the tube having the inner portion. Such an inner portion of the tube can easily be manipulated to be stored and / or subjected to additional and heavier decontamination operations.
De plus un tel procédé de décontamination permet d'alléger les contraintes de sûreté par rapport aux procédés de l'art antérieur (filtration de poussières ou de liquide). En effet, les poussières et/ou liquides issus de l'opération de décontamination ayant pour origine la partie saine du tube, les risques de rejet de matière contaminée dans l'environnement sont fortement limités, voire supprimés.  In addition, such a decontamination process makes it possible to reduce the safety constraints compared with the methods of the prior art (filtration of dust or of liquid). Indeed, the dust and / or liquids from the decontamination operation originating from the sound part of the tube, the risk of release of contaminated material into the environment are greatly limited or even eliminated.
Les terminologies de «contaminé » et de « non contaminé » s'entendent ici et dans le reste de ce document selon l'entendement de l'homme du métier pour qui un matériau est considéré comme contaminé lorsqu'une caractéristique dudit matériau révélatrice de contamination, dépasse une valeur seuil de cette caractéristique ou se situe dans une zone pouvant être en contact avec la contamination. Ainsi dans le cas où la contamination concerne une contamination radioactive, la caractéristique peut être l'activité du matériau qui s'exprime en Becquerel, la valeur seuil pouvant être, par exemple pour le cobalt 60, de 10 kBq/kg. Ce paramètre peut également être, dans le cas de tubes de générateur vapeur, la présence d'oxyde qui contient les éléments contaminés.  The terminologies of "contaminated" and "uncontaminated" are understood here and in the remainder of this document according to the understanding of the person skilled in the art for whom a material is considered contaminated when a characteristic of said contamination revealing material. exceeds a threshold value for this characteristic or is in an area that may be in contact with the contamination. Thus, in the case where the contamination concerns a radioactive contamination, the characteristic may be the activity of the material which is expressed in Becquerel, the threshold value being, for example for cobalt 60, of 10 kBq / kg. This parameter can also be, in the case of steam generator tubes, the presence of oxide which contains the contaminated elements.
On peut également noter que si ce procédé s'applique plus particulièrement à la décontamination de la surface interne de tube dont la contamination est liée à une exploitation d'un produit dangereux passant dans un tube, il peut également s'appliquer à la décontamination d'une couche interne contaminée placée délibérément. Ainsi, le procédé selon l'invention peut s'appliquer, sans que l'on sorte du cadre de l'invention, à la décontamination de tubes présentant au niveau de leur surface interne une couche d'amiante.  It may also be noted that, while this method is more particularly applicable to the decontamination of the inner tube surface, the contamination of which is linked to the operation of a dangerous product passing through a tube, it can also be applied to the decontamination of a contaminated inner layer deliberately placed. Thus, the method according to the invention can be applied, without departing from the scope of the invention, to the decontamination of tubes having at their inner surface an asbestos layer.
Pendant l'étape de soumission du tube au premier faisceau laser, le tube peut être soumis au premier faisceau laser sur sa tranche pendant la totalité du déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser. Une telle soumission au premier faisceau laser du tube sur sa tranche permet une découpe aisée d'une portion de tube puisqu'elle peut se faire simplement en suivant le pourtour du tube. During the step of submitting the tube to the first laser beam, the tube may be subjected to the first laser beam on its wafer during the entire relative movement of the first laser beam. Such a submission to the first laser beam of the tube on its wafer allows easy cutting of a tube portion since it can be done simply following the perimeter of the tube.
Pendant l'étape de soumission du tube au premier faisceau laser, le tube peut être un tube sensiblement droit, ou rendu sensiblement droit, comprenant un axe du tube, le premier faisceau laser présentant une direction d'émission parallèle à l'axe du tube,  During the step of submitting the tube to the first laser beam, the tube may be a substantially straight tube, or made substantially straight, comprising an axis of the tube, the first laser beam having an emission direction parallel to the axis of the tube ,
dans laquelle étape le déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser relativement au tube peut être réalisé autour de l'axe du tube de manière à ce que la portion comprenne la surface externe du tube.  in which step the relative displacement of the first laser beam relative to the tube can be performed around the axis of the tube so that the portion comprises the outer surface of the tube.
Avec une telle étape, le procédé permet la fourniture d'une portion saine de forme tubulaire rendant ainsi possible une éventuelle utilisation directe de la portion en tant que tube. De plus, avec un découpage ajusté, il est également possible de fournir une portion représentant la majeure partie de la partie saine du tube. Le reste du tube peut ainsi comporter principalement la partie polluée qui peut être décontaminée et/ou stockée selon des procédures plus classiques.  With such a step, the method allows the provision of a healthy portion of tubular shape thus making possible a possible direct use of the portion as a tube. In addition, with an adjusted cut, it is also possible to provide a portion representing most of the sound part of the tube. The rest of the tube can thus comprise mainly the polluted part which can be decontaminated and / or stored according to more conventional procedures.
On entend ci-dessus et dans le reste de la description par tube sensiblement droit, ou rendu sensiblement droit, que les tubes présentent une forme générale cylindrique creuse. Bien entendu, cette notion de tube sensiblement droit, ou rendu sensiblement droit, concerne la forme générale du tube et donc comprend, par extension, les tubes sensiblement droit, ou rendu sensiblement droit, présentant une ou ses deux bases tronquées. Un axe du tube d'un tel tube droit, ou rendu droit, est une droite sensiblement parallèle à la direction de la génératrice de la forme cylindrique qui est contenue dans le tube. Dans le cas d'un tube de forme cylindrique de révolution, un axe du tube peut être l'axe de symétrie du tube.  It is understood above and in the rest of the description by tube substantially straight, or made substantially straight, that the tubes have a generally cylindrical hollow shape. Of course, this concept of substantially straight tube, or made substantially straight, relates to the general shape of the tube and therefore comprises, by extension, substantially straight tubes, or made substantially straight, having one or both truncated bases. An axis of the tube of such a straight tube, or made straight, is a line substantially parallel to the direction of the generatrix of the cylindrical shape which is contained in the tube. In the case of a cylindrical tube of revolution, an axis of the tube may be the axis of symmetry of the tube.
Lors de l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser le premier faisceau laser est un faisceau laser de section allongée selon une direction longitudinale qui est préférentiellement maintenue sensiblement tangentielle au déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser. Avec une telle forme du faisceau laser, la découpe de la portion saine est optimisée puisque celle-ci se fait selon la direction longitudinale du premier faisceau laser. Ainsi, il est possible de réduire le temps de soumission du tube au premier faisceau laser pour obtenir la découpe de la portion. During the step of submitting to the first laser beam the first laser beam is a laser beam of elongated section in a longitudinal direction which is preferably maintained substantially tangential to the relative displacement of the first laser beam. With such a shape of the laser beam, the cutting of the healthy portion is optimized since it is in the longitudinal direction of the first laser beam. Thus, it is possible to reduce the time of submission of the tube to the first laser beam to obtain the cutting of the portion.
Le tube peut être un tube, ou un tronçon de tube, dont la partie polluée est une partie radioactive, ledit tube ou tronçon étant préférentiellement un tube ou tronçon de tube de générateur vapeur.  The tube may be a tube, or a section of tube, the polluted part of which is a radioactive part, said tube or section being preferably a tube or section of steam generator tube.
Le procédé selon l'invention bénéficie particulièrement à la décontamination des tubes de générateur de vapeur. En effet, le procédé de décontamination ne passe pas, contrairement aux procédés de l'art antérieur, par une opération de vaporisation de la partie polluée en particules radioactives. Ceci permet de respecter les contraintes de sûreté nucléaire sans adaptation lourde de l'installation notamment en ce qui concerne la filtration des particules vaporisées.  The method according to the invention particularly benefits the decontamination of the steam generator tubes. Indeed, the decontamination process does not pass, unlike the processes of the prior art, by an operation of vaporization of the polluted portion of radioactive particles. This makes it possible to respect the nuclear safety constraints without heavy adaptation of the installation, especially as regards the filtration of vaporized particles.
Le procédé peut comprendre, préalablement à l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser, les étapes suivantes :  The method may comprise, prior to the step of submitting to the first laser beam, the following steps:
découpage d'un tube dit primaire en tronçons de manière à former des tubes secondaires,  cutting a so-called primary tube into sections so as to form secondary tubes,
tri des tubes secondaires de manière à sélectionner uniquement les tubes sensiblement droit,  sorting the secondary tubes so as to select only the substantially straight tubes,
et dans lequel l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser n'est appliquée qu'aux tubes secondaires sélectionnés.  and wherein the step of submitting to the first laser beam is applied to only the selected secondary tubes.
Le procédé peut comprendre préalablement à l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser, une étape de redressage du tube de manière à rendre le tube sensiblement droit. The method may comprise, prior to the step of submitting to the first laser beam, a straightening step of the tube so as to make the tube substantially straight.
De telles étapes préalables permettent de fournir un ou plusieurs tubes, les tubes secondaires sélectionnés lors du tri, avec une forme optimisée pour la soumission du tube au premier faisceau laser.  Such prior steps make it possible to supply one or more tubes, the secondary tubes selected during sorting, with a shape optimized for submitting the tube to the first laser beam.
L'invention concerne également une installation de décontamination de tubes, les tubes comportant chacun une partie, dite polluée, qui est contaminée et qui comprend la surface interne du tube, et une partie, dite saine, qui est non contaminée et qui comprend la surface externe du tube, l'installation comportant : The invention also relates to a plant for decontaminating tubes, the tubes each comprising a part, said polluted, which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface of the tube, and a part, said healthy, which is uncontaminated and which comprises the outer surface of the tube, the installation comprising:
au moins un premier système laser adapté pour fournir un premier faisceau laser apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine des tubes,  at least a first laser system adapted to provide a first laser beam capable of cutting the material from the sound part of the tubes,
un support de tubes agencé par rapport au premier système laser de manière à ce qu'un tube disposé sur le support de tubes soit soumis au premier faisceau laser sur la partie saine du tube,  a tube support arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube disposed on the tube support is subjected to the first laser beam on the sound part of the tube,
un système de déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser configuré pour déplacer le premier faisceau laser relativement à un tube disposé sur le support de tubes de manière à ce qu'une portion de tube soit découpée dans la partie saine du tube, ladite portion étant séparée de la partie polluée.  a relative displacement system of the first laser beam configured to move the first laser beam relative to a tube disposed on the tube support so that a portion of the tube is cut in the sound part of the tube, said portion being separated from the polluted part.
Une telle installation permet de mettre en œuvre l'étape de soumission des tubes au premier faisceau laser selon l'invention et permet ainsi de bénéficier des avantages liées au procédé selon l'invention.  Such an installation makes it possible to implement the step of submitting the tubes to the first laser beam according to the invention and thus makes it possible to benefit from the advantages associated with the method according to the invention.
Les tubes à décontaminer peuvent être sensiblement droits ou ont été préalablement rendus sensiblement droits et comprennent chacun un axe de tube, le support de tubes étant agencé de manière à ce qu'un tube disposé sur le support de tubes soit soumis au premier faisceau laser avec la direction d'émission du premier faisceau laser qui est parallèle à l'axe du tube,  The tubes to be decontaminated may be substantially straight or have previously been made substantially straight and each comprise a tube axis, the tube support being arranged in such a way that a tube disposed on the tube support is subjected to the first laser beam with the direction of emission of the first laser beam which is parallel to the axis of the tube,
et dans laquelle le système de déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser est déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser relativement au tube est réalisé autour de l'axe du tube de manière à ce que la portion du tube comprenne la surface externe du tube.  and wherein the relative displacement system of the first laser beam is relative displacement of the first laser beam relative to the tube is made about the axis of the tube so that the portion of the tube comprises the outer surface of the tube.
Le premier système laser peut être adapté pour fournir un premier faisceau laser de section allongée selon une direction longitudinale, le système de déplacement relatif étant adapté pour déplacer relativement le premier faisceau laser par rapport à un tube disposé sur le support de tubes de manière à maintenir la direction longitudinale sensiblement tangentielle au déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser. Une telle installation permet une décontamination d'un tube avec un temps de soumission réduit vis-à-vis d'une insta llation mettant en œuvre un premier faisceau laser de forme circulaire. The first laser system may be adapted to provide a first elongated section laser beam in a longitudinal direction, the relative displacement system being adapted to relatively move the first laser beam relative to a tube disposed on the tube support to maintain the longitudinal direction substantially tangential to the relative displacement of the first laser beam. Such an installation allows a decontamination of a tube with a reduced time of submission vis-à-vis an insta llation implementing a first circular-shaped laser beam.
Le premier système laser peut comprendre au moins une source laser sélectionnée dans le groupe comportant les lasers à excimères, les lasers à matrice de grenat d'aluminium et d'yttrium, les lasers à dioxydes de carbone.  The first laser system may comprise at least one laser source selected from the group consisting of excimer lasers, lasers of aluminum and yttrium garnet matrix, and carbon dioxide lasers.
Le premier système laser peut comprendre au moins une source laser dont la longueur d'onde d'émission est comprise dans un domaine de longueur d'onde sélectionné da ns le groupe comportant le domaine des Ultraviolets, le domaine du proche infra-rouge et le domaine des infrarouges lointains.  The first laser system may comprise at least one laser source whose emission wavelength is within a selected wavelength range in the group comprising the ultraviolet domain, the near infra-red domain and the far infrared field.
L'installation peut comprendre en outre :  The installation may further include:
- une deuxième source laser adaptée pour fournir un deuxième faisceau laser configurée de manière à ce qu'un tube disposé sur le support de tubes soit également soumis sur sa partie saine au deuxième faisceau laser,  a second laser source adapted to supply a second laser beam configured in such a way that a tube disposed on the tube support is also subjected on its sound part to the second laser beam,
le système de déplacement étant configuré pour déplacer le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser relativement à un tube disposé sur le support de tubes chacun sur une fraction respective du tube de manière à découper dans la partie saine une portion du tube qui comprend la surface externe du tube et qui est séparée de la partie polluée.  the displacement system being configured to move the first and second laser beams relative to a tube disposed on the tube support each on a respective fraction of the tube so as to cut into the sound portion a portion of the tube which comprises the outer surface of the tube; tube and which is separated from the polluted part.
BRÈVE DESCRIPTION DES DESSINS BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
La présente invention sera mieux com prise à la lecture de la description d'exemples de réalisation, donnés à titre purement indicatif et nullement limitatif, en faisant référence aux dessins annexés sur lesquels : The present invention will be better understood on reading the description of exemplary embodiments, given purely by way of indication and in no way limiting, with reference to the appended drawings in which:
la figure 1 est une vue en coupe longitudinale schématique d'une étape de soumission d'un tube à un premier faisceau laser selon l'invention,  FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a step of submitting a tube to a first laser beam according to the invention,
la figure 2 est une vue de face schématique de la même étape illustrée sur la figure 1 la figure 3 est une vue en coupe longitudinale schématique d'une portion de tube décontaminée qui est obtenue après avoir effectué l'étape illustrée sur les figures 1 et 2, FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front view of the same step illustrated in FIG. 1 FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a portion of decontaminated tube that is obtained after having performed the step illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,
la figure 4 est une vue en coupe longitudinale d'une portion de tube déchet comprenant une partie polluée du tube qui est obtenue après avoir effectué l'étape illustrée sur les figure 1 et 2,  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of waste tube comprising a polluted part of the tube which is obtained after having carried out the step illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,
les figures 5a et 5b illustrent une variante de l'invention selon laquelle le premier faisceau laser présente une section allongée, la figure 5a illustrant ladite section allongée selon une direction longitudinale et la figure 5b étant une vue de face du tube sur laquelle est représentée la direction longitudinale du premier faisceau pour deux emplacements du premier faisceau laser,  FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate a variant of the invention according to which the first laser beam has an elongate section, FIG. 5a illustrating said elongate section in a longitudinal direction and FIG. 5b being a front view of the tube on which the longitudinal direction of the first beam for two locations of the first laser beam,
la figure 6 est une vue en coupe longitudinale schématique d'une étape de soumission d'un tube à des premier et deuxième faisceaux laser selon une variante de l'invention.  Figure 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a step of submitting a tube to first and second laser beams according to a variant of the invention.
Des parties identiques, similaires ou équivalentes des différentes figures portent les mêmes références numériques de façon à faciliter le passage d'une figure à l'autre.  Identical, similar or equivalent parts of the different figures bear the same numerical references so as to facilitate the passage from one figure to another.
Les différentes parties représentées sur les figures ne le sont pas nécessairement selon une échelle uniforme, pour rendre les figures plus lisibles.  The different parts shown in the figures are not necessarily in a uniform scale, to make the figures more readable.
Les différentes possibilités (variantes et modes de réalisation) doivent être comprises comme n'étant pas exclusives les unes des autres et peuvent se combiner entre elles.  The different possibilities (variants and embodiments) must be understood as not being exclusive of each other and can be combined with one another.
EXPOSÉ DÉTAILLÉ DE MODES DE RÉALISATION PARTICULIERS DETAILED PRESENTATION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
La figure 1 illustre schématiquement un tube 200 à décontaminer pendant sa décontamination selon un procédé de décontamination selon l'invention. Le tube 200 illustré sur la figure 1 représente une portion de tube d'un générateur de vapeur qui comporte une surface interne 202 présentant une contamination radioactive. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a tube 200 to be decontaminated during its decontamination according to a decontamination process according to the invention. The tube 200 illustrated in Figure 1 shows a tube portion of a steam generator which has an inner surface 202 having a radioactive contamination.
La décontamination de tubes de générateur de vapeur est utilisée ici uniquement comme exemple de réalisation de l'invention ceci dans un but purement illustratif. Cet exemple de réalisation n'est donc pas limitatif de l'application du procédé de décontamination, ce procédé pouvant s'appliquer à d'autres types de tubes utilisés dans des installations nucléaires, telles que les installation d'enrichissement, les centrales nucléaires ou les installations de retraitement, ou à des tubes contaminés dans des installations de traitements chimiques, telles que les raffineries pétrolières ou les installations d'extraction de métaux rares. The decontamination of steam generator tubes is used here only as an embodiment of the invention for purely illustrative. This exemplary embodiment is therefore not limiting to the application of the decontamination process, this method being applicable to other types of tubes used in nuclear installations, such as enrichment plants, nuclear power plants or reprocessing facilities, or contaminated tubes in chemical processing facilities, such as oil refineries or rare metal extraction facilities.
Le procédé de décontamination est dédié à la décontamination de tubes 200, comme celui illustré sur la figure 1, qui présentent une contamination de leur surface interne 202 et qui présente une surface externe 203 « saine ». De tels tubes comportent ainsi chacun :  The decontamination process is dedicated to the decontamination of tubes 200, like that illustrated in FIG. 1, which have a contamination of their internal surface 202 and which has a "healthy" external surface 203. Such tubes thus each comprise:
une partie polluée 210 qui est contaminée et qui comporte la surface interne 202 du tube 200, et  a polluted part 210 which is contaminated and which has the inner surface 202 of the tube 200, and
une partie saine 220 qui n'est pas contaminée et qui comporte la surface externe 203 du tube 200.  a healthy part 220 which is not contaminated and which has the outer surface 203 of the tube 200.
Dans un but purement illustratif, les parties polluée 210 et saine du tube For purely illustrative purposes, the polluted and healthy 210 parts of the tube
200 représentées sur les figures 1 et 2 sont concentriques. Bien entendu, dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre d'un tel procédé, les tubes à décontaminer peuvent ne pas présenter une contamination isotrope. Ainsi, dans la suite de ce document, lorsqu'il sera mentionné le rayon de l'interface entre la partie polluée et la partie saine, cette valeur représentera la cote axiale maximale de l'interface entre la partie saine et la partie contaminée. De cette manière toute zone du tube présentant une cote axiale supérieure à ce rayon d'interface n'est pas contaminée. 200 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are concentric. Of course, in the context of the implementation of such a method, the tubes to be decontaminated may not have isotropic contamination. Thus, in the remainder of this document, when the radius of the interface between the polluted part and the sound part is mentioned, this value will represent the maximum axial dimension of the interface between the healthy part and the contaminated part. In this way, any zone of the tube having an axial dimension greater than this interface radius is not contaminated.
Afin d'assurer une bonne mise en œuvre du procédé de décontamination de l'invention, le procédé peut comporter des étapes préalables permettant de décontaminer uniquement des tubes droit ou rendu droit.  In order to ensure proper implementation of the decontamination process of the invention, the method may comprise preliminary steps to decontaminate only right tubes or made straight.
Ainsi, selon une première possibilité de l'invention, le procédé de décontamination peut être un procédé de décontamination d'un ou plusieurs tubes primaires comportant des segments de tube courbes et d'autres sensiblement droits. Le procédé de décontamination selon cette première possibilité comporte les étapes préalables suivantes : découpage du ou des tubes primaires en tronçons de tube de manière à former des tubes secondaires, Thus, according to a first possibility of the invention, the decontamination process may be a method of decontaminating one or more primary tubes comprising curved and other substantially straight tube segments. The decontamination process according to this first possibility comprises the following preliminary steps: cutting the primary tube (s) into tube sections so as to form secondary tubes,
tri des tubes secondaires de manière à sélectionner uniquement les tubes sensiblement droit.  sorting the secondary tubes so as to select only the substantially straight tubes.
Selon cette possibilité l'étape de découpage peut être soit réalisée le long du ou des tubes primaires avec une longueur de tronçon constante, soit avec longueur de tronçon variable.  According to this possibility the cutting step can be carried out along the primary tube or tubes with a constant length of section or with variable length of section.
La configuration avec longueur de tronçon variable est à préférer puisqu'elle permet de varier la longueur des tronçons afin d'optimiser la partie du ou des tubes primaires qui pourra être décontaminée selon le principe de l'invention.  The configuration with variable length of section is preferred since it allows to vary the length of the sections to optimize the portion of the primary tube or tubes that can be decontaminated according to the principle of the invention.
On peut également noter que cette possibilité de longueur de tronçon variable permet de rendre sensiblement droit des segments de tubes présentant une légère courbure.  It can also be noted that this possibility of variable length of section makes it possible to make substantially straight segments of tubes with a slight curvature.
Dans le cadre de cette première possibilité de l'invention, la longueur des tronçons de tube peut en complément être adaptée pour permettre une optimisation de la découpe dans la partie saine 220 du tube 200 lorsqu'elle est soumise à un faisceau laser. Ainsi, afin d'assurer un temps de découpe réduit, la longueur de tronçon est préférentiellement comprise entre 1mm et 10mm, encore plus préférentiellement comprise entre 1mm et 4mm et de manière encore plus préférentielle entre 1mm et 2mm.  In the context of this first possibility of the invention, the length of the tube sections may additionally be adapted to allow an optimization of the cut in the sound part 220 of the tube 200 when it is subjected to a laser beam. Thus, in order to ensure a reduced cutting time, the length of the section is preferably between 1 mm and 10 mm, more preferably between 1 mm and 4 mm and even more preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm.
Selon une deuxième possibilité de l'invention, qui n'exclut pas une étape préalable ou postérieure de découpage en tronçons, le procédé peut comporter une étape préalable de redressage des tubes à décontaminer. Une telle étape de redressage de tubes consiste à appliquer une déformation plastique à chaud ou à froid du ou des tubes à décontaminer. L'étape de redressage permet ainsi d'atténuer, voire supprimer, la courbure du tube ou des tubes à décontaminer afin de les rendre sensiblement droit.  According to a second possibility of the invention, which does not exclude a prior or subsequent cutting step in sections, the method may comprise a preliminary step of straightening the tubes to be decontaminated. Such a tube straightening step consists in applying a plastic deformation hot or cold tube (s) to be decontaminated. The straightening step thus makes it possible to attenuate or even eliminate the curvature of the tube or tubes to be decontaminated in order to make them substantially straight.
Comme indiqué ci-dessus, selon cette deuxième possibilité et de manière identique à la première possibilité, le procédé peut également comporter une étape de découpe du ou des tubes en tronçons de tube pour permettre une optimisation de la découpe dans la partie saine 220 du tube lorsqu'elle est soumise à un rayonnement laser. As indicated above, according to this second possibility and in a manner identical to the first possibility, the method may also comprise a step of cutting the tube or tubes into tube sections to allow optimization. cutting in the healthy part 220 of the tube when subjected to laser radiation.
Que ce soit les tubes secondaires obtenus par cette première possibilité, ou les tubes rendus droit selon cette deuxième possibilité, les tubes 200 présentent, comme illustré sur la figure 1, un axe du tube 211.  Whether it is the secondary tubes obtained by this first possibility, or the tubes made straight according to this second possibility, the tubes 200 have, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an axis of the tube 211.
Le procédé de décontamination comprend en outre une étape de soumission du ou des tubes 200 à un premier faisceau laser 21 apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine 220. Lors de cette étape le ou les tubes 200 sont chacun soumis à un premier faisceau laser 21 sur leur partie saine 220, le premier faisceau laser 21 étant déplacé relativement au tube 200 de manière à découper dans la partie saine une portion 225 de tube 200 qui est séparée de la partie polluée. Cette soumission peut être faite sur la tranche du ou des tubes 200 en parcourant le pourtour du tube 200 de manière à ce que la portion découpée comprenne la surface extérieure 203 du tube 200.  The decontamination process further comprises a step of submitting the tube or tubes 200 to a first laser beam 21 capable of cutting the material of the sound part 220. During this step, the tube or tubes 200 are each subjected to a first laser beam 21 on their sound part 220, the first laser beam 21 being moved relative to the tube 200 so as to cut in the healthy part a portion 225 of tube 200 which is separated from the polluted part. This submission can be made on the edge of the tube or tubes 200 by passing around the perimeter of the tube 200 so that the cut portion comprises the outer surface 203 of the tube 200.
Plus précisément, lors de cette étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser 21, le ou les tubes 200 sont préférentiellement un ou des tubes sensiblement droits ou rendus sensiblement droits, tels que ceux obtenus par l'intermédiaire des étapes préalables telles que présentées plus haut. Ainsi le ou les tubes 200 peuvent être soumis au premier faisceau laser 21 avec le premier faisceau laser 21 qui est sensiblement parallèle à l'axe du ou des tubes 20, le premier faisceau laser 21 étant déplacé relativement au tube 200 ou aux tubes autour de leur axe du tube 201.  More precisely, during this step of submitting to the first laser beam 21, the tube or tubes 200 are preferably one or more substantially straight or substantially straight tubes, such as those obtained by means of the preceding steps as presented above. Thus the tube or tubes 200 may be subjected to the first laser beam 21 with the first laser beam 21 which is substantially parallel to the axis of the tube or tubes 20, the first laser beam 21 being displaced relative to the tube 200 or to the tubes around their axis of the tube 201.
Ainsi, selon une mise en œuvre représentative dans laquelle un tube 200 est, comme illustré sur les figures 1 et 2, un tube droit à section circulaire constante, le faisceau laser peut être appliqué sur la partie saine à une cote axiale du tube 200 égale ou supérieure au rayon d'interface auquel il a été ajouté le diamètre du premier faisceau laser 21. Cette application est réalisée avec une durée suffisamment importante pour que le premier faisceau laser 21 traverse le tube 200 sur toute sa longueur. Le premier faisceau laser 21 est ensuite déplacé autour de l'axe du tube 201 en conservant la même cote axiale et en soumettant chaque emplacement de la partie saine 220 au premier faisceau laser 21 pendant une durée suffisante pour que le premier faisceau laser 21 traverse le tube 200 sur toute sa longueur. De cette manière, lorsque le premier faisceau laser 21 a effectué un déplacement de 360° autour de l'axe du tube 201, une portion de tube circulaire a été découpée dans la portion saine, la dite portion circulaire étant, comme illustré sur la figure 3, séparée de la partie polluée 210 du tube. Thus, according to a representative implementation in which a tube 200 is, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a straight tube with constant circular section, the laser beam can be applied to the sound part at an axial dimension of the tube 200 equal or greater than the interface radius to which the diameter of the first laser beam 21 has been added. This application is carried out with a sufficiently long duration for the first laser beam 21 to pass through the tube 200 along its entire length. The first laser beam 21 is then moved about the axis of the tube 201 while maintaining the same axial dimension and subjecting each location of the sound portion 220 to the first laser beam 21 for a time sufficient for the first laser beam 21 to pass through the 200 tube over its entire length. In this way, when the first laser beam 21 has moved 360 ° about the axis of the tube 201, a circular tube portion has been cut in the healthy portion, said circular portion being, as illustrated in FIG. 3, separated from the polluted portion 210 of the tube.
Après cette étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser 20, le tube After this step of submitting to the first laser beam 20, the tube
200 se retrouve séparé en deux, la portion 225, illustrée sur la figure 3, qui est dite saine et qui n'est pas contaminée et un déchet 226, illustré sur la figure 4, qui comporte la partie polluée 210. Avec une cote axiale d'application du premier faisceau laser adaptée, il est possible de récupérer dans la portion 225 la majeure partie de la partie saine 220 du tube ceci sans aucune contamination liée à la partie polluée 210. En effet, la partie polluée 210 n'étant à aucun moment soumise au premier faisceau laser 21, elle garde son intégrité et n'est pas à l'origine d'une nouvelle contamination du tube 200 comme cela est le cas pour les procédés de l'art antérieur. 200 is separated in two, the portion 225, shown in Figure 3, which is said to be healthy and which is not contaminated and a waste 226, illustrated in Figure 4, which comprises the polluted portion 210. With an axial dimension application of the first adapted laser beam, it is possible to recover in the portion 225 the major part of the healthy part 220 of the tube this without any contamination related to the polluted part 210. Indeed, the polluted part 210 not having to no moment subjected to the first laser beam 21, it retains its integrity and does not cause a new contamination of the tube 200 as is the case for the processes of the prior art.
La ou les portions 225 de tube peuvent donc ensuite être collectées pour être recyclées tandis que le ou les déchets 226 peuvent être traités selon les filières habituelles de stockage et/ou de décontamination, ce ou ces derniers étant majoritairement composé de matière contaminée.  The portion or portions 225 of tube can then be collected for recycling while the waste or waste 226 can be treated according to the usual methods of storage and / or decontamination, or they are mainly composed of contaminated material.
Cette étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser 21 peut être réalisée dans une installation 1 de décontamination telle qu'illustrée schématiquement sur la figure 1.  This step of submitting to the first laser beam 21 can be performed in a decontamination installation 1 as schematically illustrated in FIG.
Une telle installation 1 comporte : Such an installation 1 comprises:
un premier système laser 20 adapté pour fournir le premier faisceau laser 21,  a first laser system 20 adapted to provide the first laser beam 21,
un support de tubes 40 agencé par rapport au premier système laser de manière à ce qu'un tube 200 disposé sur le support de tubes 40 soit soumis au premier faisceau laser 21 sur la partie saine 220 du tube,  a tube support 40 arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube 200 disposed on the tube support 40 is subjected to the first laser beam 21 on the sound part 220 of the tube,
un système de déplacement relatif 30 du premier faisceau laser 21 configuré pour déplacer le premier faisceau laser 21 relativement à un tube 200 disposé sur le support de tubes 40 de manière à ce qu'une portion 225 de tube soit découpée dans la partie saine 220 du tube, ladite portion 225 étant séparée de la partie polluée 210. a relative displacement system 30 of the first laser beam 21 configured to move the first laser beam 21 relative to a tube 200 disposed on the tube support 40 so that a portion 225 of the tube is cut out in the healthy part 220 of the tube, said portion 225 being separated from the polluted part 210.
Selon une option de l'invention non illustrée permettant de faciliter la collection des particules vaporisées pendant la découpe laser, la soumission au premier faisceau laser 21 peut être accompagnée d'une soumission du tube à un flux de liquide ou d'un gaz afin de transporter lesdites particules à un système de collection des particules vaporisées.  According to an option of the invention not illustrated to facilitate the collection of vaporized particles during laser cutting, the submission to the first laser beam 21 may be accompanied by a submission of the tube to a flow of liquid or a gas in order to transporting said particles to a vaporized particle collection system.
Le premier système laser 20 est un système laser adapté pour fournir un faisceau laser dont la puissance est apte à découper, c'est-à-dire de vaporiser, le matériau de la partie saine 220 du tube. The first laser system 20 is a laser system adapted to provide a laser beam whose power is able to cut, that is to say to vaporize, the material of the sound part 220 of the tube.
Ainsi un tel premier système laser 20 peut comprendre, par exemple, une source laser du type laser à excimères, du type laser à matrice de grenat d'aluminium et d'yttrium ou du type laser à dioxydes de carbone. La source laser peut être aussi bien puisée que continue. La puissance laser est préférentiellement importante pour optimiser le temps de décontamination d'un tube. Ainsi si une source laser de 12W peut convenir, les sources lasers présentant une puissance supérieure à 500W, voire lkW sont à préférer.  Thus, such a first laser system 20 may comprise, for example, a laser source of the excimer laser type, of the aluminum garnet matrix and yttrium laser type, or of the carbon dioxide laser type. The laser source can be pulsed as well as continuous. The laser power is preferentially important to optimize the decontamination time of a tube. Thus, if a 12W laser source is suitable, the laser sources having a power greater than 500W or even 1kW are preferred.
Le premier système laser 20 peut également comporter un dispositif de focalisation, tel qu'un ensemble de lentilles, afin de concentrer le premier faisceau laser 21 afin de diminuer son diamètre. Une telle diminution du diamètre du premier faisceau laser 21 permet de diminuer la part de matériau de la partie saine 220 qui est vaporisée lors de l'étape de soumission du tube 200 au premier faisceau laser 21.  The first laser system 20 may also include a focusing device, such as a set of lenses, to focus the first laser beam 21 to decrease its diameter. Such a decrease in the diameter of the first laser beam 21 makes it possible to reduce the proportion of material of the sound part 220 which is vaporized during the step of submitting the tube 200 to the first laser beam 21.
De même le système laser 20 peut également comporter une fibre optique pour guider le premier faisceau laser 21 en direction du support 40.  Similarly, the laser system 20 may also include an optical fiber for guiding the first laser beam 21 towards the support 40.
Le support 40 est positionné en amont du premier système laser 20 selon la direction d'émission du premier faisceau laser 21 de manière à ce qu'un tube 200 disposé sur le support 40 soit soumis au premier faisceau laser 21. Le support 40 est préférentiellement conformé pour laisser libre d'accès au premier faisceau laser 21 la tranche, qui fait face au faisceau laser 21, d'un tube 200 disposé sur le support 40. Ainsi par exemple, comme cela est illustré sur la figure 1, le support 40 peut présenter une forme longitudinale avec une section transversale en arc de cercle, le diamètre intérieur étant légèrement supérieur au diamètre des tubes à décontaminer de manière à pouvoir recevoir ces derniers. The support 40 is positioned upstream of the first laser system 20 in the direction of emission of the first laser beam 21 so that a tube 200 disposed on the support 40 is subjected to the first laser beam 21. The support 40 is preferably shaped to leave free access to the first laser beam 21 the wafer, which faces the laser beam 21, of a tube 200 disposed on the support 40. For example, as illustrated in Figure 1, the support 40 may have a longitudinal shape with a cross section in a circular arc, the inner diameter being slightly greater than the diameter of the tubes to decontaminate so as to receive them.
Selon une première possibilité du système de déplacement relatif 30, illustrée sur la figure 1, le support 40 peut être fixe, le système de déplacement relatif 30 étant adapté pour déplacer, lors de l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser 21, le premier faisceau laser 21 autour d'un axe du tube 201. Un tel système de déplacement relatif 30 peut être une plateforme motorisée permettant de déplacer en rotation une partie ou la totalité du premier système laser 20. Ainsi dans le cas où le premier système laser 20 comporte une fibre optique pour guider le premier faisceau laser 21, une telle plateforme peut ne déplacer que l'extrémité d'une fibre optique par laquelle ressort le premier faisceau laser 21.  According to a first possibility of the relative displacement system 30, illustrated in FIG. 1, the support 40 can be fixed, the relative displacement system 30 being adapted to move, during the step of submission to the first laser beam 21, the first laser beam 21 around an axis of the tube 201. Such a relative displacement system 30 may be a motorized platform for moving in rotation a part or the whole of the first laser system 20. Thus in the case where the first laser system 20 comprises an optical fiber for guiding the first laser beam 21, such a platform can move only the end of an optical fiber through which the first laser beam 21 emerges.
Selon une deuxième possibilité du système de déplacement relatif 30, non illustré, le système laser peut être fixe, le système de déplacement relatif étant adapté pour déplacer lors de l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser 21 le support 40 et le tube 200 qui est disposé sur ce dernier. Ainsi selon cette deuxième possibilité le système de déplacement relatif peut comporter une plateforme motorisée sur laquelle est monté le support.  According to a second possibility of the relative displacement system 30, not illustrated, the laser system can be fixed, the relative displacement system being adapted to move during the step of submitting to the first laser beam 21 the support 40 and the tube 200 which is arranged on the latter. Thus, according to this second possibility, the relative displacement system may comprise a motorized platform on which the support is mounted.
Ainsi une telle installation permet d'effectuer une étape de soumission du tube 200 au premier faisceau laser 21 de manière à permettre la découpe dans la partie saine 220 du tube 200 de la portion 225 de tube séparée de la partie polluée 210.  Thus such an installation makes it possible to carry out a step of submitting the tube 200 to the first laser beam 21 so as to allow cutting in the sound part 220 of the tube 200 of the portion 225 of tube separated from the polluted part 210.
De même si la durée de soumission d'un tube 200 au premier faisceau laser de manière à obtenir la découpe de la portion 225 est relativement longue, puisque la découpe se fait selon la tranche du tube, elle reste pour autant industriellement envisageable.  Similarly, if the duration of submitting a tube 200 to the first laser beam so as to obtain the cutting of the portion 225 is relatively long, since the cutting is done according to the edge of the tube, it remains industrially feasible.
En effet, un simple calcul de faisabilité pour une source laser de l,5kW du type laser à matrice de grenat d'aluminium et d'yttrium et des tronçons de tube de longueur de 2mm, permet de déterminer une vitesse de découpe linéaire de la partie saine du tube typiquement de 0,3m/min. Avec une telle vitesse de découpe, la découpe d'un tronçon de tube de 19mm de diamètre prend environ 12s. Ainsi, il est possible de découper en une minute environ 5 tronçons, soit 1cm de tube traité à la minute, 60cm de tube traités à l'heure et près de 15m de tube par jour. Si cette valeur est relativement faible, elle parfaitement compatible avec certaines applications spécifiques telles que la décontamination de tubes de générateur de vapeur. Indeed, a simple feasibility calculation for a 1.5kW laser source of the aluminum and yttrium garnet matrix type laser and lengths of tube of 2mm length, makes it possible to determine a linear cutting speed of the healthy part of the tube typically 0.3m / min. With such a cutting speed, cutting a pipe section of 19mm in diameter takes about 12s. Thus, it is possible to cut in about a minute about 5 sections, or 1cm of treated tube per minute, 60cm of treated tubes per hour and about 15m of tube per day. If this value is relatively low, it is perfectly compatible with certain specific applications such as the decontamination of steam generator tubes.
De plus, des variantes de l'invention permettent d'augmenter la cadence de découpe de l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser 21.  In addition, variants of the invention make it possible to increase the cutting rate of the step of submitting to the first laser beam 21.
En effet, selon une première variante de l'invention illustrée sur les figures 5a et 5b, le système laser 20 peut comporter un dispositif optique, non illustré, de mise en forme du premier faisceau laser 21.  Indeed, according to a first variant of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the laser system 20 may comprise an optical device, not illustrated, for shaping the first laser beam 21.
Un tel dispositif de mise en forme du premier faisceau laser 21 est adapté pour fournir, à partir d'un faisceau laser émis par la source laser avec une section transversale circulaire, un premier faisceau laser 21 de section transversale allongée, telle qu'illustré sur la figure 5a.  Such a device for shaping the first laser beam 21 is adapted to provide, from a laser beam emitted by the laser source with a circular cross section, a first laser beam 21 of elongated cross-section, as illustrated on FIG. Figure 5a.
De cette manière, il est possible de découper dans la partie saine 220 du tube en une seule fois une découpe allongée de la longueur de la section transversale du premier faisceau laser 21 selon la direction allongée de cette même section transversale. Ainsi, la vitesse de découpe permise par le premier faisceau laser 21 s'en trouve significativement augmentée.  In this way, it is possible to cut into the sound portion 220 of the tube at one time an elongate cut of the length of the cross section of the first laser beam 21 in the elongated direction of the same cross section. Thus, the cutting speed allowed by the first laser beam 21 is significantly increased.
Pour pleinement bénéficier de l'augmentation de la vitesse de découpe avec une telle forme de la section transversale du premier faisceau laser 21, le système de déplacement 30 doit être adapté pour déplacer le premier faisceau laser 21 relativement au tube 200 de manière à garder la direction allongée tangentielle vis-à-vis du déplacement du premier faisceau laser 21, c'est-à-dire vis-à-vis de la trajectoire relative suivie par le premier faisceau laser 21 pendant son déplacement relatif.  To fully benefit from the increase in the cutting speed with such a shape of the cross-section of the first laser beam 21, the displacement system 30 must be adapted to move the first laser beam 21 relative to the tube 200 so as to keep the elongate direction tangential vis-à-vis the displacement of the first laser beam 21, that is to say vis-à-vis the relative trajectory followed by the first laser beam 21 during its relative displacement.
Le procédé de soumission du tube 200 au premier faisceau laser 21 se différencie du procédé déjà décrit en la forme du premier faisceau laser 21 et en ce que le premier faisceau laser 21 est préférentiellement déplacé relativement au tube 200 de manière à garder la direction allongée tangentielle vis-à-vis du déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser 21. Selon une deuxième variante de l'invention pour augmenter la cadence de découpe de l'étape de soumission du tube au premier faisceau laser, il peut être prévu un deuxième faisceau laser 26. The method of submitting the tube 200 to the first laser beam 21 differs from the method already described in the form of the first laser beam 21 and in that the first laser beam 21 is preferably displaced relative to the tube 200 so as to keep the elongated direction tangential relative to the relative displacement of the first laser beam 21. According to a second variant of the invention for increasing the cutting rate of the step of submitting the tube to the first laser beam, a second laser beam 26 may be provided.
Une installation 1 selon cette deuxième variante de l'invention se différencie du mode de réalisation principal en ce qu'elle comprend en outre une deuxième source laser 25 adaptée pour fournir un deuxième faisceau laser 26 apte à découper la partie saine 220 du tube 200, et en ce que le système de déplacement relatif est configuré pour déplacer le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser 21, 26 relativement à un tube 200 disposé sur le support 40 chacun sur une moitié respective du tube 200 de manière à découper dans la partie saine 220 une portion 225 du tube qui comprend la surface externe 203 du tube et qui est séparée de la partie polluée 210.  An installation 1 according to this second variant of the invention differs from the main embodiment in that it further comprises a second laser source 25 adapted to provide a second laser beam 26 capable of cutting the sound portion 220 of the tube 200, and in that the relative displacement system is configured to move the first and second laser beams 21, 26 relative to a tube 200 disposed on the support 40 each on a respective half of the tube 200 so as to cut into the sound portion 220 a portion 225 of the tube which comprises the outer surface 203 of the tube and which is separated from the polluted part 210.
Dans une configuration habituelle d'une telle installation, la première et la deuxième source laser 20, 25 sont identiques. Néanmoins, la première et la deuxième source laser 20, 25 peuvent ne pas être identiques sans que l'on sorte du cadre de l'invention. Bien entendu, dans le cas où la première et la deuxième source laser présentent des puissances différentes et donc des vitesses de découpe différentes l'une de l'autre, le système de déplacement relatif 30 est adapté pour déplacer le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser 21, 26 relativement au tube différemment pour prendre en compte cette différence de vitesse de découpe. Ainsi, l'un du premier et du deuxième faisceau 21, 26, en présentant une vitesse de découpe supérieure à l'autre parmi le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser 21,26 est déplacé de manière à parcourir une fraction de tube 200 plus importante que l'autre parmi le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser 21,26.  In a typical configuration of such an installation, the first and second laser sources 20, 25 are identical. Nevertheless, the first and second laser sources 20, 25 may not be identical without departing from the scope of the invention. Of course, in the case where the first and second laser sources have different powers and therefore different cutting speeds from each other, the relative displacement system 30 is adapted to move the first and the second laser beam 21, 26 relative to the tube differently to take into account this difference in cutting speed. Thus, one of the first and second beams 21, 26, having a cutting speed greater than the other of the first and the second laser beam 21, 26 is moved so as to traverse a larger fraction of tube 200 than the other of the first and second laser beams 21,26.
De cette manière chacun des premier et deuxième faisceaux laser 21, 26 étant dédié à une moitié de tube 200, le temps de découpe du tube 200 est divisé par deux.  In this way each of the first and second laser beams 21, 26 being dedicated to one half of tube 200, the cutting time of the tube 200 is halved.
Une telle installation 1 est adaptée pour effectuer une étape de soumission d'un tube à premier et un deuxième faisceau laser 21, 26 qui se différencie de l'étape de soumission d'un tube 200 au premier faisceau laser 21 selon le mode de réalisation principale en ce que : le tube est soumis à la fois au premier et au deuxième faisceau laserSuch an installation 1 is adapted to perform a step of submitting a tube with first and second laser beams 21, 26 which is different from the step of submitting a tube 200 to the first laser beam 21 according to the embodiment principal in that: the tube is subjected to both the first and the second laser beam
21, 26, 21, 26,
et en ce que le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser 21, 26 sont déplacés relativement au tube 200 chacun sur une moitié respective du tube 200 de manière à découper dans la partie saine 220 la portion 221, cette dernière comprenant la surface externe 203 du tube.  and in that the first and second laser beams 21, 26 are displaced relative to the tube 200 each on a respective half of the tube 200 so as to cut into the sound portion 220 the portion 221, the latter including the outer surface 203 of the tube .
Bien entendu, si dans cette variante de l'invention il est utilisé seulement deux lasers fonctionnant en parallèle, il est également envisageable sans que l'on sorte du cadre de l'invention d'utiliser selon le même principe plus de deux lasers. Ainsi par exemple, il pleinement envisageable que lors de la décontamination d'un tube il soit mis en œuvre quatre lasers identiques ou différents.  Of course, if in this variant of the invention is used only two lasers operating in parallel, it is also possible without going beyond the scope of the invention to use the same principle more than two lasers. For example, it is entirely possible that during the decontamination of a tube four identical or different lasers are used.
On peut également noter, selon une possibilité qui sort du cadre direct de l'invention, qu'il serait envisageable d'appliquer le principe de l'invention pour la décontamination d'un tube comportant sa surface extérieure contaminée et sa surface intérieure saine. Une telle application consisterait en une étape de soumission du tube sur la partie saine du tube à au moins un premier faisceau laser apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine, le premier faisceau laser étant déplacé relativement au tube de manière à découper dans la partie saine une portion du tube qui est séparée de la partie polluée. De cette manière lorsque le tube est un tube cylindrique, il est possible avec un tel procédé d'obtenir une partie polluée sous la forme d'un cylindre de diamètre intérieur plus important que celui du tube.  It may also be noted, according to a possibility that goes beyond the direct scope of the invention, that it would be conceivable to apply the principle of the invention for the decontamination of a tube having its contaminated outer surface and its healthy inner surface. Such an application would consist of a step of submitting the tube on the sound part of the tube to at least a first laser beam capable of cutting the material of the sound part, the first laser beam being displaced relative to the tube so as to cut into the part healthy portion of the tube that is separated from the polluted part. In this way, when the tube is a cylindrical tube, it is possible with such a method to obtain a polluted part in the form of a cylinder of larger inside diameter than that of the tube.
Ainsi le procédé selon cette possibilité et le procédé selon l'invention peuvent être généralisé comme suit : Procédé de décontamination d'au moins un tube, le tube comportant une première partie, dite polluée, qui est contaminée et une deuxième partie, dite saine, qui est non contaminée, l'une parmi la partie contaminée et la partie saine comporte la surface interne du tube, et l'autre parmi la partie contaminée et la partie saine comportant la surface externe du tube,  Thus the process according to this possibility and the method according to the invention can be generalized as follows: A method of decontaminating at least one tube, the tube comprising a first portion, said polluted, which is contaminated and a second part, said healthy, that is uncontaminated, one of the contaminated part and the healthy part has the internal surface of the tube, and the other of the contaminated part and the sound part comprising the external surface of the tube,
le procédé comportant une étape de soumission du tube sur la partie saine du tube à au moins un premier faisceau laser apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine , le premier faisceau laser étant déplacé relativement au tube de manière à découper dans la partie saine une portion du tube qui est séparée de la partie polluée. the method comprising a step of submitting the tube on the sound part of the tube to at least a first laser beam capable of cutting the material of the healthy part, the first laser beam being moved relative to the tube so as to cut in the healthy part of a portion of the tube which is separated from the polluted part.
En conformité avec la possibilité sortant du cadre de l'invention mentionnée ci-dessus, une installation permettant la mise en œuvre d'un procédé de décontamination d'un tube dont la surface externe est contaminée se différencie d'une installation selon l'invention part un support de tube et un système de déplacement relatif adaptés pour la décontamination de la surface externe d'un tube ayant ladite surface contaminée. Une telle adaptation, sur la base de l'enseignement fourni dans ce document, est à la portée d'un homme de métier sans effort excessif.  In accordance with the possibility beyond the scope of the invention mentioned above, an installation for implementing a method of decontaminating a tube whose external surface is contaminated differs from an installation according to the invention. a tube support and a relative displacement system adapted for decontaminating the outer surface of a tube having said contaminated surface. Such an adaptation, on the basis of the teaching provided in this document, is within the reach of a person skilled in the art without undue effort.
Une installation selon cette possibilité sortant du cadre de l'invention et les installation selon l'invention peuvent être généralisé comme suit :  An installation according to this possibility outside the scope of the invention and the installations according to the invention can be generalized as follows:
Une installation de décontamination de tubes, les tubes comportant chacun une partie, dite polluée, qui est contaminée et une partie, dite saine, qui est non contaminée l'une parmi la partie contaminée et la partie saine comporte la surface interne du tube, et l'autre parmi la partie contaminée et la partie saine comportant la surface externe du tube.  A tube decontamination installation, the tubes each comprising a portion, said polluted, which is contaminated and a portion, said healthy, which is uncontaminated one of the contaminated part and the healthy part comprises the inner surface of the tube, and the other of the contaminated part and the healthy part comprising the outer surface of the tube.
L'installation comporte :  The installation includes:
au moins un premier système laser adapté pour fournir un premier faisceau laser apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine des tubes,  at least a first laser system adapted to provide a first laser beam capable of cutting the material from the sound part of the tubes,
- un support de tubes agencé par rapport au premier système laser de manière à ce qu'un tube disposé sur le support de tubes soit soumis au premier faisceau laser sur la partie saine du tube,  a tube support arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube disposed on the tube support is subjected to the first laser beam on the sound part of the tube,
un système de déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser configuré pour déplacer le premier faisceau laser relativement à un tube disposé sur le support de tubes de manière à ce qu'une portion de tube soit découpée dans la partie saine du tube, ladite portion étant séparée de la partie polluée.  a relative displacement system of the first laser beam configured to move the first laser beam relative to a tube disposed on the tube support so that a portion of the tube is cut in the sound part of the tube, said portion being separated from the polluted part.

Claims

REVENDICATIONS
1. Procédé de décontamination d'au moins un tube (200), le tube (200) comportant une partie (210), dite polluée, qui est contaminée et qui comprend la surface interne (202) du tube, et une partie (220), dite saine, qui est non contaminée et qui comprend la surface externe (203) du tube, 1. A method for decontaminating at least one tube (200), the tube (200) comprising a portion (210), said polluted, which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface (202) of the tube, and a part (220) ), said healthy, which is uncontaminated and which comprises the outer surface (203) of the tube,
le procédé comportant une étape de soumission du tube sur la partie saine (220) du tube (200) à au moins un premier faisceau laser (21) apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine (220), le premier faisceau laser (21) étant déplacé relativement au tube de manière à découper dans la partie saine (220) une portion (225) du tube qui est séparée de la partie polluée (210).  the method comprising a step of submitting the tube on the sound part (220) of the tube (200) to at least a first laser beam (21) capable of cutting the material of the sound part (220), the first laser beam (21) ) being moved relatively to the tube so as to cut in the sound part (220) a portion (225) of the tube which is separated from the polluted part (210).
2. Procédé de décontamination selon la revendication 1, dans lequel, pendant l'étape de soumission du tube (200) au premier faisceau laser (21), le tube (200) est soumis au premier faisceau laser (21) sur sa tranche pendant la totalité du déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser (21). 2. Decontamination method according to claim 1, wherein, during the step of submitting the tube (200) to the first laser beam (21), the tube (200) is subjected to the first laser beam (21) on its slice for the entire relative displacement of the first laser beam (21).
3. Procédé de décontamination selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel pendant l'étape de soumission du tube (200) au premier faisceau laser (21), le tube (200) est un tube sensiblement droit, ou rendu sensiblement droit, comprenant un axe du tube (201), le premier faisceau laser (21) présentant une direction d'émission parallèle à l'axe du tube (201), A decontamination method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein during the step of subjecting the tube (200) to the first laser beam (21), the tube (200) is a substantially straight tube, or made substantially straight, comprising an axis of the tube (201), the first laser beam (21) having an emission direction parallel to the axis of the tube (201),
dans laquelle l'étape le déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser (21) relativement au tube (200) est réalisé autour de l'axe du tube (201) de manière à ce que la portion (225) comprenne la surface externe (203) du tube.  wherein the step of relatively moving the first laser beam (21) relative to the tube (200) about the axis of the tube (201) so that the portion (225) includes the outer surface (203) of the tube.
4. Procédé de décontamination selon la revendication 3, dans lequel lors de l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser (21) le premier faisceau laser (21) est un faisceau laser de section allongée selon une direction longitudinale qui est préférentiellement maintenue sensiblement tangentielle au déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser (21). 4. A method of decontamination according to claim 3, wherein during the step of submitting to the first laser beam (21) the first laser beam (21) is a longitudinally elongated section laser beam which is preferentially maintained substantially tangential to the relative displacement of the first laser beam (21).
5. Procédé de décontamination selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, dans lequel le tube (200) est un tube, ou un tronçon de tube, dont la partie polluée (210) est une partie radioactive, ledit tube ou tronçon étant préférentiellement un tube ou tronçon de tube de générateur vapeur. 5. Decontamination method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tube (200) is a tube, or a tube section, the polluted portion (210) is a radioactive part, said tube or section being preferably a tube or section of steam generator tube.
6. Procédé de décontamination selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, comprenant, préalablement à l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser (21), les étapes suivantes : 6. Decontamination method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising, prior to the step of submitting to the first laser beam (21), the following steps:
découpage d'un tube dit primaire en tronçons de manière à former des tubes secondaires,  cutting a so-called primary tube into sections so as to form secondary tubes,
tri des tubes secondaires de manière à sélectionner uniquement les tubes sensiblement droit,  sorting the secondary tubes so as to select only the substantially straight tubes,
et dans lequel l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser (21) n'est appliquée qu'aux tubes secondaires sélectionnés.  and wherein the step of submitting to the first laser beam (21) is applied only to the selected secondary tubes.
7. Procédé de décontamination selon l'une quelconque des étapes 1 à 5, comprenant, préalablement à l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser (21), une étape de redressage du tube (200) de manière à rendre le tube (200) sensiblement droit. 7. A method of decontamination according to any one of the steps 1 to 5, comprising, prior to the step of submitting to the first laser beam (21), a straightening step of the tube (200) so as to make the tube (200) ) substantially straight.
8. Procédé de décontamination selon l'une quelconque des revendication 1 à 7, dans lequel lors de l'étape de soumission au premier faisceau laser (21), le tube (200) est également soumis sur sa partie saine (220) à au moins un deuxième faisceau laser (22), le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser étant déplacés relativement au tube (200) chacun sur une fraction respective du tube de manière à découper dans la partie saine (220) la portion (221), cette dernière comprenant la surface externe (203) du tube . 8. The method of decontamination according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein during the step of submitting to the first laser beam (21), the tube (200) is also subjected on its healthy part (220) to the at least one second laser beam (22), the first and second laser beams being displaced relative to the tube (200) each on a respective fraction of the tube so as to cut the portion (221) in the healthy portion (220), the portion (221) comprising the outer surface (203) of the tube.
9. Installation (1) de décontamination de tubes, les tubes (200) comportant chacun une partie (210), dite polluée, qui est contaminée et qui comprend la surface interne (202) du tube, et une partie (220), dite saine, qui est non contaminée et qui comprend la surface externe (203) du tube, l'installation (1) étant caractérisée en ce qu'elle comporte : 9. Installation (1) for decontaminating tubes, the tubes (200) each comprising a portion (210), said polluted, which is contaminated and which comprises the inner surface (202) of the tube, and a portion (220), said sound, which is uncontaminated and which comprises the external surface (203) of the tube, the installation (1) being characterized in that it comprises:
au moins un premier système laser (20) adapté pour fournir un premier faisceau laser (21) apte à découper le matériau de la partie saine (220) des tubes (200),  at least a first laser system (20) adapted to provide a first laser beam (21) capable of cutting the material of the sound part (220) of the tubes (200),
un support de tubes (40) agencé par rapport au premier système laser de manière à ce qu'un tube (200) disposé sur le support de tubes (40) soit soumis au premier faisceau laser (21) sur la partie saine (220) du tube (200),  a tube holder (40) arranged with respect to the first laser system so that a tube (200) disposed on the tube holder (40) is subjected to the first laser beam (21) on the sound part (220) of the tube (200),
un système de déplacement relatif (30) du premier faisceau laser (21) configuré pour déplacer le premier faisceau laser (21) relativement à un tube (200) disposé sur le support de tubes (40) de manière à ce qu'une portion (225) de tube soit découpée dans la partie saine (220) du tube, ladite portion (225) étant séparée de la partie polluée (210).  a relative displacement system (30) of the first laser beam (21) configured to move the first laser beam (21) relative to a tube (200) disposed on the tube support (40) so that a portion (21) 225) is cut in the sound portion (220) of the tube, said portion (225) being separated from the polluted portion (210).
10. Installation (1) selon la revendication 9, dans laquelle les tubes (200) à décontaminer sont sensiblement droits ou ont été préalablement rendus sensiblement droits et comprennent chacun un axe de tube (201), le support de tubes (40) étant agencé de manière à ce qu'un tube (200) disposé sur le support de tubes (40) soit soumis au premier faisceau laser (21) avec la direction d'émission du premier faisceau laser (21) qui est parallèle à l'axe du tube (201), 10. Installation (1) according to claim 9, wherein the tubes (200) to be decontaminated are substantially straight or have been previously made substantially straight and each comprise a tube axis (201), the tube support (40) being arranged in such a way that a tube (200) disposed on the tube support (40) is subjected to the first laser beam (21) with the emission direction of the first laser beam (21) which is parallel to the axis of the tube (201),
et dans laquelle le système de déplacement relatif (30) du premier faisceau laser (21) est déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser (21) relativement au tube (200) est réalisé autour de l'axe du tube (201) de manière à ce que la portion (225) du tube comprenne la surface externe (203) du tube.  and wherein the relative displacement system (30) of the first laser beam (21) is relative displacement of the first laser beam (21) relative to the tube (200) is formed about the axis of the tube (201) so as to that the portion (225) of the tube comprises the outer surface (203) of the tube.
11. Installation (1) selon la revendication 10, dans laquelle le premier système laser (20) est adapté pour fournir un premier faisceau laser (21) de section allongée selon une direction longitudinale, le système de déplacement relatif (30) étant adapté pour déplacer relativement le premier faisceau laser (21) par rapport à un tube (200) disposé sur le support de tubes (40) de manière à maintenir la direction longitudinale sensiblement tangentielle au déplacement relatif du premier faisceau laser (21). 11. Installation (1) according to claim 10, wherein the first laser system (20) is adapted to provide a first section laser beam (21). elongate in a longitudinal direction, the relative displacement system (30) being adapted to relatively move the first laser beam (21) relative to a tube (200) disposed on the tube support (40) to maintain the longitudinal direction substantially tangential to the relative displacement of the first laser beam (21).
12. Installation (1) selon l'une quelconque des revendication 9 ou 11, dans laquelle le premier système laser (20) comprend au moins une source laser sélectionnée dans le groupe comportant les lasers à excimères, les lasers à matrice de grenat d'aluminium et d'yttrium, les lasers à dioxydes de carbone. 12. Installation (1) according to any one of claims 9 or 11, wherein the first laser system (20) comprises at least one laser source selected from the group comprising excimer lasers, lasers with garnet matrix. aluminum and yttrium, carbon dioxide lasers.
13. Installation (1) selon l'une quelconque des revendications 9 à 12, comprenant en outre : 13. Installation (1) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising:
une deuxième source laser (25) adaptée pour fournir un deuxième faisceau laser (26) configurée de manière à ce qu'un tube (200) disposé sur le support de tubes (40)soit également soumis sur sa partie saine (220) au deuxième faisceau laser (26), le système de déplacement (30) étant configuré pour déplacer le premier et le deuxième faisceau laser (21, 26) relativement à un tube disposé sur le support de tubes chacun sur une fraction respective du tube (200) de manière à découper dans la partie saine (220) une portion (225) du tube qui comprend la surface externe (203) du tube et qui est séparée de la partie polluée (210).  a second laser source (25) adapted to provide a second laser beam (26) configured such that a tube (200) disposed on the tube support (40) is also subjected on its healthy portion (220) to the second laser beam (26), the displacement system (30) being configured to move the first and second laser beams (21, 26) relative to a tube disposed on the tube support each on a respective fraction of the tube (200) of in order to cut in the sound part (220) a portion (225) of the tube which comprises the outer surface (203) of the tube and which is separated from the polluted part (210).
PCT/EP2015/081270 2014-12-29 2015-12-28 Method for decontaminating the inner surface of a tube and apparatus for carrying out such a decontamination WO2016107836A1 (en)

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FR1463404A FR3031227B1 (en) 2014-12-29 2014-12-29 PROCESS FOR DECONTAMINATING THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF A TUBE AND INSTALLATION FOR CARRYING OUT SUCH DECONTAMINATION
FR1463404 2014-12-29

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2774801A1 (en) * 1998-02-09 1999-08-13 Cogema Nuclear fuel rod cladding decontamination using pulsed laser beam
DE102008011232A1 (en) * 2007-02-27 2008-08-28 Trotec Produktions Und Vertriebs Gmbh Machine laser-cutting stents from tubular blanks, includes tube magazine, low friction tube guidance unit fixed to machine, tube manipulator and clamping chuck
FR3002363A1 (en) * 2013-02-21 2014-08-22 Andra DECONTAMINATION PROCESS OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBES

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2774801A1 (en) * 1998-02-09 1999-08-13 Cogema Nuclear fuel rod cladding decontamination using pulsed laser beam
DE102008011232A1 (en) * 2007-02-27 2008-08-28 Trotec Produktions Und Vertriebs Gmbh Machine laser-cutting stents from tubular blanks, includes tube magazine, low friction tube guidance unit fixed to machine, tube manipulator and clamping chuck
FR3002363A1 (en) * 2013-02-21 2014-08-22 Andra DECONTAMINATION PROCESS OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBES

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FR3031227B1 (en) 2017-02-10

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