Radiation hardened ultrasonic cleaning system
AssigneeDominion Engineering, Inc.
InventorsDavid Arguelles, Abby Margaret Pellman, Florian Weber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a submersible ultrasonic cleaning system for use in highly radioactive environments (e.g., cleaning radiated nuclear fuel assemblies), a bond between energy producing transducers and an radiating wall is strengthened with a polyurethane adhesive such as Permabond PT326, or 3M DP-190 adhesive. In various diagnostic tests, one or more of the transducers are operated in an energy-transmitting mode while one or more other transducers are operated in an energy-detecting mode to detect a weakened transducer/wall bond and/or acoustic conditions of the working fluid.
Claims19
A submersible ultrasonic cleaning system comprising:
- a frame assembly comprising inner walls, wherein a cleaning zone is disposed inwardly of the inner walls, wherein the cleaning zone is configured to accommodate a nuclear fuel assembly therein;
- and
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, each of which is bonded to one of the inner walls with a polyurethane adhesive to form a plurality of radiating surfaces, the plurality of radiating surfaces being arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers into the cleaning zone,
- wherein the submersible ultrasonic cleaning system is configured to be disposed in a submerged environment of a nuclear power plant.
A submersible ultrasonic cleaning system comprising:
- a frame assembly comprising inner walls, wherein a cleaning zone is disposed inwardly of the inner walls, wherein the cleaning zone is configured to accommodate a nuclear fuel assembly therein;
- and
- a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, each of which is bonded to one of the inner walls with a two part epoxy adhesive to form a plurality of radiating surfaces, the plurality of radiating surfaces being arranged to transmit ultrasonic energy from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers into the cleaning zone,
- wherein the submersible ultrasonic cleaning system is configured to be disposed in a submerged environment of a nuclear power plant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.