Patent Grant
8613211
The present invention relates to shot peening.
Shot peening is a type of cold working, and makes shots, which are metal or non-metal balls, impact on a metal surface at a high speed to generate a compressive stress on the metal surface to improve fatigue strength thereof against repeated loads. For example, to improve fatigue strength of a welded joint in a pressure vessel of a chemical plant or a reactor vessel, the shot peening is treated thereto. Patent Document 1 discloses an ultrasonic shot peeing apparatus that shot-peens a J-weld between a bottom surface of a reactor vessel head and a nozzle stub, and surfaces near the J-weld.
In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a collection hole is provided on a disk, and a vibrator is arranged thereon to shoot out shots in a direction opposing to the direction that the gravity works. Upon collecting the shots, the vibrator is removed to collect the shots through the collection hole provided on the disk. Therefore, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it has been difficult to collect the shots when a shot-peening treated region is positioned toward the direction that the gravity works. The present invention is made in consideration of the above, and an object of the present invention is to enable the shots used for shot peening to be collected reliably, regardless of a position or an arrangement of the shot-peening treated region.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a shot peening apparatus includes: a storage container that stores therein shots impacting on a shot-peening treated region; a shot accelerating unit that accelerates the shots; a shot collecting passage through which the shots inside the storage container are collected from inside the storage container by way of sucking; and a shot outlet that is formed on the storage container and connected to the shot collecting passage, and through which the shots inside the storage container are taken out into the shot collecting passage.
The shot peening apparatus uses the shot collecting passage that is connected to the storage container storing therein the shots to suck and collect the shots inside the storage container. Therefore, the shots completed shot peening can be collected reliably at the shot-peening treated region, regardless of a position or an arrangement of the shot-peening treated region.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a shot peening apparatus includes: a storage container that stores therein shots impacting on a shot-peening treated region; a shot accelerating unit that accelerates the shots; a shot collecting passage through which the shots inside the storage container are collected from inside the storage container by way of sucking; a shot outlet that is formed on the storage container and connected to the shot collecting passage, and through which the shots inside the storage container are taken out into the shot collecting passage; a shot supplying passage through which the shots are supplied to inside the storage container; and a shot inlet that is formed on the storage container and connected to the shot supplying passage, and through which the shots are supplied to inside the storage container from the shot supplying passage.
The shot peening apparatus uses the shot collecting passage connected to the storage container storing therein the shots to suck and collect the shots inside the storage container. Therefore, the shots completed shot peening can be collected reliably at the shot-peening treated region, regardless of a position or an arrangement of the shot-peening treated region. Furthermore, because the shot peening apparatus includes the shot supplying passage through which the shots are supplied to inside the storage container, the shots can be supplied to inside the storage container after moving the shot peening apparatus to the treated region. In this manner, the shots can be prevented from leaking out of the inside of the storage container while moving the shot peening apparatus to the treated region.
Advantageously, the shot peening apparatus further includes a shot outlet opening and closing unit that opens and closes the shot outlet. Therefore, the shots can be prevented from leaking out of the storage container while performing shot peening. In this manner, the shot peening can be performed reliably.
Advantageously, the shot peening apparatus further includes a shot inlet opening and closing unit that opens and closes the shot inlet. Therefore, the shots can be prevented from leaking out of the storage container while performing shot peening. In this manner, the shot peening can be performed reliably.
Advantageously, in the shot peening apparatus, the shot inlet is blocked with a blocking object that blocks the shot inlet, while shot peening is being performed, and the shot inlet is formed to have a smaller cross section on an inner side of the storage container than on an outer side of the storage container, and the shot inlet on the inner side of the storage container allows the shots, but not the blocking object, to pass therethrough. In this manner, the shot inlet can be blocked by a simple technique.
Advantageously, the shot peening apparatus further includes a shot counting unit that is arranged at the shot inlet and counts number of the shots to be supplied to inside the storage container. In this manner, the number of the shots to be supplied into the storage container can be counted. Thus, shot peening can be managed more conveniently.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of shot peening comprising: moving a shot peening apparatus to a shot-peening treated region, the shot peening apparatus including a storage container that stores therein shots impacting on the shot-peening treated region and a shot collecting passage that is connected to the storage container and through which the shots are collected by sucking the shots from inside the storage container; shot peening; collecting the shots by sucking the shots from inside the storage container through the shot collecting passage at the treated region, after the step of shot peening is completed; and moving the shot peening apparatus away from the treated region. In this manner, the shots completed shot peening can be collected reliably at the shot-peening treated region, regardless of a position or an arrangement of the shot-peening treated region.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of shot peening includes: moving a shot peening apparatus to a shot-peening treated region, the shot peening apparatus including a storage container that stores therein shots impacting on the shot-peening treated region, a shot collecting passage that is connected to the storage container and through which the shots are collected by sucking the shots from inside the storage container, and a shot supplying passage that is connected to the storage container and through which the shots are supplied to inside the storage container; and supplying the shots for use in shot peening from the shot supplying passage to inside the storage container; shot peening; collecting the shots by sucking the shots from inside the storage container through the shot collecting passage at the treated region, after the step of shot peening is completed; and moving the shot peening apparatus away from the treated region. In this manner, the shots completed shot peening can be collected reliably at the shot-peening treated region, regardless of a position or an arrangement of the shot-peening treated region.
The present invention allows shots for use in shot peening to be collected reliably, regardless of a position or an arrangement of a shot-peening treated region.
The present invention will now be explained in details with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments explained hereinafter are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Structural elements disclosed hereinafter include those that can be easily imagined by those in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those in the scope of so-called equivalent.
The present invention is suitable for shot-peening a surface having a concave or a convex portion. The present invention is not limited to shot peening of a weld. Moreover, the present invention can be generally applied to anything that requires shot peening, such as an internal or an external surface of a nozzle stub located at an inlet or an outlet of a steam generator, a pipe for a fluid, or a pressure vessel used in a power generating facility; and applications of the present invention is not especially limited as well. The present invention is especially effective for performing shot peening in a closed space.
One of the features of the embodiment is that the shots used for shot peening are collected from the shot peening apparatus by way of sucking at a treated region, and then the shot peening apparatus is moved away from the treated region. A structure of a shot peening apparatus according to the embodiment will now be explained.
The storage container 2 is a container with a bottom, and includes a container opening 2T having an opening that faces to the treated region U. A part to which the container opening 2T of the storage container 2 faces is a bottom 2B of the storage container 2. A space surrounded by the bottom 2B of the storage container 2 and an inner side wall 2S of the storage container 2 is an inside (container inside) 2I of the storage container 2, and stores therein the shots B for use in shot peening. Steel balls, non-ferrous metal balls, and nonmetallic balls such as ceramic balls are used as the shots B, and an appropriate type of the shots B is used depending on a material or a usage condition of the treated region U. Upon performing shot peening, the distance between the treated region U and the container opening 2T of the storage container 2 is set so that the shots B do not leak out between the treated region U and the storage container 2.
On the bottom 2B, a vibrator 5 is arranged as a shot accelerating unit that accelerates the shots B and applies thereto an energy required for shot peening. The vibrator 5 includes a vibrating unit having a piezoelectric element such as a piezoelectric element, and a vibrating instrument for communicating vibrations from the vibrator 5 to the shots B. The vibrating unit in the vibrator 5 is driven at a predetermined frequency (e.g., a frequency in the ultrasonic range) to vibrate the part that is in contact with the shots B (the vibrating instrument) in the direction from the vibrator 5 toward the container opening 2T (the direction shown by an arrow P in
The shots B are then shot out toward the container opening 2T and onto the treated region surface UP of the treated region U, to apply a compressive stress to the treated region surface UP. In this manner, the shot peening apparatus 1 shot-peens the treated region U by way of ultrasonic shot peening. However, in the present embodiment, the shot peening is not limited to ultrasonic shot peening.
A gas injecting nozzle 6 that is a gas injecting unit is arranged on the bottom 2B of the container inside 2I. The gas injecting nozzle 6 is connected to a pump 15 that is a gas supplying unit through a gas supplying passage 18. During shot peening, the pump 15 supplies pressurized gas (in this embodiment, air) to the gas injecting nozzle 6, and the gas is injected from the gas injecting nozzle 6 to the container inside 2I. Because the shots B in the container inside 2I is dispersed by the gas that is injected out from the gas injecting nozzle 6, the shots B are brought in contact with the vibrator 5 reliably to be accelerated thereby. As a result, a lack of shot peening can be suppressed. Instead of the pump 15, a tank filled with compressed gas may be connected to the gas supplying passage 18, and the gas may be injected out from the gas injecting nozzle 6 into the container inside 2I.
In the present embodiment, the shot peening apparatus 1 is moved to the treated region U, and the shots B are supplied into the container inside 2I, before performing shot peening. After completing the shot peening, the shots B are collected from the container inside 2I, and then the shot peening apparatus 1 is moved away from the treated region U. To achieve this goal, the storage container 2 includes a shot inlet 3 having a container opening (a shot inlet in-container opening) 3H on the inner side wall 25 in the container inside 2I; and a shot outlet 4 also having a container opening (a shot outlet in-container opening) 4H on the inner side wall 2S in the container inside 2I.
The shots B that have passed through the shot inlet 3 are supplied into the container inside 2I through the shot inlet in-container opening 3H. A shot supplying passage 9 made of a flexible material is connected to the shot inlet 3. The shots B that have passed through the shot supplying passage 9 pass through the shot inlet 3 and the shot inlet in-container opening 3H, and are supplied into the container inside 2I. The shot supplying passage 9 includes a shot feeding unit 13 that feeds the shots B, to be supplied into the container inside 2I, into the shot supplying passage 9. The shot supplying passage 9 is connected to a blower 11 that is a shot conveying unit. The shots B fed into the shot supplying passage 9 by way of the shot feeding unit 13 are conveyed to the container inside 2I by way of the pressure of gas sent by the blower 11.
A shot counter 16 that is a shot counting unit is arranged at the shot inlet 3 to count the number of the shots B to be supplied into the container inside 2I. By way of the shot counter 16, the number of the shots B that have been supplied into the container inside 2I can be recognized. The shot counter 16 includes, for example, a photoelectronic sensor or a magnetic sensor, and detects a change in a photoelectric current or in a magnetic field caused by the shots B passing the position of the shot counter 16. This information is processed by a shot peening controller 20, which will be described later, to count the number of the shots B to be supplied into the container inside 2I.
The shot counter 16 may be arranged at any position between the shot feeding unit 13 and the shot inlet 3; however, if the shots B get stuck in the shot supplying passage 9, the number of the shots B in the container inside 2I may be different from the number of the shots B sent out of the shot feeding unit 13. Therefore, by arranging the shot counter 16 at the shot inlet 3, as disclosed in the present embodiment, the shot counter 16 can correctly count the number of the shots B supplied into the container inside 2I.
As shown in
Because a diameter D2 of the shot B for use in shot peening is smaller than the diameter d2 of the inner-side inlet passage 3S (D2>d2), the shots B pass through the inner-side inlet passage 3S, and are supplied into the container inside 2I. In the present embodiment, the shot inlet 3 is closed while shot peening is being performed to prevent the shots B from leaking out of the storage container 2 through the shot inlet 3. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shot inlet 3 is closed by way of a blocking object BS. As shown in
As shown in
After completing shot peening, the shots B remaining in the container inside 2I are removed from the storage container 2 through the shot outlet in-container opening 4H through the shot outlet 4. A shot collecting passage 10 made of a flexible material is connected to the shot outlet 4. The shots B that have passed through the shot outlet in-container opening 4H and the shot outlet 4 go through the shot collecting passage 10, and collected into a shot tray 14 attached to the shot collecting passage 10. The shot collecting passage 10 is connected to a suctioning unit 12 that is a shot collecting unit. The shots B are sucked out from the container inside 2I into the shot collecting passage 10, by bringing down the pressure in the shot collecting passage 10 lower than that in the container inside 2I by way of the suctioning unit 12. The shots B sucked into the shot collecting passage 10 are collected into the shot tray 14.
As shown in
Upon collecting the shots B from the container inside 2I to the outside, the gas injecting nozzle 6 injects gas into the container inside 2I to disperse the shots B in the container inside 2I. The shots B being away from the shot outlet in-container opening 4H are difficult to be sucked into the shot outlet 4 through the shot outlet in-container opening 4H; however, by allowing the gas injecting nozzle 6 to inject gas into the container inside 2I, the shots B in the container inside 2I can be brought near the shot outlet 4. As a result, the shots B can be collected rapidly to the outside of the container inside 2I.
The shot peening apparatus 1 includes the shot outlet shutter 7 that is the shot outlet opening and closing unit for opening and closing the shot outlet 4 (more specifically, the shot outlet in-container opening 4H). The shot outlet shutter 7 is kept in the bottom 2B of the storage container 2. The shot outlet shutter 7 is caused to operate by way of a shot outlet shutter driving actuator 7A to open and close the shot outlet 4. An air cylinder, for example, is used as the shot outlet shutter driving actuator 7A. While the shot peening is being performed, the shot outlet shutter driving actuator 7A causes the shot outlet shutter 7 to be taken out from the bottom 2B to close the shot outlet 4. In this manner, the shots B are prevented from coming out of the container inside 2I through the shot outlet 4. By way of such a structure, a lack of shot peening can be avoided.
A shot peening controller 20 controls the shot peening apparatus 1. The shot peening controller 20 includes a movement controlling unit 21, a shot supply controlling unit 22, an operation controlling unit 23, and a shot collection controlling unit 24. The shot peening controller 20 is connected to the vibrator 5, the blower 11, the suctioning unit 12, the pump 15, and the shot outlet shutter driving actuator 7A included in shot peening apparatus 1 and controlled by the shot peening controller 20. The shot peening controller 20 is also connected to the shot counter 16, and the shot peening controller 20 obtains the information related to the number of the shots B counted by the shot counter 16.
In the present embodiment, the shot peening controller 20 is connected to a display unit 17. The display unit 17 displays information required by an operator of the shot peening apparatus 1. Such information includes, for example, the number of the shots B to be supplied into the container inside 2I, or opening or closing of the shot outlet shutter 7. In this manner, the operator can understand the status of the shot peening apparatus 1.
The movement controlling unit 21 included in the shot peening controller 20 controls to move the shot peening apparatus 1 to the treated region, and to move the shot peening apparatus 1 away from the treated region. The shot supply controlling unit 22 controls to supply the shots B into the container inside 2I of the shot peening apparatus 1. The operation controlling unit 23 controls to cause the shot peening apparatus 1 moved to the treated region to perform shot peening. The shot collection controlling unit 24 controls to collect the shots B from the container inside 2I after shot peening is completed.
The shot peening apparatus 1 is used in a sealed space such as a water chamber of a reactor to shot-peen a weld between a coolant pipe and a nozzle stub, for example. In such a situation, the part shown as I in
The shot peening apparatus 1a according to this modification includes the container opening shutter 19 at the container opening of the storage container 2. A shutter winding unit 19A winds and unwinds the container opening shutter 19. The shutter winding unit 19A unwinds the container opening shutter 19 to close the container opening 2T; and the container opening shutter 19 winds the shutter winding unit 19A to open the container opening 2T.
Upon performing shot peening, the container opening shutter 19 is opened to open the container opening 2T, and a specified number of the shots B are supplied into the container inside 2I. The container opening shutter 19 is then closed, and the shot peening apparatus 1a is moved to the treated region. The container opening shutter 19 is opened at the treated region, and the shot peening controller 20 drives the vibrator 5 to shot-peen the treated region. After completing the shot peening, the shot peening controller 20 causes the shot outlet shutter driving actuator 7A to drive the shot outlet shutter 7 to open the shot outlet in-container opening 4H of the shot outlet 4. At the treated region, the shots B are collected from the container inside 2I through the shot outlet 4 and the shot collecting passage 10. If the number of the collected shot B matches the number of the shots B supplied into the container inside 2I, the shot peening apparatus 1a is moved away from the treated region.
In this modification, because the shots B are collected at the treated region, the shots B can be prevented from being lost, and can be collected reliably. As described in this modification, the shot peening apparatus 1a at least needs to include a function for collecting the shots B from the container inside 2I. A shot peening process performed by using the shot peening apparatus 1 shown in
After removing the predetermined area from the surface of the metallic structure 31, a concave is formed on the surface of the metallic structure 31 as shown in
At Step S1, the movement controlling unit 21 included in the shot peening controller 20 shown in
At Step S2, the shot supply controlling unit 22 of the shot peening controller 20 shown in
After the predetermined number of the shots B is supplied into the container inside 2I, the blocking object BS is supplied through the shot supplying passage 9. As shown in
When the operation controlling unit 23 determines that the shot peening is performed over a predetermined period of time, the operation controlling unit 23 stops driving the vibrator 5 and the pump 15 shown in
The shots B that have passed thorough the shot collecting passage 10 are collected into the shot tray 14 shown in
Following the steps described above, the shot peening is completed by using the shot peening apparatus 1. In this manner, in the present embodiment, the shots B are supplied into the container inside 2I in the shot peening apparatus 1 as well as the number of the shots B is counted at the treated region U. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the shots B are collected from the container inside 2I of the shot peening apparatus 1, and the number of the shots B is counted at the treated region U. If the number of the shots B supplied into the container inside 2I matches the number of the shots B collected from the container inside 2I, the shot peening apparatus 1 is moved away from the treated region U.
In this manner, shot peening can be performed reliably by using a predetermined number of the shots B. Furthermore, the number of the shots used in shot peening can be managed. Moreover, because the shots B are supplied into and collected from the container inside 2I of the shot peening apparatus 1 at the treated region U, the shots B can be prevented from being lost while moving the shot peening apparatus 1. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, because the shots B are collected from the container inside 2I in the shot peening apparatus 1 at the treated region U, all of the shots B used for the shot peening can be collected more reliably, in comparison with a method in which the container opening 2T in the storage container 2 is closed by a shutter, for example, to store the shots B in the container inside 2I, as shown in
Especially when the treated region U is a concave recessing toward the direction G that the gravity works as shown in
Following the steps described above, a compressive stress is applied to the treated region surface UP of the shot-peening treated region U as shown in
As described above, the shot peening apparatus and the shot peening method according to the present invention is useful for reliably collecting shots for use in shot peening regardless of the position of a shot-peening treated region, and are especially suited for performing shot peening within a closed space.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-328486 | Dec 2007 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2008/072523 | 12/11/2008 | WO | 00 | 1/28/2010 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2009/081749 | 7/2/2009 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3491790 | Sanford | Jan 1970 | A |
| 3858359 | Leliaert | Jan 1975 | A |
| 3877175 | Snyder | Apr 1975 | A |
| 4042808 | Hennessy et al. | Aug 1977 | A |
| 4744181 | Moore et al. | May 1988 | A |
| 5415584 | Brooke et al. | May 1995 | A |
| 5702289 | Champaigne | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5797290 | Blissell et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 6173736 | Ligh | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| H0001971 | Joyner et al. | Jul 2001 | H |
| 6343495 | Cheppe et al. | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| 7182671 | Shimizu et al. | Feb 2007 | B1 |
| 7669449 | Sundstrom et al. | Mar 2010 | B1 |
| 7691211 | Lu et al. | Apr 2010 | B2 |
| 7735545 | Chow | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 20010021630 | Izawa et al. | Sep 2001 | A1 |
| 20060083641 | Ellens et al. | Apr 2006 | A1 |
| 20090301152 | Bayer et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 101027532 | Aug 2007 | CN |
| 60-158376 | Aug 1985 | JP |
| 60-232872 | Nov 1985 | JP |
| 5-46829 | Feb 1993 | JP |
| 2001-252872 | Sep 2001 | JP |
| 2001-252872 | Sep 2001 | JP |
| 2004-195640 | Jul 2004 | JP |
| 2006-102908 | Apr 2006 | JP |
| 2006-346775 | Dec 2006 | JP |
| 2007-181909 | Jul 2007 | JP |
| 10-2004-0036121 | Apr 2004 | KR |
| 516993 | Jan 2003 | TW |
| Entry |
|---|
| Chinese Office Action dated Apr. 26, 2011, issued in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 200880100980.5. |
| International Search Report of PCT/JP2008/072523, mailing date of Mar. 17, 2009. |
| Korean Office Action dated May 31, 2012, issued in corresponding Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-7002005, (10 pages). With English Translation. |
| Chinese Office Action dated Jun. 6, 2012, issued in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 200880100980.5, English translation only (9 pages). |
| Japanese Office Action dated Aug. 14, 2012, issued in corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-328486, with English translation (7 pages). |
| Chinese Office Action dated May 20, 2013, issued in corresponding Chinese Patent Application No. 200880100980.5, w/ English translation. |
| Japanese Office Action dated Mar. 19, 2013, issued in corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-328486, w/ English translation. |
| Korean Notice of Allowance dated Mar. 26, 2013, issued in corresponding Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-7002005, w/ partial English translation. |
| Japanese Notice of Allowance dated Oct. 1, 2013, in corresponding Japanese Application No. 2007-328486 with Partial English Translation. (2 pages). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100199736 A1 | Aug 2010 | US |
