Apparatus and method for volume reduction for nuclear decommissioning and refurbishment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12100522-B2
Application number	US-202117218037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for volume reduction of material removed from a hazardous environment. The apparatus includes a shielded housing for receiving a workpiece therein, at least one cutting unit having a cutting head operable for contactless cutting, and a drive unit for rotating the at least one cutting unit around a main axis so the cutting head cuts the workpiece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for volume reduction of material removed from a nuclear facility, comprising:
a. a shielded housing for receiving therein an irradiated-workpiece from the nuclear facility, the housing including radiation shielding to shield an adjacent space from radiation from the workpiece that would limit the amount of time that a person could spend in the adjacent space;
b. at least one cutting unit having a cutting head contained within the shielded housing and operable for contactless cutting within the shielded housing; and
c. a drive unit for rotating the at least one cutting unit around a main axis so the cutting head cuts the workpiece within the shielded housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an end of the apparatus includes an opening that is sized and shaped to receive the workpiece therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the opening is sized and shaped to impede egress of irradiated materials from within the apparatus during and after cutting of the workpiece.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an end portion rotatably coupled to the shielded housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the end portion comprises a ring gear, the drive unit is coupled to the shielded housing, and the ring gear is operable to engage with the drive unit to rotate the end portion relative to the shielded housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one axial drive unit for moving the cutting head axially within the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein each cutting unit includes a geared portion sized and shaped to engage with a drive gear on at least one of the axial drive units to convert rotary motion of the drive gear into linear axial motion of the cutting head.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a clamping system for securing the workpiece within the shielded housing during cutting.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a link mechanism for maintaining the cutting head in a constant standoff relative to the workpiece.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutting head comprising a laser cutter.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutting head comprises a plasma torch.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutting head includes two cutting heads.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive unit is operable to rotate the at least one cutting unit in a first direction and a second direction.

14. A method of volume reducing an irradiated workpiece, comprising:
a. receiving within a shielded housing the irradiated workpiece from a nuclear facility, the housing including radiation shielding to shield an adjacent space from radiation from the workpiece that would limit the amount of time that a person could sp ad in the adjacent space, the shielded housing also containing a contactless cutting head of a cutting unit; and
b. rotating the cutting unit around a main axis so that the contactless cutting head cuts the irradiated workpiece within the shielded housing.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising clamping the irradiated workpiece within the shielded housing during cutting.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising unclamping the irradiated workpiece after cutting, and collecting a cut workpiece in a shielded waste container.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising moving the cutting head axially within the shielded housing.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising moving the cutting head radially during axial movement thereof to maintain a constant standoff between the workpiece and the cutting head.

19. An apparatus for volume reduction of used material removed from a nuclear facility, comprising:
a. a shielded housing for receiving therein an irradiated workpiece of the used material from the nuclear facility, the housing including radiation shielding to shield an adjacent space from radiation from the workpiece resulting from use of the workpiece in the nuclear facility;
b. at least one cutting unit having a cutting head contained within the shielded housing and operable for contactless cutting within the shielded housing; and
c. a drive unit for rotating the at least one cutting unit around a main axis so the cutting head cuts the workpiece within the shielded housing.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the shielded housing encloses an interior chamber and includes a sidewall extending between a first end wall at a first end of the interior chamber and a second end wall at a second end of the interior chamber opposite the first end, the first end wall including an opening to receive the workpiece within the shielded housing, and the second end wall closing the second end.

Assignees

• Ats Corp

Inventors

• Morikawa David Taro
• Johannesson Mark
• Wong Matthew

Classifications

• B23K26/08

  Devices involving relative movement between laser beam and workpiece · CPC title

• B23K37/0533

  External pipe alignment clamps · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• Y02E30/00

  Energy generation of nuclear origin · CPC title

• B23K37/0288

  Carriages forming part of a cutting unit · CPC title