WO2023198613A1 - Autonomous surface treatment of a radioactively contaminated component - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and the corresponding device (1) for autonomously treating a radioactively contaminated component (2) by a water jet treatment with a water jet (22) of water comprising a cleaning fluid which autonomously detects the component (2) via a laser scanning unit (8) and, on the basis of the obtained surface data, generates a component data record which does not include the surface regions (21) covered by clamping tools (20) clamping the component (2) to a component receptacle (5). On the basis of this component data record, an actuation path (25) for the tool head (4) with the water jet nozzle unit (7) is defined, in order to treat the surface (19) of the component (2), in particular in order to clean it and/or remove a coating from it. Manual intervention on the part of a worker can hereby be limited to the shortest interventions possible, since a radiation dose of the worker and the time for which the worker has to wear personal protective equipment can be reduced.

Description

Autonomous surface treatment of a radioactively contaminated component

The subject of the present invention is a method for treating a surface of a radioactively contaminated component, in which the surface of the component is measured autonomously, so that components of any shape can be subjected to treatment without manual treatment being necessary.

In nuclear facilities, radiological surface contamination of components can occur, which can lead, on the one hand, to radiological contamination on the surface and, on the other hand, to contamination of a layer of the component close to the surface, for example by incorporating the radiological contamination in a layer of paint applied to the surface or else through the formation of an oxide layer on the surface of the component. Particularly when dismantling the corresponding components or the entire nuclear facility, the component must be treated, for example by water jet treatment or cleaning. Here the surface is subjected to a high-pressure water jet and the surface is treated, in particular cleaned and/or removed. Since there are still no reliable automatic procedures for this, this treatment is often done manually. For this purpose, the treatment is carried out manually by a person wearing protective equipment. This is associated with considerable stress and potential danger to the person. At the same time, the view of the component is often clouded by the resulting water mist, so that the cleaning performance is regularly insufficient and subsequent cleaning is necessary. In principle, the person is exposed to a possible radiation dose, which should be limited to the minimum possible level.

Proceeding from this, the present invention is based on the object of at least partially overcoming the disadvantages known from the prior art.

The task is solved using the features of the independent claim. The dependent claims are aimed at advantageous further developments.

The method according to the invention for treating a surface of a component comprises the following steps: a) clamping the radioactively contaminated component with at least one clamping element on a component holder; b) autonomously detecting the surface of the clamped component with a laser scanning unit by moving a robot arm relative to the component, which includes a tool head with the laser scanning unit, to generate a surface data set of the clamped component comprising surface data of the component and the at least one clamping element; c) generating a three-dimensional component data set of the clamped component from the surface data set, wherein the surface data of the at least one clamping element used in step a) is not included in the component data set; d) autonomously determining an actuation path for a water jet nozzle unit attached to a tool head of the robot arm with at least one water jet nozzle, the actuation path comprising a three-dimensional movement path, associated location-dependent orientation data of the tool head and an associated location-dependent movement speed of the robot arm and location-dependent operating parameters of the water jet nozzle unit; and e) autonomously moving the robot arm and the tool head and actuating the water jet nozzle unit according to the actuation path, wherein during steps b) to e) the component remains connected to the component holder and wherein in step d) the actuation path is determined based on at least the following parameters: the component data set of the clamped component and an effective parameter of a water jet generated with the operating parameters by the water jet nozzle unit on the surface of the component.

Steps a) to e) are arranged in chronological order, so there is always a sequence of steps a), b), c), d) and e). After clamping the component in step a), the component is referred to as the clamped component. The component can have any shape and/or size, although it must be ensured that the robot arm can be moved in such a way that the surface of the component can be reached in step e) with the appropriate water jet. So far, it has proven difficult to treat arbitrary components, which vary in shape and size, automatically or autonomously. In particular, for any components that can differ fundamentally in shape and geometry, it is fundamentally not possible to rely on historical data when determining a movement path of a treatment tool such as a water jet nozzle, since this does not exist or the method only applies to similar or identical ones components would be possible. Alternatively, manual treatment had to be resorted to, but this is often disadvantageous, especially if the component is radioactively contaminated, as the personnel carrying out the manual treatment can then accumulate a radiation dose. When manually treating radioactively contaminated components, protective equipment that complies with radiation protection regulations and, if necessary, other occupational health and safety requirements must also be worn, which further complicates the work for the personnel. In addition, the spray mist created during water jet treatment makes it difficult to see the component accurately, so that the treatment is often not sufficient and treatment has to be carried out again.

The water jet nozzle unit comprises at least one water jet nozzle, from which a cleaning fluid comprising water can be discharged during operation. In step b), the surface of the component is recorded autonomously using laser scanning technology. Here, a laser scanning unit is used, through which the surface is scanned in lines with a laser beam and the laser radiation reflected by the component is recorded in a corresponding camera of the laser scanning unit. The laser scanning unit is moved by a robot arm, which in particular has six axes of movement. A surface data set of the component is generated from the data collected by the laser scanning unit. This includes at least the visible surface of the component and the visible surface of the at least one clamping element. It does not include the invisible surface of the component, which is covered, for example, by a clamping element or which rests on the surface of the component holder. The term “autonomous capture” is understood to mean that no user intervention is necessary during the capture process, but rather it automatically ensures that the entire visible surface of the component is captured.

In step c), a three-dimensional component data set of the clamped component is generated from the surface data set, with the surface data of the at least one clamping element used in step a) not being included in the component data set. The component data set represents a three-dimensional representation of the visible clamped component. When the component data set is created, the data of at least one clamping element is eliminated. The component data set thus represents a representation of the clamped component, which includes the (visible) surface areas accessible for treatment.

In step d), an actuation path is defined for a water jet nozzle unit attached to the robot arm, the actuation path comprising a three-dimensional movement path that can be carried out by the robot arm, associated location-dependent orientation data of the tool head and a location-dependent movement speed, as well as location-dependent operating parameters of the water jet nozzle unit. Here, the actuation path is determined autonomously, i.e. without the necessary intervention of a user, preferably in an analytical way and without the use of so-called artificial intelligence.

In step e), the robot arm with the associated tool head is moved autonomously and the water jet nozzle unit is automatically actuated according to the location-dependent operating parameters, each corresponding to the actuation path.

The connection of the component to the component holder during steps b) to e) ensures that there is no change in position and/or position of the component or the at least between the acquisition of the surface data in step b) and the current treatment of the surface in step e). a clamping element takes place and there is a clear assignment of the actuation path to the component. In addition, movement of the component during treatment in step e) is prevented. By connecting the component to the component holder during steps b) to e), the use of historical data obtained based on other components is simultaneously made superfluous, so that this is advantageously dispensed with. Steps b) to e) are intended to ensure that the component is treated as efficiently as possible. Preferably, a complete treatment of the visible surface of the component should be achieved in just one pass of the water jet nozzle unit, which makes further or repeated treatment of the surface unnecessary. To ensure this, in step d) the actuation path is determined based on at least the following parameters: the component data set of the clamped component, and an effective parameter of a water jet generated with the operating parameters by the water jet nozzle unit on the surface of the component.

The actuation path is preferably determined based on both parameters mentioned. The operating parameters include, in particular, a distance of the water jet nozzle unit or one or more water jet nozzles of the water jet nozzle unit from the component surface, a movement speed of the water jet nozzle unit relative to the component surface and an angle of attack of the water jet nozzle unit, a volume flow of the cleaning agent through the at least one water jet nozzle and preferably an operating pressure of the water jet nozzle unit Beam angle (or cone angle) of the water jet nozzle unit and / or a speed of a rotatable water jet nozzle unit is understood. One effective parameter is the energy input per surface. The angle of attack is defined as an inclination of the water nozzle unit relative to the normal of the component surface at the point of impact of the water jet. The term water jet is fundamentally understood to mean, in particular, a jet of a cleaning agent which includes water.

Step d) preferably takes place in such a way that the actuation path is determined based on a target of the active parameter, for example an active parameter that fluctuates, if possible, only within small limits, for example an energy input per surface that fluctuates, for example, by a maximum of 10% around an average value, so that the effective parameter moves within the limits mentioned. This can be done, for example, through an appropriate parameter adjustment, for example a curve adjustment (a so-called fit) and/or through appropriate simulations. The actuation path is determined in particular so that the entire surface of the component that can be reached with the treatment, i.e. in particular without the surface areas that are covered by the at least one clamping element or that rest on the component holder, is treated.

Preferably, in step d) it is also taken into account if the component surface has already been treated beforehand, in particular if the component has been re-clamped in order to now reach parts of the surface that were previously covered, for example, by clamping elements, and/or in order to simply re-clean if the surface treatment was not sufficient.

During the treatment, in particular surface cleaning and/or stripping takes place, for example films of fluids such as oils or the like are removed, at the same time oxide layers and/or lacquer layers are preferably removed from the surface.

The method according to the invention described here allows autonomous treatment of the surface of any component, in principle without human intervention being necessary after clamping the component in step a). This is particularly advantageous when a large number of components have to be treated and in order to effectively reduce the user's exposure to radiation.

The component holder is preferably rotatable about a rotation axis and a rotational movement of the component holder is taken into account when determining the actuation path in step d) and in step e). Here, the rotation axis of the component holder then serves as the seventh axis of movement in addition to the six movement axes of the robot arm. The component holder is preferably designed as a table with a rotatable clamping plate. The clamping plate is preferably removable and can be connected to a motor or a motor unit in a defined manner via a zero-point clamping system.

The following steps are preferably carried out after step e): f) loosening the at least one clamping element; g) new clamping of the component on the component holder with at least one clamping element, whereby at least one of the positions of a clamping element relative to the component differs from the position of a clamping element relative to the component selected in step a); h) Automatically detecting the surface of the clamped component using a laser scanning technique to generate a modified surface data set of the clamped component; i) performing steps d) and e); wherein during step d) the changed surface data set and, if necessary, an earlier actuation path are taken into account when determining the actuation path. Step h) here preferably includes a kind of rough scan of the component in order to only be able to supplement data in the three-dimensional component set if necessary. A coarse scan is understood to mean data acquisition in which the spatial resolution and, if applicable, the signal resolution of the signal captured by the camera is reduced compared to the resolution used in step b).

As a result, after the component has been re-clamped, the surfaces that were previously covered by the at least one clamping element can also be treated, without any further manual intervention apart from re-clamping the component being necessary.

Preferably, the position of the component is changed relative to the component holder during step g) and a detection of the change in position of the component is carried out before step i). The detection here preferably includes detection by the laser scanning unit. Alternative or additional approaches are possible. In this way, even if the position of the component on the component holder changes, an actuation path can be determined autonomously, which in particular also allows the surfaces that previously rested on the component holder or that were covered by a clamping element to be cleaned.

When determining the actuation path again, an earlier actuation path is preferably taken into account. This is particularly advantageous if the component has been clamped again (step g)). So the actuation path can be like this It can be determined that an earlier treatment process is taken into account in order to reduce the time required for the treatment.

The operating parameters of the water jet nozzle unit preferably include at least one of the following parameters:

A) the water pressure applied to the water jet nozzle unit;

B) an angle of attack of the water jet nozzle unit relative to the treated surface of the component;

C) a feed speed of the water jet nozzle unit;

D) a jet cone characteristic of the water jet nozzle unit;

E) a distance of the at least one water jet nozzle of the water jet nozzle unit relative to the treated surface;

F) a rotation speed of the water jet nozzle unit; and

G) a volume flow of cleaning fluid to be delivered by the water jet nozzle unit

The water pressure applied to the water jet nozzle unit and the distance of the at least one water jet nozzle of the water jet nozzle unit, in particular the outlet opening of the respective water jet nozzle, from the surface, as well as the volume flow of cleaning fluid, which is discharged through the at least one water jet nozzle of the water jet nozzle unit, directly influence the impulse that the Water jet exerts on the component surface when it hits the surface of the component. This also applies to the jet cone characteristic, which is understood in particular as a cone angle of the water jet generated by the water jet nozzle unit, since this changes the impact area of the water jet at a constant distance from the component surface. The water jet nozzle unit can allow a change in the cone angle and the jet cone characteristics or these can be specified in the design. The angle of attack of the water jet nozzle unit allows the direction of the pulse input into the surface to be defined. With a rotatable water jet nozzle unit, the direction can be varied by rotation and changed in a controlled manner via the rotation speed.

The water jet nozzle unit is preferably supplied with a cleaning fluid comprising water at a pressure of at least 500 bar. With the Water jet nozzle unit, in particular, a high-pressure water jet process or an ultra-high pressure (UHD) water jet process is implemented. This can also achieve a decoating of the surface. The water pressure here is preferably at least 1,500 bar, in particular up to 3,000 bar, 4,000 bar or even 6,000 bar. The pressure is adapted in particular to the necessary treatment, i.e. in particular depending on the question of whether the surface of the component needs to be cleaned and, if so, from which substances or whether an oxide layer and/or a lacquer layer should be removed.

In this context, it is further preferred that the cleaning fluid comprises at least one additive selected from a list comprising at least one surfactant, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one organic solvent and at least one blasting agent. By using at least one surfactant, the cleaning of the surface of liquids that do not normally mix with water can be improved. This applies, for example, to the cleaning of oils etc. The addition of an acid such as hydrochloric acid or a base such as sodium hydroxide is preferably carried out depending on the surface of the component and the substances on the surface to be removed. For example, an acid is preferably used if limescale deposits need to be removed. If, for example, organic substances are to be removed, a base or alkali is preferably added. Here, a blasting agent is understood to mean an abrasive blasting agent that includes particles that act on the surface with their own momentum. For this purpose, glass beads, ceramic balls, minerals and/or stainless steel particles are preferably used. An organic solvent such as alcohol, acetone and butyl glycol can also preferably be used, in particular for cleaning the surface of the component from greasy dirt and/or paint.

In step d), a subset to be cleaned is preferably manually selected from the component data set. This advantageously enables a manually selectable subsequent cleaning of a portion of the surface of the component.

Preferably, it is monitored whether the water jet nozzle unit collides with the component and if a collision is detected, the treatment is stopped. This can can be achieved, for example, by a contact switch on the water jet nozzle unit, which provides a corresponding signal when the water jet nozzle unit comes into contact with the component, or by monitoring the behavior of the individual axes of the robot arm and / or the tool head, since resistance can be detected here.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a device for automatically cleaning a component is proposed, comprising

■ a robot arm with six movement axes for moving a tool head and

■ a component holder that can be rotated about an axis of rotation, the tool head comprising a water jet nozzle unit with at least one water jet nozzle and a laser scanning unit, a control unit being formed which can be connected in a control manner to the laser scanning unit and the water jet nozzle unit, the control unit being adapted so that she can carry out the steps of the procedure as described here.

The laser scanning unit includes in particular a laser source that generates a line-shaped laser beam on the component surface and a camera that records the resulting images. The laser beam is preferably moved over the surface of the component in order to generate a complete surface data set.

The tool head preferably further comprises an openable and closable cover with which the laser scanning unit can be covered. This enables the laser scanning unit to be protected from the cleaning fluid jet or water jet emerging from the water jet nozzle unit, particles occurring in the environment and/or water mist. The cover is preferably designed in such a way that it sealingly covers the laser scanning unit even at high pressures of the cleaning agent jet, so that the laser unit is reliably protected even at very high pressures of up to 6,000 bar.

The robot arm preferably further comprises corresponding lines through which the water jet nozzle unit in particular can be supplied with cleaning agent, Compressed air can be fed to the tool head, a power supply can be produced and control lines for transferring data. The tool head can preferably be acted upon internally with a gas, in particular air, whose pressure is above the ambient pressure. In this way, the penetration of dirt and water or cleaning fluid from outside into the tool head can advantageously be prevented.

The water jet nozzle unit is preferably connected to the tool head via collision protection. The collision protection preferably comprises at least one spring element and/or in particular additionally a contact switch. By designing a mechanical collision protection, in particular comprising at least one spring element, each preferably comprising at least one compression spring, damage to the water jet nozzle unit can be prevented. The contact switch can preferably be used to issue a corresponding collision warning and the treatment is preferably aborted. Alternatively, monitoring can be implemented by monitoring the drives of the robot arm and/or tool head, which detects resistance that counteracts the movement. This can then be used as a collision warning in order to abort the treatment if necessary.

As a precaution, it should be noted that the number words used here (“first”, “second”, ...) primarily serve (only) to distinguish between several similar objects, sizes or processes, i.e. in particular no dependency and/or order of these objects, sizes or prescribe processes to each other. If a dependency and/or sequence is required, this is explicitly stated here or it will be obvious to the person skilled in the art when studying the specifically described embodiment.

The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below using the figures. It should be noted that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments shown. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and to combine them with other components and findings from the present description and/or figures. In particular, it should be noted that the figures and in particular those shown Size relationships are only schematic. The same reference numbers designate the same objects, so that explanations from other figures can be used in addition if necessary. Show it:

1 shows a schematic view of a device for treating the surface of a component;

Fig. 2 shows a detail of a clamped component;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic example of a movement path;

4 and 5 schematic representations of a water jet nozzle unit.

Fig. 6 is a schematic top view of a water jet nozzle unit.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a device 1 for automatically treating a radioactively contaminated component 2, for example from the dismantling of a nuclear facility, comprising a robot arm 3 with six axes of movement for moving a tool head 4 and a component holder 5, which is rotatable about an axis of rotation 6. The component 2 can have any shape and size. The size of the component 2 is preferably adapted to the radius of movement of the robot arm 3. The component 2 is treated, in particular cleaned and/or stripped, by a high-pressure water jet treatment. In the context of this document, high-pressure water jet treatment is understood to mean the treatment of the component 2 with a jet of a cleaning fluid comprising water, which comes from the water jet nozzle unit at a pressure of at least 500 bar, preferably at least 1,000 bar or even at least 1,500 bar or even at least 2,500 bar is carried out. In this way, for example, particles or fluids adhering to the surface of the component 2 are removed and/or the surface of the component 2 is stripped of the coating. In particular, the treatment can remove a lacquer layer and/or an oxide layer from the surface of the component 2. For this purpose, the tool head 4 comprises a water jet nozzle unit 7 and a laser scanning unit 8. The water jet nozzle unit 7 comprises one or more water jet nozzles; an example of a water jet nozzle unit 7 is shown in FIG. 5. The laser scanning unit 8 can be opened and closed automatically by a cover 9, in order to protect the laser scanning unit 8, for example, from water or particles released by the water from the surface of the component in the closed state or to enable the laser scanning unit 8 to be used in the open state.

The component holder 5 is designed as a clamping plate 10, which is rotated by a motor about the axis of rotation 6 relative to a base unit 11. The corresponding motor 12 is integrated into the base unit 11. The clamping plate 10 has a plurality of grooves 13, in particular T-slots and threaded holes 37, which are only partially provided with reference numbers for the sake of clarity, in which clamping elements (not shown in FIG. 1) can be fixed, with which the component 2 can be clamped on the component holder 5. By clamping the component 2, it is firmly connected to the component holder 5. A rotation of the clamping plate 10 of the component holder 5 about the axis of rotation 6 also causes a rotation of the component 2 about the axis of rotation 6. Clamping with the clamping elements also ensures that the component 2 cannot be displaced during the water jet treatment.

The robot arm 3 represents a six-axis industrial robot that has six driven axes for moving and aligning the tool head. The axis of rotation 6 of the component holder 5 thus represents the seventh driven axis of the device 1.

The device 1 further comprises a control unit 14, which can be connected via control lines 15 to the robot arm 3 and via this to the tool head 7 and the motor 12. A controlling connection is understood to mean that the control unit 14 can control the robot arm 3, the tool head 4 and the motor 12, in order to understand a certain relative movement between the tool head 4 and the component 2 and a corresponding actuation of the water jet nozzle unit 7. The control lines 15 can be implemented via a cable and/or fiber connection as well as via electromagnetic waves. In addition to control commands for the robot arm 3, the tool head 4 and/or the motor 12, data such as image data, surface data, component data sets and/or operating data of the tool head 4 can also be transmitted via the control lines 15 Tool head 4, robot arm 3 and / or motor 12 on the one hand and the control unit 14 on the other hand are transmitted.

Furthermore, in addition to the drives for the driven axes, the robot arm includes lines for supplying the drives of the robot arm 3 and the tool head 4 with energy, the water jet nozzle unit 7, for example with pressurized water or a cleaning fluid comprising water, for data exchange, etc. These lines are in one Guide device 16 guided, which ensures that the lines are not damaged or impaired when the robot arm 3 and / or tool head 4 moves. Furthermore, the tool head 4 has a cleaning agent line 17, via which the water jet nozzle unit 7 is supplied with cleaning fluid under pressure. The cleaning agent line 17 is guided from the guide device 16 to the tool head 4. The interior of the tool head 4 is supplied with air via a compressed air line, not shown, which has an excess pressure compared to the surroundings in order to prevent contamination from entering the tool head 4. The guide device 16 is attached to a strain relief 18 on the robot arm 3 via brackets 39.

Looking at the method described above, Fig. 1 shows the situation after step a), i.e. after the component 2 has been clamped. After the component 2 has been clamped, a visible surface 19 of the clamped component is first autonomously detected in a step b). 2 with the laser scanning unit 8 by moving the tool head 4 of the robot arm 3 relative to the component 2 to generate a surface data set of the clamped component 2. Here, the robot arm 3 is moved in such a way that the entire visible surface 19 of the component 2 including the visible surface of the Clamping elements are detected. This does not include the surface covered by the at least one clamping element and the surface of the component 2 that rests on the component holder 5 (see FIG. 2).

In a step c), a three-dimensional component data set of the clamped component 2 is generated autonomously from the surface data set, which is not the Surfaces of the clamping element(s). The three-dimensional component data set therefore represents the surface of component 2 to be treated.

Thereafter, in step d), an actuation path is autonomously determined for the water jet nozzle unit 7 attached to the robot arm 3 and the tool head 4, the actuation path comprising a three-dimensional movement path of the robot arm 3. This three-dimensional movement path causes a locus of the position of the tool head 4. The actuation path also includes three-dimensional, location-dependent, i.e. from the said locus, orientation data of the tool head 4, which describe the orientation of the tool head 4 in three-dimensional space. Furthermore, the actuation path includes a location-dependent, i.e. dependent on the said locus, movement speed of the tool head 4 (see FIG. 3) and location-dependent, i.e. dependent on the said locus, operating parameters of the water jet nozzle unit 7. This is followed by automatic movement in step e). of the robot arm 3 and actuating the water jet nozzles of the water jet nozzle unit 7 according to the actuation path, so that the radioactively contaminated component 2 is treated.

During steps b) to e), the component 2 remains connected to the component holder 5, so that the position of the component 2 relative to the component holder 5 remains constant.

Fig. 2 shows schematically a situation in step e). The component 2 is clamped to the clamping plate 10 with two clamping elements 20, which are fixed in grooves 13 of the clamping plate 10 of the component holder 5. The clamping elements 20 cover surface areas 21 that cannot be reached for treatment with a water jet 22 made of cleaning fluid from the water jet nozzle unit 7. Otherwise, reference is made to the above description of FIG. 1. 3 further shows a situation in step e), in which, in addition to the component 2, the already treated area 23 and a cleaning path 24 of the water jet 22 show on the surface 19 of the component 2 to be cleaned. As an example, an actuation path 25 is shown here, which, however, only represents the location component, but not the location-dependent orientation data of the tool head 4, the location-dependent movement speed of the robot arm 3 and the location-dependent operating parameters of the Water jet nozzle unit 7. Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows further covered surface areas 26, which are here due to the contact of the component with the clamping plate 10, i.e. the component holder 5. Furthermore, reference is made to the above description of Figures 1 and 2.

4 and 5 show two schematic views of a water jet nozzle unit 7 in operation, which will be described together below, unless explicitly shown otherwise. Fig. 4 shows a schematic image of the water jet nozzle unit 7 in operation. A water jet 22 consisting of cleaning fluid comprising water and having a cone angle 28 emerges from a water jet nozzle 27. The water jet 22 has a longitudinal axis 29. The water jet 22 hits the surface 19 of the component 2 in an impact area 30. This will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 5. The water jet nozzle unit 7 is aligned at an angle of attack 31 to the surface 19. The angle of attack 31 is defined as the angle between the longitudinal axis 29 and a surface normal 32 of the surface 19 of the component 2 in the impact area 30. In the present example, the surface normal 32 is identical for the entire surface 38. Two surface normals 32 are shown as examples. The water jet nozzle unit 7 has a distance 33 (see FIG. 5) from the surface 19 of the component 2 in the impact area 30.

5 further shows that the water jet nozzle unit 7 is connected to the tool head 4 via a collision protection 34. In addition to one or more spring elements 35 acting as shock absorbers, which preferably comprise compression springs, the collision protection 34 preferably includes a proximity switch, not shown here, which, when the collision protection 34 is actuated, outputs a signal which leads to the treatment being aborted. Alternatively, collision monitoring can be carried out by monitoring the driven axes of the robot arm 3 and/or the tool head 4, which provide feedback in the event of a collision of the tool head 4 with the component 2 by an increase in the axis torques of the affected axis. Damage to the tool head 4 and/or the component 2 can thus be avoided. Furthermore, reference is made to the above description of Figures 1 to 3. Fig. 6 shows very schematically an example of a water jet nozzle unit 7, which comprises three water jet nozzles 27, which are surrounded and protected by a protective tube 36. The cones of the individual water jets of the individual water jet nozzles 27 overlap to form the water jet 22. The water jet nozzle unit is preferably designed to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis 29.

The method presented here and the corresponding device 1 for the autonomous treatment of a radioactively contaminated component 2 by a water jet treatment with a water jet 22 from a cleaning fluid comprising water autonomously detects the component 2 via a laser scanning unit 8 and generates a component data set from the surface data obtained of clamping tools 20, with which the component 2 is clamped to a component holder 5, does not contain surface areas 21 covered. Based on this component data set, an actuation path 25 is defined for the tool head 4 with the water jet nozzle unit 7 in order to treat the surface 19 of the component 2, in particular for cleaning and/or stripping. This allows manual intervention by staff to be limited to the shortest possible interventions, as this can reduce the radiation dose to the staff and the time in which the staff has to wear protective equipment.

Reference symbol list

1 device for automatic cleaning of components

2 component

3 robot arm

4 tool head

5 component holder

6 rotation axis

7 water jet nozzle unit

8 laser scanning unit

9 cover

10 clamping plate

11 base unit

12 engine

13 groove

14 control unit

15 control line

16 management facility

17 cleaning agent line

18 strain relief

19 surface

20 clamping element

21 Covered surface area

22 cleaning fluid jet

23 Treated area

24 treatment route

25 actuation path

26 Covered surface area

27 water jet nozzle

28 cone angles

29 longitudinal axis

30 impact area 31 angle of attack

32 surface standards

33 distance

34 Collision protection 35 Spring element

36 protective tube

37 threaded hole

38 area

39 bracket

Claims

Claims Method for treating a surface (19) of a radioactively contaminated one Component (2), comprising the following steps: a) clamping the radioactively contaminated component (2) with at least one clamping element (20) on a component holder (5); b) Autonomously detecting the surface (19) of the clamped component (2) with a laser scanning unit (8) by moving a robot arm (3) relative to the component (2), which includes a tool head (4) with the laser scanning unit (8). Generating a surface data set of the clamped component (2) comprising surface data of the component (2) and the at least one clamping element (20); c) generating a three-dimensional component data set of the clamped component (2) from the surface data set, the surface data of the at least one clamping element (20) used in step a) not being included in the component data set; d) Autonomous determination of an actuation path (25) for a water jet nozzle unit (7) attached to a tool head (4) of the robot arm (3) with at least one water jet nozzle (27), the actuation path (25) being a three-dimensional movement path, associated location-dependent orientation data of the tool head (4) and an associated location-dependent movement speed of the robot arm (3) and location-dependent operating parameters of the water jet nozzle unit (7); and e) autonomously moving the robot arm (3) and the tool head (4) and actuating the water jet nozzle unit (7) according to the actuation path (25), wherein during steps b) to e) the component (2) is connected to the component holder (5 ) remains connected and wherein in step d) the actuation path (25) is determined based on at least the following parameters: the component data set of the clamped component (2) and an effective parameter of a water jet (22) generated with the operating parameters by the water jet nozzle unit (7) on the surface (19) of the component (2). Method according to claim 1, in which the component holder (5) can be rotated about a rotation axis (6) and a rotational movement of the component holder (6) is taken into account when determining the actuation path (25) in step d) and in step e). Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the following steps are carried out after step e): f) releasing the at least one clamping element (20); g) new clamping of the component (2) on the component holder (5) with at least one clamping element (20), at least one of the positions of a clamping element (20) relative to the component (2) being different from the position of a clamping element selected in step a). (20) differs relative to the component (2); h) Automatically detecting the surface (19) of the clamped component (2) using a laser scanning technology to generate a modified surface data set of the clamped component and the at least one clamping element (20); i) performing steps d) and e); wherein during step d) the changed surface data set is taken into account when determining the actuation path (25). Method according to claim 3, in which during step g) the position of the component (2) is changed relative to the component holder (5) and before step i) a detection of the change in position of the component (2) is carried out. Method according to claim 3 or 4, in which an earlier actuation path is taken into account when determining the actuation path (25) again. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the operating parameters of the water jet nozzle unit (7) include at least one of the following parameters: A) the water pressure applied to the water jet nozzle unit (7); B) an angle of attack (31) of the water jet nozzle unit (7) relative to the treated surface (19) of the component (2); C) a feed speed of the water jet nozzle unit (7); D) a jet cone characteristic of the water jet nozzle unit (7); E) a distance of the at least one water jet nozzle (27) of the water jet nozzle unit (7) relative to the treated surface (19); F) a rotation speed of the water jet nozzle unit (7); and G) a volume flow of cleaning fluid to be delivered through the water jet nozzle unit (7). Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the water jet nozzle unit (7) is acted upon with a cleaning fluid comprising water at a pressure of at least 500 bar. Method according to claim 7, in which the cleaning fluid comprises at least one additive selected from a list comprising at least one surfactant, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one organic solvent and at least one blasting agent. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which in step d) a subset to be cleaned is manually selected from the component data set. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which it is monitored whether the water jet nozzle unit (7) collides with the component (2) and if a collision is detected, the treatment is stopped. Device (1) for automatically treating a radioactively contaminated component (2), comprising ■ a robot arm (3) with six movement axes for moving a tool head (4) and ■ a component holder (5) which can be rotated about an axis of rotation (6), the tool head (4) comprising a water jet nozzle unit (7) with at least one water jet nozzle (27) and a laser scanning unit (8), wherein a control unit (14) is formed is, which can be connected in a control manner to the laser scanning unit (8) and the water jet nozzle unit (7), wherein the control unit (14) is adapted so that it can carry out the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims. Device (1) according to claim 10, in which the tool head (4) further comprises an openable and closable cover (9) with which the laser scanning unit (8) can be covered. Device (1) according to claim 10 or 11, in which the water jet nozzle unit (7) is connected to the tool head (4) via collision protection (34). Device (1) according to claim 13, in which the collision protection (24) comprises at least one spring element (35).