BR-102024017942-A2 - Modular radiation chamber with radiological shielding, locking and sliding system for the door of a radiation chamber with shielding against ionizing radiation, and assembly and disassembly processes for a modular radiation chamber with radiological shielding.

BR102024017942A2BR 102024017942 A2BR102024017942 A2BR 102024017942A2BR-102024017942-A2

Abstract

The present invention pertains to the field of nuclear engineering, focusing on the provision of shielding elements and a radiologically shielded irradiation chamber (1) to accommodate an electron beam accelerator. This invention presents a modular radiologically shielded irradiation chamber (1) composed of individually removable and replaceable walls (10A, 10B, 13), base (11), top (12) and door (14). The walls (10A, 10B, 13), the base (11), the top (12) and the door (14) have radiologically shielded layers, and the door (14) is fitted and locked by means of a locking system. This invention also contemplates the assembly and disassembly processes of a radiologically shielded irradiation chamber (1), preferably applied in a mobile unit (2). This invention also features a door locking system (14) for a radiologically shielded irradiation chamber (1) comprising a fitting and sliding mechanism (41), consisting of an actuating means (411), a spindle (412) and an actuating and locking key; a sliding track (42); a sliding support containing a threaded hole (43) configured to transfer a rotation of the spindle (412) into a sliding movement of the door (14); and a set of sliding pulleys (44A, 44B).

Inventors

Wilson Aparecido Parejo Calvo
SAMIR LUIZ SOMESSARI
MARCELO COIMBRA DE SÁ
ANSELMO FEHER

Assignees

COMISSÃO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA NUCLEAR

Dates

Publication Date: 20260317
Application Date: 20240830

Claims (20)

1. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’) composed of a right side wall (10A’), a left side wall (10B’), a base (11’), a top (12’), a back wall (13’) and a door (14’), characterized by being modular, with the walls (10A’, 10B’, 13’), the base (11’), the top (12’) and the door (14’) being individually removable and replaceable, wherein the walls (10A’, 10B’, 13’), the base (11’), the top (12’) and the door (14’) having layers of radiological shielding materials (100’), the left side wall (10B’) and the right side wall (10A’) are fitted perpendicularly to the base (11’), parallel to each other, and fixed by fastening means (30’), the back wall (13’) fits into the base (11’) and to the side walls (10A’, 10B’), perpendicular to the side walls (10A’, 10B’) and to the base (11’), and is fixed to the side walls (10A’, 10B’) and to the base (11’) by fixing means (30’), the top (12’) is fitted onto the side walls (10A’, 10B’) and bottom (13’), parallel to the base (11’), and is fixed to the side walls (10A’, 10B’) and bottom (13’) by fixing means (30’), and the door (14’) is fitted perpendicular to the side walls (10A’, 10B’), to the top (12’) and to the base (11’), parallel to the bottom wall (13’), where the door (14’) is fitted and locked by means of a locking and sliding system.
2. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking and sliding system consists of a locking and sliding mechanism (41’), a sliding track (42’), a stabilizing support containing a threaded hole (43’), and sets of casters (44A’, 44B’), wherein: - the door (14’) fits onto the top (12’) in a movable manner by means of the locking and sliding mechanism (41’), installed on the top (12’), and a set of casters (44A’) and the support containing a threaded hole (43’), contained in an upper portion of the door (14’), and - the door (14’) fits onto the base (11’) in a movable manner by means of a sliding track (42’), contained in the base (11’), and a set of casters (44B’), contained in a lower portion of the door. (14’).
3. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 2, characterized in that the fitting and sliding mechanism (41’) consists of a drive means (411’), a spindle (412’) and a locking and drive key.
4. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the stabilizing support containing a threaded hole (43’) is configured to transfer a rotation of the spindle (412’) into a sliding movement of the door (14’).
5. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 3, characterized in that the drive means (411’) is a stepper motor.
6. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 1, characterized in that the layers of radiological shielding materials (100’) of the walls (10A’, 10B’, 13’), the base (11’), the top (12’) and the door (14’) are constituted by an encapsulation in stainless steel sheets (102’), a first layer of lead (103’), a set of at least 4 layers (104’) constituted by lead, and a vibration damping layer (101’), wherein, in a cross-section of the shielding layer (100’), the vibration damping layer (101’) is contained between a first sheet of stainless steel (102’) and the first layer of lead (103’), the first layer of lead (103’) is contained between the vibration damping layer (101’) and the set (104’) of at least 4 layers made of lead, and the layers of the set of at least 4 layers (104’) are contained between the first lead layer (103’) and a second sheet of stainless steel (102’).
7. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 7, characterized in that the vibration damping layer (101’) is made of polyurethane.
8. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 1, characterized in that the removable and replaceable walls (10A’, 10B’, 13’) are configured to be removed individually and replaced by new walls (10A’, 10B’, 13’).
9. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises a hood element (61’, 62’), at least one exhaust system, composed of at least one exhaust pipe and additional modular shielding elements (106’) that house it, at least one ventilation system, composed of at least one ventilation pipe and additional modular shielding elements (106’) that house it, at least one ozone filtration system and a shield that houses it, wherein - the system is positioned externally to the radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), - the system corresponds to an activated carbon filtration system, and - the shield that houses it is a stainless steel box, and at least one vacuum pump and electrical cables for the vacuum and sweeping system, with additional shielding elements (106’) that house them.
10. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to claim 9, characterized in that the additional shielding elements (106’) are constituted by any one of lead layers, lead spheres and stainless steel spheres.
11. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the following are inserted into the radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), through existing entrances through the shielding layer (100’) of the wall (10B’): a pipe corresponding to the chiller system inlet for cooling the scanning system, a pipe corresponding to the chiller system outlet for cooling the scanning system, two holes for the passage of the chiller system inlet and outlet pipes for cooling the scanning system (18.2), a pipe for the collector cooling system inlet below the electron beam, a pipe for the collector cooling system outlet below the electron beam, two holes for the passage of the collector cooling system inlet and outlet pipes below the electron beam (18.1), and three holes for the passage of electrical cabling for the vacuum system and scanning system (18.3), in that the existing entrances through the wall shielding layers (10B’) have modular and conditioned elements of additional shielding (106’).
12. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that an additional shielding assembly (105’) is inserted into any one of the walls (10A’, 10B’, 13’), the top (12’), and the base (11’) and fixed by a second set of fastening means (31’), consisting of screws (311’) and nuts (312’), the additional shielding assembly (105’) being constituted by N layers of lead, 1<N<7, encapsulated in stainless steel sheets (102’).
13. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that it is configured to accommodate an electron beam accelerator.
14. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to one of the previous claims, characterized by the fact that it is applied in, but not limited to, the treatment of industrial and domestic effluents, wastewater treatment, irradiation of combustion gases, sludge irradiation, irradiation of organic compounds in the pharmaceutical industry, irradiation of organic compounds in the textile industry, irradiation of organic compounds in the dairy industry, irradiation of organic compounds in the meat industry, irradiation of microplastics, irradiation for the purpose of recycling polymeric materials, food irradiation, irradiation of industrial process water and petroleum derivatives in refineries, and irradiation of drinking water.
15. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that a material to be irradiated in the specific irradiation system, positioned below the electron beam, is inserted into the radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’) through an entrance (131’) in the lower region of a bottom wall (13’), by means of a pulley system, the walls (10A’, 10B’) of the radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1) are replaced by a second set of walls (10A’, 10B’), and the entrance (131’) has an additional shielding layer.
16. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains an electron beam accelerator with a maximum power of 20 kW.
17. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains an electron beam accelerator with an energy range in the range of 100 keV to 700 keV.
18. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains an electron beam accelerator with a current range of 1 mA to 28.5 mA.
19. Radiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains an electron beam accelerator with a scanning width of up to 50 cm.
20. Irradiation chamber with radiological shielding (1’), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is applied in a mobile electron beam irradiation unit (2’).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [001] This document pertains to the field of nuclear engineering, specifically the technical field of radiological protection, focusing on the supply of shielding elements and a modular irradiation chamber with radiological shielding to accommodate an electron beam accelerator or the application of nuclear electron beam technology, preferably for irradiation chambers with radiological shielding applied in mobile units, even more preferably in mobile units for the treatment of industrial and domestic effluents; wastewater and sludge treatment; irradiation of organic compounds in pharmaceutical, textile, dairy and meat processing industries; irradiation of industrial process water and petroleum derivatives in refineries; and irradiation of drinking water. DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF THE ART [002] Patent EP629145 discloses a transportable electron beam conversion system comprising (a) an electron beam source; (b) a reaction chamber; (c) means for directing an electron beam from the source to the chamber; (d) an inlet for gas admission into the chamber; (e) an outlet for gas removal from the chamber; and (f) means of transport for moving the electron beam source and the reaction chamber from one location to another. Means are provided for mounting the electron beam emission source and the reaction chamber on the transporter. Means are provided for supplying gas from the outlet to the wastewater treatment device, the transporter moving the wastewater treater along with the electron beam emission source and the reaction chamber from one location to another. The inventors do not present, in EP629145, a module containing the electron beam accelerator of the mobile unit that includes its own cooling and ventilation system, as well as an ozone treatment unit and a modular shielding chamber. [003] Similarly, patent GB1014367 presents a mobile irradiation unit for subjecting food and other materials to radiation and, more particularly, a new and improved irradiator that is small and light enough to be transported from one place to another, but at the same time has a high irradiation capacity so that the materials to be irradiated can be processed at a high rate of yield. The mobile unit is mounted on a trailer (11’), together with a power source (12’) and a hydraulic unit (13’). The unit is encapsulated with radiation shielding (17’). A radiation generator (27’) is kept inside the encapsulation (26’) formed by the shielding (17’). A mobile unit with an analysis and technical-scientific dissemination laboratory or with an adapted control system room is not presented. Furthermore, it does not include its own refrigeration and ventilation system, in addition to an ozone treatment unit, and the shielding chamber is not modular. [004] US patent 8277738 discloses a radiation shielding chamber (30’) with a set of doors (40’) which is disposed within a container (20’). A high-voltage generator (50’) accelerates the electron beam. A beam projector emits the electron beam to the reaction chamber disposed within the radiation shielding chamber maintained under vacuum conditions. A cooling device (84’) cools the high-voltage generator, beam projector and electron beam collector. A gas supply unit supplies gas to the high-voltage generator. An ozone adsorbent (88’) adsorbs the ozone generated in the reaction chamber. A controller (89’) controls the electrical power supply and the cooling device. The application of this invention is that of a mobile type electron accelerator; and its uses include, among others, wastewater treatment, flue gas purification, sludge treatment, applications in the chemical field, manufacture of flame-retardant cables, pipe manufacturing, synthetic leather manufacturing, tire manufacturing, pharmaceutical sterilization, semiconductor manufacturing, and ceramic manufacturing. Even with the advantages presented by the inventors, US8277738 does not offer a modular and versatile shielding chamber with the possibility of on-site restructuring, ease of maintenance, and adaptation to different applications. [005] Document CN212724748 claims a shielding chamber for an electron accelerator irradiation system, relating to the technical field of radiological protection, comprising a main body of the shielding chamber internally provided with an electron accelerator, wherein the main body of the shielding chamber is articulated with a shielding door by means of a hinge; one end of the shielded door away from the hinge is provided with an arched door; the arched door is arched; the arched door is located on the side wall of the shielding door near the main body of the shielding chamber; the main body of the shielding chamber is provided with a channel for the passage of the arched door. The invention has the effect of improving the safety of the shielding room. CN212724748 does not provide a solution to the problem related to facilitated maintenance and the multiplicity of applications through t