Method and apparatus for the wet dismantling of radioactively contaminated or activated components of nuclear reactor plants

US4818472A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Hermann Operschall · Achern, DE
• Robert Weber · Brampton, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 1, 1987
• Grant date: Apr 4, 1989
• Expiry date: Jun 1, 2007

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49819
• WIPO field: Engines, pumps, turbines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for the wet dismantling of radioactively contaminated or activated components of nuclear reactor plants such as pressure vessels, includes optionally enclosing the component with a jacket or enclosure tube at the end of the service life of the component, the jacket or tube may be cast or molded, providing a sheathing between the component and the jacket, or between the component and a concrete shield, having a thickness sufficient to support at least part of the component after dismantling the component into individual pieces, or joining the jacket to the pressure vessel or to a bottom plate, flooding the component with water for radiation shielding, at least partly dismantling the component into individual pieces through a material-removing tooling or erosion method, and removing the individual pieces.