Patent Number: 050776851
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for supporting the operation under radioactive rays, and in particular relates to ones suited for obtaining radioactivity exposure amount through simulation. The operation in regular inspections of an installation dealing with radioactive substances, e.g. a nuclear power plant, are carried out after confirming the schedule, procedure and process of the work operation by meeting before workers or work craftsmen enter the area with controlled radioactive rays. Such a schedule of operation needs to be planned considering the radioactivity exposure amount received by the workers during the operation in the area with controlled radioactive rays. A method for estimating radioactivity exposure amount in planning such a schedule of operation is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) 60-120295. In this method, the total radioactivity exposure amount expected in the operation for this time is estimated by integrating secular change and evaluation factor for the operation with the actual total radioactivity exposure amount in the previous operation (the total radioactivity exposure amount from the beginning until the end of the operation). The evaluation factor for the operation is a degree of effect added to the whole operation for this time by an additional operation when the operation for this time can not be made in the same procedures as of the previous operation for presence of the additional operation. In the next place, the radioactivity amount of first schedule of the operation for each worker is calculated on the basis of the mean value of the newest actual data of contamination result and the determined operation time in the designated work operation area. Further, the radioactivity amount of second schedule of operation for the expected total radioactivity exposure amount is obtained on the basis of the determined operation time and the expected number of workers participating in the operation. The correction of the number of workers participating in the operation and the planning of the schedule of the operation are made, taking the radioactivity amount of the first and second schedules of the operation into account. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the first object of this invention to provide a method and an apparatus for supporting the operation under radioactive rays, according to which appropriate work procedures for the target operation can be obtained. It is the second object of this invention to provide a method for supporting the operation under radioactive rays, according to which it is easy to determining the part where radioactivity exposure should be restricted when the radioactivity exposure amount does not satisfy a determined value. It is the third object of this invention to provide a method for supporting the operation under radioactive rays, according to which it is easy to know the radioactivity amount in each structure disposed in the area with controlled radioactive rays where the target operation is carried out. It is the fourth object of this invention to provide a method for supporting the operation under radioactive rays, according to which it is possible to recognize the movement of workers carrying out the target work operation. The first characteristic of this invention attaining the first object resides in calculating the radioactivity exposure amount received by workers due to carrying out the target operation, which is carried out in the area with controlled radioactive rays where an apparatus dealing with radioactive substances is disposed and includes a plurality of procedures of work operation, by means of operation processing means, utilizing layout graphic data relating to the area with controlled radioactive rays and radioactive ray data of the structures contained in the layout graphic data, and outputting the procedures of the target operation from the operation processing means when the calculated radioactivity exposure amount satisfies a determined value. The second characteristic of this invention attaining the second object resides in outputting the radioactivity exposure amount for each procedures contained in the target operation from the operation processing means when the obtained radioactivity exposure amount does not satisfy the determined value. Further, the second object can be attained also by providing information relating to the radioactivity exposure amount for each small partitioned area which is divided out of the area where workers move in the area with controlled radioactive rays carrying out the target work operation. The third characteristic of this invention attaining the third object resides in generating a first information for displaying each structure existing in the area with controlled radioactive rays as graphics by use of the layout graphic data, adding a second information for displaying the surface radioactivity rate of each of the structure to the first information, and displaying the first information to which the second information is added on display means. The fourth characteristic of this invention attaining the fourth object resides in generating a first information for displaying the structures existing in the area with controlled radioactive rays within a plant housing where an apparatus dealing with radioactive substances is disposed as graphics on the bases of the layout graphic data showing the layout state of the structures in the area with controlled radioactive rays, generating a plurality of condition approximation graphic data of worker approximators for approximating the movements of the workers carrying out the target work operation in the area with controlled radioactive rays, generating a second information for displaying the worker approximators carrying out the target operation as graphics on the basis of the condition approximation graphic data, displaying the graphics of the structures and the graphics of the worker approximators for carrying out the target work operation on display means on the basis of the first and second information, and calculating the radioactivity exposure amount corresponding to the movements of the worker approximators. According to the first characteristic, because the radioactivity exposure amount received by workers carrying out the target work operation including a plurality of procedures by use of layout graphic data of the area with controlled radioactive rays, a radioactivity exposure amount can be obtained with high precision taking the actual positional relation of a plurality of structures in the area with controlled radioactive rays and a plurality of procedures of work operation into account. Consequently, the determination is approximated further to one for the actual state as to whether the calculated radioactivity exposure amount satisfies a determined value or not, and the procedures of the target work operation obtained when the radioactivity exposure amount satisfies the determined value are appropriate. According to the second characteristic, because the radioactivity exposure amount is obtained for each procedures of work operation, the procedures of operation increasing the radioactivity exposure amount can be recognized easily. The operator can easily devise measures for decreasing the radioactivity exposure amount in this corresponding procedures of work operation. Further, because output of the information concerning with the radioactivity exposure amount is made for each small partitioned area, a small partitioned area increasing the radioactivity exposure amount can be known easily. According to the third characteristic, because the first information for displaying each structure in the area with controlled radioactive rays as graphics and the second information for displaying the surface radioactivity rate of each structure are displayed on the display means, the radioactivity amount of each structure can be recognized easily. According to the fourth characteristic, the graphic of each structure and the graphics of the worker approximators carrying out the target operation are displayed and the radioactivity exposure amount are calculated corresponding to the movements of the graphic of the worker approximators, the movements of workers carrying out the target work operation can be recognized while calculating the radioactivity exposure amount.