Patent Application
20080071416
The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
The following description of the preferred embodiment is provided to understand the features and the structures of the present invention.
Please refer to
The remote operation unit 1 has a plurality of displays 11.
The network server unit 2 is connected with the remote operation unit 1 to be a communication interface for command from the remote operation unit 1.
The database server unit 3 is connected with the network server unit 2 to transfer and store data.
The control unit 4 is connected with the database server unit 3 to receive and transfer command signal from the remote operation unit 1. The control unit 4 comprises a waste entry signal unit 41, a waste removal signal unit 42, a waste move-out signal unit 43, a waste reallocation signal unit 44, a storage status signal unit 45, a system inquiring signal unit 46 and a system activities log signal unit 47.
The interface unit 5 is connected with the control unit 4, comprising a dose rate measurement and gamma spectroscopy unit 51, a crane unit 52, a conveyor unit 53, a lift unit 54 and an AGV unit 55. These units 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 processes command from the control unit 4 and returns status of the processing of the command to the control unit 4. Thus, a novel computerized inventory control system is obtained, where a waste entry operation for a radwaste drum is easily processed with less time and reduced congestion while a whole status is easily monitored, a storage location is easily inquired and a maintenance is easily done.
Please refer to
The radwaste drum is a cement-solidified radwaste drum or a dry radwaste drum. A serial number of the radwaste drum is entered at first. The control unit 4 notifies the dose rate measurement and gamma spectroscopy unit 51 to activate the conveyor unit 53 for controlling a nuclides analysis of the cement-solidified radwaste drum; and the analysis result is automatically inputted into the control unit 4. Yet the dry radwaste drum is not processed with the nuclides analysis; the dry rad waste drum is processed with measurements of smear sampling and surface dose rate. Qualified radwaste drum is sent to the crane unit 52.
After the radwaste drum is sent to the crane unit 52, the crane unit 52 is turned on and a signal is transmitted to the control unit 4. The control unit 4 commands to hang the radwaste drum to be put on a platform (i.e. a pallet, not shown in the figure) according to the surface dose rate and the weight of the radwaste drum; and the heavier radwaste drum is put at a center location on a pallet. The control unit 4 notifies the crane unit 52 a location on a pallet, which is recorded by the control unit 4. The crane unit 52 automatically hangs the qualified radwaste drum to be put at the location on the pallet. After the hanging, the crane unit 52 transmits a ready signal to the control unit 4.
When six locations on the platform are loaded with radwaste drums, the control unit 4 commands to transfer data to a forklift type automated guided vehicle (AGV) unit 55, where the data includes floor number and storage location. The passage to the storage location is automatically planned by the AGV unit 55; and the passages planned are recorded daily. The AGV unit 55 transfers data to and receives data from a lift unit 54; and current position of the AGV unit 55 is shown on a display 11 of a remote operation unit 1, together with all abnormal statuses of the lift unit 54, if any, and current floor number. The AGV unit 55 automatically senses whether a gate of the lift unit 54 is open to avoid accident. When the AGV unit 55 enters the lift unit 54, the AGV unit 55 is positioned by an automatic sen sing and the lift unit 54 is notified to close the gate. When arriving at the destined floor, the lift unit 54 opens the gate and notifies the AGV unit 55 the gate is opened. The AGV unit 55 transport the rad waste drums to the desired storage location. After unloading the radwaste drums at the desired storage location, the control unit 4 is notified; an empty platform is obtained from a temporary storage area; and the control unit 4 is notified to refill a new empty platform to the temporary storage area. Then, data of the radwaste drum, including a serial number, a radwaste classification, a weight, a nuclides dose, an entry date, a storage location, etc., are inputted to be stored in a database server unit 3 so that, later, an operator can pile the radwaste drums, check the storage status and process related inquiries by a waste reallocation signal unit 44, a storage status signal unit 45, a system inquiring signal unit 46 and a system activities log signal unit 47 of the control unit 4.
On waste removal or moving-out, the operator commands to remove or move-out rad waste drum through the waste removal signal unit 42 or the waste move-out signal unit 43 at the control unit 4. After the control unit 4 sends the storage location and the floor number of the radwaste drum to the AGV unit 55, the AGV unit 55 transports the platform in front of the crane unit 52 to process appearance examination and nuclides analysis as stated. After the platform is filled with six rad waste drums, the control unit 4 commands to transport the radwaste drums to a move-out area and then the radwaste drums are hung up to a container car. Then the car is processed with a dose rate measurement and the result and related data are recorded and updated by the control unit 4 to the database server unit 3.
In this way, the present invention achieves the following advantages:
With the present invention, the operator processes a waste entry operation of radwaste drum with ease while time is saved and congestion is reduced.
Owing to the computerization, work load is lessened so that the power plant can utilize the human resource more effectively.
The control unit and the other units (e.g. conveyor unit, crane unit, AGV unit, lift unit, etc.) are connected to each other through Ethernet so that a real-time status is displayed on a human machine interface of the control unit for an overall control.
A database server unit is stored with serial numbers, radwaste classifications, weights, nuclides doses, entry dates and storage locations of radwaste drums so that it is easy for inquiry, printing and maintenance.
To sum up, the present invention is a computerized inventory control system, where a waste entry operation of radwaste drum is easily processed with less time and reduced congestion while a whole status is easily monitored, a storage status is easily inquired and a maintenance is easily done.
The preferred embodiment herein disclosed is not intended to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, simple modifications or variations belonging to the equivalent of the scope of the claims and the instructions disclosed herein for a patent are all within the scope of the present invention.
