Patent Number: 051788233
Section: description

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Schematically shown in FIG. 1 are the operational units of this invention consisting of a first housing 10, a mobile platform 11, a carriage 12, and a cart 13. Each of these units are capable of being moved independently relative to each other, while connected together for synchronized operation as hereinafter made apparent. The housing 10 contains the fluid heating unit and pressurizing pump by which optimum heated pressurized fluid is produced and entrained into a supply line 14 leading to a suitable discharge tool not shown. Within the housing 10 are conventional heat and pressure safety cut-out switches all of which are mounted upon a convenient control panel 15 displayed to an operator of the apparatus. To better understand the operation of the apparatus the cooperative units will be described in the order of their relation to the vacuum recovered contaminated cleaning fluid. As such it is shown that the cart 13 supports the first stage of the separating and filtering recovery system. A liquid separator 16 is mounted on the cart 13 and consists of a conical liquid hopper 17 that has an internal construction by which is critically safe with respect to the radioactive mass it initially recovers from the cleaned decontaminated surfaces. This critical safe feature in the liquid hopper 17 is achieved by providing the hopper 17 with a volume reducing filler core 18 having the same conical shape as the hopper 17. A tangently placed vacuum induced intake 19, connected by a suitable hose to a remote cleaning tool or head not shown, has open communication with the area exposed between the inner wall of the hopper 17 and the volume reducing core 18. As such the vacuum induced flow of recovered contaminated material is caused to spiral within the hopper 17 in an agitated manner so as to separate the liquid from the recovered contaminates causing the same to be deposited at the apex 20 of the hopper 17 for forced removal by a pump 21 through a suitable discharge 22. As shown the core 18 is provided with a center tube 23, the free lower end of which is disposed in spaced relation to the apex 20 of the hopper 17. The opposite end of the tube 23 has open communication with the bottom of a chamber 24 formed in the center of the core 18. A vacuum induced discharge tube 25 is carried by the cover 26 of the hopper 17 and has one open end 27 thereof disposed within the chamber 24. By a suitable wicker basket type container 28 a liquid level cut-off ball 29 is movably positioned relative to the open end 27 of the discharge tube 25. By this arrangement the vacuum induced intake of the hopper will be disrupted at any time the liquid level in the hopper 18 reaches a volume that has been predetermined as a critical mass of radioactive material. Without the safety cut-off and the volume reducing core 18 a critical mass of radioactive material by volume could accumulate in this first recovery stage with hazardous consequences. The moisture laden contaminates which have been separated from the liquid by the first stage separator will exit through the discharge tube 25 and be vacuum induced into the second stage demister filter unit 30, mounted on the carriage 12, as shown in FIG. 6. Unit 30 consists of a container 31 compartmentalized as at 32 and 33. These compartments 32 and 33 provide open tops which are adapted to be closed by a cover member 34, while each of their bottom portions are open to provide unrestricted communication with a liquid collection tank 35. The cover member 34 provides a pair of spaced truncated risers 36 and 37 for closing the top portion of each compartment. The riser 36 provides an inlet port 38 while the riser 37 provides a discharge port 39. The tapered walls of the riser 36 functions as a deflector against the vacuum drawn moisture laden fluids exhausted from the liquid separator 16, which are deflected into a downward path into the compartment 32. Within the compartment 32 and supported upon a set of rails is a demister 40. This demister 40 will coagulate the larger particles of contaminates into liquid particles. These liquid particles will be carried by the vacuum in a downward direction where they will impinge upon one tapered wall or baffle 41 of the collection tank 35 and into the fluid reservoir provided therein. Any remaining air borne contaminates will be drawn over the top of the collected liquids in the tank 35 and be deflected by the opposite tapered wall 42 into an upward path through the compartment 33. The upward path of the air flow will be drawn through a high efficiency air particle filter 43. The now demisted and filtered air will continue in an upward path until it impinges upon the tapered walls of the riser 37 and discharged through the discharge port 39. Each of the compartments 32 and 33 are readily assessable though removable side walls 44 and 45 whereby the demister 40 and the filter 43 may be readily replaced as needed. The collector tank 35 is provided with a discharge pump 46 by which the collected contaminated liquid may be discharged therefrom for safe disposal. The collector tank 35 may include a float switch 47 by which the volume of the radioactive contaminated liquid collected therein may be controlled against a critical mass criteria. A safe amount of filtered liquid can be discharged through an exhaust nozzle 48. Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a vacuum creating apparatus 49 mounted on the mobile platform 11. The vacuum creating apparatus includes a liquid ring pump 50 providing a manifold 51 which includes an intake port 52 which by a suitable hose 53 has open communication with the discharge port 39 of the demister filter unit 30. Not shown the manifold 51 provides communication with the final liquid stage recovery tank 54. Essentially the working parts of the liquid ring pump 50 consists of a multibladed impeller eccentrically mounted in a round casing 55 which provides a liquid well that is partially filled. As the impeller blades are caused to rotate through energization of an electric motor 56, the liquid in the well is drawn by centrifical force created by the rotating blades, to form a liquid ring which is concentric with the casing 55. The space between the impeller blades will fill with liquid during their rotation and air trapped therein is compressed and discharged thus creating a vacuum. The liquid pump 50 is electrically controlled and is in circuit with the float switch 47 of the demister filter unit 30 whereby when the recovered liquid as collected in tank 35 reaches a predetermined level, indicating a critical mass collection, it will de-energize the liquid ring pump 50 terminating the created vacuum recovery flow through the entire apparatus. Utilization of the decontamination apparatus of this invention removes decontamination at its source. The apparatus provides an unique three stage decontamination function with each stage providing an independent safety control system against critical mass build up. The functional units of this apparatus, wherein critical mass build up is susceptible, each contain an independent control for deactivating the recovery vacuum flow throughout all interfaced functional units of the apparatus. These safety features make this decontamination apparatus particularly useful in the decontaminating of radioactive contaminated surfaces. While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.