Method and device for repairing damage to a container wall located under water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10037827-B2
Application number	US-201414906430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for repairing damage to a container wall located under water. A repair device has a carrier having means for fastening the carrier to the container wall, a repair die that has at least one injection opening and at least one outlet opening and can be pressed against the container wall in a remotely controlled manner in order to cover the damage to the container wall and to seal off a chamber formed by the repair die and the container wall, a reservoir for an adhesive, a remotely controllable injection device is arranged on the carrier, which remotely controllable injection device is provided in order to inject adhesive from the reservoir into the injection opening of the repair die so that the chamber formed by the repair die and the container wall is filled by means of the adhesive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A repair device for repairing damage to a container wall located under water comprising;
a carrier including means for securing the carrier to the container wall,
a repair die being arranged on the carrier, said repair die having at least one injection opening and at least one outlet opening, the repair die being adapted to be pressed against the container wall in a remotely controlled manner in order to cover the damage to the container wall and to seal off a space between the repair die and container wall,
a reservoir for an adhesive being arranged on the carrier,
a remotely controllable injection device being arranged on the carrier, which remotely controllable injection device is provided in order to inject adhesive from the reservoir into the injection opening of the repair die, such that the space formed by the repair die and container wall is filled by means of the adhesive, and
a cover plate located in the space between the repair die and the container wall before the repair process, adhered to the adhesive during the repair process, and protects the adhesive after the repair process.

2. The repair device according to claim 1 , wherein the repair device further comprises a coupling adapted to connect the repair device to a positioning device.

3. The repair device according to claim 2 , wherein the coupling is adapted to connect the repair device to a remotely controllable submersible vehicle.

4. The repair device according to claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning device.

5. The repair device according to claim 1 , wherein the means for securing the repair device to the container wall comprise suction pads.

6. The repair device according to claim 1 , wherein the repair die has several injection openings.

7. The repair device according to claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises several chambers for each component of a multi-component adhesive, and the carrier comprises a mixing device for mixing the individual components.

8. A method for repairing damage to a container wall located under water, using a repair device, the method comprising,
securing a carrier of the repair device to the container wall,
remotely controlling the repair device in order to press a repair die against the container wall such that the repair die covers the damage of the container wall and seals off a space between the repair die and the container wall,
wherein the repair die is arranged on the carrier and includes at least one injection opening and at least one outlet opening,

remotely controlling an injection device of the repair device in order to inject an adhesive from a reservoir into the injection opening of the repair die, such that the space formed by the repair die and the container wall is filled by means of the adhesive,
wherein the reservoir and the injection device are arranged on the carrier, and

arranging a cover plate such that it is located in the space between the repair die and the container wall before the injecting of the adhesive, adhering the cover plate to the adhesive during the injecting of the adhesive, and protecting the adhesive after the injecting of the adhesive using the cover plate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the repair device is positioned to repair the damage to the container wall located under water, and the positioning of the repair device further comprises the following steps:
a) providing a crate in which a frame with a hoisting device is located, said crate including a decontamination device and a transport vessel with the repair device according to one of the preceding claims being arranged within the frame,
b) unloading the frame from the crate,
c) placing the frame on the edge of the container,
d) driving the decontamination device and the transport vessel out of the frame, such that the decontamination device and the transport vessel are located above the water level, and
e) lowering the transport vessel with the repair device into the container filled with water.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the frame in step c) is placed on the edge of the container by means of a lifting device.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein a crane is used as lifting device.

12. The method according claim 9 , wherein remote operation of steps c) to e) is effected via a communication interface that is present on the crate.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein a wireless connection to a switching center is produced via the communication interface.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the repair device, after step e), is maneuvered in the water in a remotely controlled manner by means of a positioning device.

15. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a base of a damaged area of the container wall is cleaned by means of a cleaning device of the repair device.

16. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the repair device is secured to the container wall by means of suction pads.

Assignees

• Areva Gmbh

Inventors

• KRäMER GEORG
• Meier-Hynek Konrad
• Bischoff Bernd
• Neumeister Martin

Classifications

• G21C19/07

  Storage racks; Storage pools · CPC title

• G21C19/207 Primary

  Assembling, maintenance or repair of reactor components (G21C3/334 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E04G23/02

  Repairing, e.g. filling cracks; Restoring; Altering; Enlarging {(compositions of filling material C04B; strengthening, widening, repairing of bridges E01D22/00; drying damp layers by temporary mechanical ventilation E04B1/7092)} · CPC title

• E04G23/0218 Primary

  Increasing or restoring the load-bearing capacity of building construction elements (E04G23/0203 and E04G23/0266 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title