Aparatus and method for dismantling for heavy water reactor facilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12176115-B2
Application number	US-202017422834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 18, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

A heavy-water reactor facility dismantling apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a first cutting device for cutting the periphery of a first nozzle portion of a calandria, wherein the first nozzle portion is connected to the upper end of a first pipe positioned in the calandria of a heavy-water reactor facility; a second cutting device for cutting a first support part of the calandria, wherein the first support portion is connected to the lower end of the first pipe connected to the first nozzle portion; and a fixing and drawing device for fixing and drawing the first nozzle portion cut by the first cutting device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dismantling apparatus of a heavy water reactor facility that comprises a cylindrical calandria having a horizontal axis; the calandria comprising: an annular main shell, annular subshells connected to opposite ends of the main shell, and circular end shields connected to the subshells, the circular end shields comprising a plurality of pressure pipe penetrations therein; and a plurality of guide pipes passing vertically through the calandria in a direction orthogonal to the axis, a top end of each of the guide pipes extending through a first nozzle on an exterior surface of the main shell and a bottom end of the guide pipes connected to an inside surface of the main shell via a first support portion, the dismantling apparatus comprising:
a first cutting device configured to separate the first nozzles from the main shell of the calandria by cutting around a periphery of the first nozzles;
a second cutting device configured to be inserted into the calandria in a horizontal direction through a pressure pipe penetration in one of the end shields and to sever the bottom ends of the guide pipes from their corresponding first support portions; and
a fixing and withdrawing device configured to engage with one of the nozzles of the guide pipes and remove the nozzle and its corresponding guide pipe from the calandria.

2. The dismantling apparatus of the heavy water reactor facility of claim 1 , wherein
the first cutting device comprises:
a coring body that is rotatable and includes a through-hole formed inside of the coring body; and
a first cutting portion provided on an inner wall of the coring body.

3. The dismantling apparatus of the heavy water reactor facility of claim 1 , wherein
the heavy water reactor facility further comprises a plurality of poison injection pipes passing horizontally through the calandria in a direction orthogonal to the axis, a first end of each of the poison injection pipes extending through a second nozzle on an exterior surface of the main shell and a second end of the poison injection pipes connected to an inside surface of the main shell via a second support portion, and
the first cutting device is further configured to separate the second nozzles from the main shell of the calandria by cutting around a periphery of the second nozzles.

4. The dismantling apparatus of the heavy water reactor facility of claim 3 , wherein the second cutting device is further configured to sever the second ends of the poison injection pipes from their corresponding second support portions.

5. The dismantling apparatus of the heavy water reactor facility of claim 1 , wherein
the second cutting device comprises:
a movement controller,
an end effector that is disposed at an end of the second cutting device,
a support portion that supports the end effector, and
a cut joint that is connected to the support portion and configured to change a direction of the end effector.

6. The dismantling apparatus of the heavy water reactor facility of claim 5 , wherein
the movement controller comprises
a forward and backward movement control portion configured to control forward and backward movement of the second cutting device, and
a vertical movement control portion configured to control vertical movement of the second cutting device.

Assignees

• Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co

Inventors

• Hwang Seok-Ju
• Hwang Young Hwan
• Yoon Ju-Young
• Kim Cheon-Woo

Classifications

• B26D1/28 Primary

  and rotating continuously in one direction during cutting · CPC title

• B26D1/12

  having a cutting member moving about an axis (B26D1/547 takes precedence; cup or like cutting members B26D1/44) · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• G21D1/003 Primary

  Nuclear facilities decommissioning arrangements (decontamination arrangements, treating radioactively contaminated material G21F9/00) · CPC title

• Y02E30/00

  Energy generation of nuclear origin · CPC title