JP7501038B2 - Drum inspection equipment and inspection program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drum inspection device and inspection program for inspecting drums for abnormalities.

For example, radioactive waste generated at a nuclear power plant is filled into multiple drums and stored in a storage facility. That is, multiple drums are placed on a flat pallet, which is then transported by forklift to the storage facility for storage. If pallets are stacked multiple times, there is a risk that the pallet may collapse in the event of an earthquake or other incident, damaging the drums and scattering the radioactive waste inside the drums, contaminating the surrounding area. For this reason, pallets are traditionally stacked a maximum of three high.

However, drums containing radioactive waste are stored in storage facilities for a certain period of time before being transported to a final disposal or burial site, which means there is a risk of deformation or corrosion. For this reason, manual inspections of the drums are required on a regular basis to check for abnormalities such as toppling, deformation, or corrosion, and to carry out repairs as necessary.

On the other hand, a bottom surface inspection device is known that can automate the inspection of the bottom surface of gas cylinders with high accuracy (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This bottom surface inspection device photographs the bottom surface of the gas cylinder with a CCD camera and determines whether the image matches a defective pattern image stored in memory.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-198507

However, conventionally, drums were visually inspected by humans, which not only required a great deal of time and effort, but also led to concerns about variations in inspection accuracy (judgment accuracy). Furthermore, even if the device described in Patent Document 1 were applied to inspecting drums, the presence or absence of abnormalities was judged solely from images taken by a CCD camera, so there was a risk that proper judgment and inspection could not be performed. In other words, because images taken by a CCD camera are two-dimensional data, it is possible to judge the presence or absence of cracks or discoloration, but it is difficult to judge three-dimensional abnormalities such as deformation or unevenness on the drum surface, or corrosion that has occurred under the paint (paint build-up).

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a drum inspection device and an inspection program that are capable of inspecting drums for abnormalities with a higher degree of accuracy.

In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is a drum inspection device that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in a drum based on image data generated by photographing a painted drum from the outside with a camera and scan data generated by photographing the drum from the outside with a 3D scanner, and determines that there is rust if a discolored area in the image data matches an area in the scan data where the paint has risen and deformed .

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the drum inspection device described in claim 1, if an area in the scan data where the paint is raised and deformed does not show discoloration in the image data, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust.

The invention of claim 3 is a drum can inspection program characterized in that it causes a computer to function as a judgment means for judging the presence or absence of an abnormality in a drum can based on image data generated by photographing a painted drum can from the outside with a camera and scan data generated by photographing the drum can from the outside with a 3D scanner, the judgment means determining that there is rust when a discolored area in the image data matches an area in the scan data where the paint is raised and deformed.The invention of claim 4 is the drum can inspection program of claim 3, characterized in that the judgment means determines that there is a possibility of rust when an area in the scan data where the paint is raised and deformed does not show discoloration in the image data.

According to the inventions of claims 1 and 3 , the presence or absence of an abnormality in a drum can is determined based on image data of the drum can photographed by a camera and scan data of the drum can photographed by a three-dimensional scanner, so that the presence or absence of an abnormality in the drum can can be inspected with higher accuracy. That is, it is difficult to determine three-dimensional abnormalities such as deformation or unevenness on the drum can surface or corrosion (paint build-up) occurring under the paint using only two-dimensional image data photographed by a camera, but it becomes possible to determine these abnormalities by taking into consideration the three-dimensional scan data. Therefore, by determining the presence or absence of an abnormality in a drum can based on image data and scan data, it becomes possible to determine and inspect the presence or absence of an abnormality in the drum can with higher accuracy.

Furthermore , if a discolored area in the image data matches a deformed area in the scan data, it is determined that there is rust, which allows for more reliable determination and inspection of the occurrence of rust. In other words, when rust occurs and progresses on the steel material underneath the paint, the surrounding area discolors and the paint rises and deforms (the paint rises and breaks, causing the surrounding area to discolor). Therefore, if the same area on a drum is discolored and deformed, it is determined that there is rust in that area, allowing for more reliable determination and inspection of the occurrence of rust.

According to the inventions of claims 2 and 4 , if a deformed portion in the scan data is not discolored in the image data, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust (high risk of rust occurrence), so that it is possible to determine and inspect the occurrence of rust without overlooking it. That is, in the early stage when rust occurs on the steel material under the paint, the paint may rise and deform. Therefore, if the same portion of a drum is deformed but not discolored, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust occurring in that portion, so that it is possible to determine and inspect the occurrence of rust without overlooking it. That is, it is possible to find rust before the surface of the drum is discolored.

1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view, respectively, showing a drum pallet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an observation hole in the drum can pallet of FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows the state before the periphery of the adjacent portions of the drum can pallet in FIG. 1 is connected with the adjacent connectors, and FIG. 2B shows the state after the drum can pallets are connected with the adjacent connectors. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the periphery of four drum pallets of FIG. 1 connected together with the adjacent connectors of FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is a front view showing the state in which the drum can pallets of FIG. 1 are stacked and connected by the adjacent connectors of FIG. 3 . 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view, respectively, showing a horizontal connecting bar of a drum pallet frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a vertical connecting bar of the drum can pallet frame according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a plurality of drum pallets as shown in FIG. 1 are fixed to a drum pallet frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 8 . 10 is an enlarged view showing the periphery of an end of the frame base of FIG. 9 . FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which an inspection vehicle is mounted on the drum can pallet of FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of the inspection vehicle of FIG. 11 . 12A, 12B, and 12C are a plan view, a rear view, and a side view, respectively, of the bottom inspection vehicle of FIG. 11. 12A, 12B, and 12C are a plan view, a rear view, and a side view, respectively, of the side inspection vehicle of FIG. 11. 1 is a plan view showing an arrangement of an inspection lifting conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 16 is a front view of the inspection lift conveyor of FIG. 15 . 1A and 1B are diagrams showing inspection images in an embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A shows image data and FIG. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a determination result by a management computer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiment.

Figures 1 to 18 show an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 1 is a plan view (a) and a front view (b) of a drum can pallet 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. This drum can pallet 1 is a pallet for placing drum cans 101, and in this embodiment, a case where drum cans 101 filled with and containing radioactive waste are placed on the drum can pallet 1 and stored in a storage facility will be mainly described. Here, the drum can 101 has rims at least on the lower edge 101a and the upper edge 101b, as shown in Figure 11.

"Drum Can Pallet 1"
The drum can pallet 1 has a substantially square upper plate 11 and a lower plate 12 that face each other so as to overlap, and are arranged at a predetermined interval. That is, in this embodiment, pallet pillars 13 are arranged at the four corners of the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12, and the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 are connected to each other at a predetermined interval via the pallet pillars 13. Here, the drum can pallet 1 is made of a material (e.g., aluminum alloy or hollow steel) that is lightweight and has sufficient strength and rigidity, and the thickness of the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 and the size of the pallet pillars 13 are set so as to be sufficiently durable even when the drum can pallets 1 carrying the drum cans 101 are stacked. In addition, the upper plate 11, the lower plate 12, and the pallet pillars 13 may be configured as separate bodies or as an integral body.

The upper surface of the upper plate 11 is provided with a lower edge housing portion 11a that is recessed to house the lower edge portion (lower rim) 101a of the drum can 101, and the upper plate 11 is further provided with a peephole 11b that is concentric with the lower edge housing portion 11a. That is, the peephole 11b is a circular through hole, and the upper edge portion of the peephole 11b is expanded in diameter to form the circular lower edge housing portion 11a. The diameter of the lower edge housing portion 11a is set to be slightly larger than the lower edge portion 101a of the drum can 101, and the diameter of the peephole 11b is set to be slightly smaller than the lower edge portion 101a of the drum can 101. The depth of the lower edge housing portion 11a is set to be approximately the same as the height of the lower edge portion 101a of the drum can 101.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower edge 101a of the drum 101 is supported by the step between the lower edge housing portion 11a and the peephole 11b, and the entire bottom surface of the drum 101 (except for the lower edge 101a) is exposed through the peephole 11b. Four such lower edge housing portions 11a and peepholes 11b are formed facing each other at the four corners of the upper plate 11.

In addition, the top plate 11 is provided with a cylindrical claw insertion section 14 along the underside of the top plate 11 into which the claws of a forklift can be inserted. That is, the claw insertion section 14 is U-shaped, and both ends are connected to the underside of the top plate 11 to form a tube/pocket with the underside of the top plate 11, allowing the claws of a forklift to be inserted. The width and height of this claw insertion section 14 are large enough to allow the claws of a forklift to be inserted (large enough to allow the claws to be inserted without significant play), and it extends from one side of the top plate 11 toward the peephole 11b. Two such claw insertion sections 14 are provided on each of the four sides of the top plate 11.

In addition, upper guide rails 15 are provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 11 to guide the movement of the side inspection vehicle 5, which will be described later. These upper guide rails 15 extend from one side of the upper plate 11 to the opposing side, and three are provided in total, one between the lower edge housing parts 11a and one on both outside sides of the lower edge housing part 11a.

The lower surface of the lower plate 12 is provided with an upper edge housing portion 12a that is recessed and accommodates the upper edge portion (upper rim) 101b of the drum can 101. In other words, the upper edge housing portion 12a is formed with a circular planar shape that is recessed upward, with a diameter set to be slightly larger than the upper edge portion 101b of the drum can 101, and a depth set to be approximately the same as the height of the upper edge portion 101b of the drum can 101. Four such upper edge housing portions 12a are formed opposite the lower edge housing portion 11a.

In addition, a lower guide rail 16 is provided on the upper surface of the lower plate 12 to guide the movement of the bottom inspection vehicle 4, which will be described later. This lower guide rail 16 extends from one side of the lower plate 12 to the opposite side in parallel with the upper guide rail 15, and a total of four lower guide rails 16 are provided, one on each side of the outer periphery of the upper edge storage section 12a.

When the lower edge 101a of the drum 101 is housed in the lower edge housing 11a, the condition of the bottom of the drum 101 can be confirmed from between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 through the peephole 11b. That is, a predetermined distance between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 is set so that the entire bottom of the drum 101 exposed from the peephole 11b can be visually inspected from between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12, or inspected by inserting a camera between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 to take a photograph. In particular, in this embodiment, the bottom inspection vehicle 4, which will be described later, is set to be able to perform mobile inspection.

The upper surface of the upper plate 11 is marked with multiple side inspection position marks M1 indicating the positions where the side inspection vehicle 5 will stop and take photographs for inspection, and multiple placement position marks M2 indicating the positions where the drums 101 will be placed. Similarly, the upper surface of the lower plate 12 is marked with multiple bottom inspection position marks M3 (not shown) indicating the positions where the bottom inspection vehicle 4 will stop and take photographs for inspection.

On the other hand, each pallet column 13 has an adjacent connecting bar insertion hole 13a that penetrates from the top to the bottom.

With the drum pallet 1 configured in this way, a peephole 11b is provided in the upper plate 11, and the condition of the bottom of the drum 101 can be confirmed through the peephole 11b from between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12, making it possible to easily and quickly inspect the bottom of the drum 101 without having to remove the drum 101 with a forklift or the like. For example, it is possible to visually inspect the bottom of the drum 101 through the peephole 11b, or to insert a camera between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 to inspect the bottom of the drum 101 with an image.

On the other hand, since the lower edge storage section 11a is provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 11 and the upper edge storage section 12a is provided on the lower surface of the lower plate, the drum can 101 can be stably placed. In other words, when drum pallets 1 carrying drums 101 are stacked, the lower edge 101a of the drum can 101 is stored in the lower edge storage section 11a of the lower drum pallet 1, and the upper edge 101b of the drum can is stored in the upper edge storage section 12a of the upper drum pallet 1, so that the drum can 101 can be stably placed and earthquake resistance can be improved.

In addition, a cylindrical claw insertion section 14 is provided into which the claws of a forklift can be inserted without significant play, making it possible to transport the drum pallet 1 carrying the drums 101 stably using a forklift.

"Drum Can Pallet Frame 10"
Next, we will explain the drum can pallet frame 10 for fixing and connecting a plurality of such drum can pallets 1. The drum can pallet frame 10 mainly comprises adjacent connectors (adjacent connecting means) 2, horizontal connecting bars (horizontal connecting means) 30, vertical connecting bars (vertical connecting means) 35, and depth connecting bars (depth connecting means) 36.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, drum pallets 1 carrying four drums 101 are stacked three high on a flat frame base 34 installed on the floor, and four drum pallets 1 stacked three high are arranged side by side when viewed from the front, and two groups of such drum pallets 1 are arranged in the depth direction. In addition, a drum pallet 1 is placed on the top drum 101, but since no drums 101 are placed on this drum pallet 1, it is not necessary to provide the lower edge storage section 11a, the peephole 11b, or the guide rails 15 and 16.

When multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged side by side, the adjacent connector 2 connects adjacent drum pallets 1 in the horizontal direction, and when multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged in the depth direction, the adjacent connector 2 also connects adjacent drum pallets 1 in the depth direction. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the adjacent connector 2 includes an adjacent connector plate 21 and an adjacent connector pin 22.

The adjacent connecting plate 21 is made of a substantially square plate material, and has four pin insertion holes 21a facing each other at the four corners for inserting the adjacent connecting pins 22. The adjacent connecting pins 22 are rod-shaped and have a flange portion 22a on one end. Adjacent drum pallets 1 are connected together by overlapping the pin insertion holes 21a of the adjacent connecting plate 21 with the adjacent connecting bar insertion holes 13a of the pallet pillars 13 and inserting the adjacent connecting pins 22 into the pin insertion holes 21a and the adjacent connecting bar insertion holes 13a.

As shown in FIG. 4, in a connection section where four drum pallets 1 are adjacent, an adjacent connecting plate 21 is placed across the four drum pallets 1 and four adjacent connecting pins 22 are inserted. On the other hand, in a connection section where two drum pallets 1 are adjacent, the adjacent connecting plate 21 is placed across the two drum pallets 1 so that it does not protrude from the drum pallet 1, and two adjacent connecting pins 22 are inserted. In this embodiment, one type of adjacent connecting plate 21 connects four or two drum pallets 1, but a separate adjacent connecting plate (a horizontally elongated rectangle with two pin insertion holes 21a) that connects only two drum pallets 1 may be provided.

When multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged side by side, the horizontal connecting bar 30 is a long body that extends across the multiple drum pallets 1 arranged side by side, and is provided with connecting claws 32 that are inserted into the claw insertion section 14 of each drum pallet 1 to connect the multiple drum pallets 1. That is, as shown in Figure 6, multiple connecting claws 32 that are slightly smaller than the internal shape of the claw insertion section 14 protrude from one surface (back surface) of the band-shaped horizontal connecting bar main body 31.

The length of the horizontal connecting bar body 31 and the number of connecting claws 32 are set according to the number of drum can pallets 1 to be connected. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the length is set so that four drum can pallets 1 can be connected together, and the number is set so that they can be inserted into all of the claw insertion portions 14. Alternatively, it may be set so that two or three drum can pallets 1 can be connected together. In addition, horizontal connecting bar holes 31a are formed on both ends of the horizontal connecting bar body 31, and the length of the horizontal connecting bar body 31 is set so that both horizontal connecting bar holes 31a protrude from the drum can pallets 1 when multiple drum can pallets 1 are arranged.

When multiple drum pallets 1 are stacked, the vertical connecting bar 35 connects the stacked drum pallets 1 vertically. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the vertical connecting bar 35 is arranged in a strip shape extending substantially vertically, and has multiple vertical connecting bar holes 35a formed therein to match the horizontal connecting bar holes 31a of the horizontal connecting bars 30 arranged above and below. In addition, another vertical connecting bar hole 35a is formed at the lower end side for connecting to the frame base 34.

The depth connecting bar 36 connects multiple drum pallets 1 in the depth direction when multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged in the depth direction. In other words, it is a long body made of pipe or plate material with both ends closed, and as shown in Figures 9 and 10, it extends the entire length of the multiple drum pallets 1 arranged in the depth direction, and has screw holes (not shown) formed on both ends.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the horizontal connecting bars 30 are arranged horizontally while each connecting claw 32 is inserted into the claw insertion portion 14 of each drum pallet 1 arranged side by side. The horizontal connecting bars 30 are arranged in this manner for each tier and for the front and back drum pallets 1, and the vertical connecting bars 35 are arranged vertically to connect the ends of each horizontal connecting bar 30. Furthermore, the depth connecting bar 36 is arranged between the vertical connecting bars 35 facing each other in the depth direction, and connecting bolts 33 are inserted into the horizontal connecting bar holes 31a and the vertical connecting bar holes 35a and tightened into the screw holes of the depth connecting bar 36. Also, the connecting bolt 33 is inserted into the vertical connecting bar hole 35a on the lower end side of the vertical connecting bar 35 and tightened into the screw hole provided on the side of the frame base 34.

This connects the horizontal connecting bars 30, vertical connecting bars 35, and depth connecting bars 36, and connects and integrates the multiple drum pallets 1 arranged in the horizontal, vertical, and depth directions. In this assembled state, as shown in FIG. 10, the side (vertical surface) of the drum pallet 1 and the outer surface (the surface facing away from the drums 101) of the vertical connecting bars 35 are flush with each other and contact the horizontal connecting bars 30, and the lower end of the vertical connecting bars 35 contacts the side of the frame base 34.

With the drum pallet frame 10 configured in this way, when multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged side by side, adjacent drum pallets 1 are connected and integrated with adjacent connectors 2, which improves the earthquake resistance of the drum pallet 1 and allows for stable storage of drums 101. Furthermore, when multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged in the depth direction, adjacent drum pallets 1 in the depth direction are also connected and integrated with adjacent connectors 2, which further improves the earthquake resistance of the drum pallet 1.

In addition, since the connecting claws 32 are inserted into the claw insertion portions 14 and multiple drum pallets 1 are connected together with the horizontal connecting bars 30, multiple drum pallets 1 are more firmly connected and integrated. As a result, it is possible to further improve the earthquake resistance of the drum pallets 1. Furthermore, when multiple drum pallets 1 are stacked, the stacked drum pallets 1 are connected and integrated with the vertical connecting bars 35, so it is possible to improve the earthquake resistance of the stacked drum pallets 1. Furthermore, when multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged in the depth direction, the drum pallets 1 in the depth direction are connected and integrated with the depth connecting bars 36, so it is possible to improve the earthquake resistance of the drum pallets 1.

In this way, the earthquake resistance of the drum can pallet 1 can be increased, making it possible to stack the drum can pallets 1 in more layers (four or more layers), thereby saving space in storage facilities and making storage operations more efficient.

"Drum Can Storage and Inspection Equipment 100"
Next, a description will be given of a drum can storage and inspection facility 100 for storing a plurality of drum cans 101 and inspecting and testing the presence or absence of abnormalities in each drum can 101. This drum can storage and inspection facility 100 comprises the drum can pallet 1 and drum can pallet frame 10 described above, a bottom inspection vehicle (bottom surface photography device) 4, a side inspection vehicle (side surface photography device) 5, an inspection lift conveyor (first photography device lifting mechanism, second photography device lifting mechanism) 6, and a management computer (drum can inspection device, determination means) 7.

When multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged side by side, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 is disposed between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 as shown in FIG. 11, and moves between the multiple drum pallets 1 to photograph the bottom of each drum 101 through the peephole 11b. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 mainly comprises a main body 40, a traveling unit 41, a sensor 42, a communication unit 43, a memory 44, lighting 45, a photographing unit 46, and a central processing unit 47 that controls these components.

The running part 41 is composed of wheels 4a and their driving source (motor, etc.), and moves the main body 40. Here, the bottom surface inspection vehicle 4 moves along the lower guide rail 16, and in this embodiment, a recess into which the lower guide rail 16 fits is formed on the bottom surface of the main body 40, and it moves along the lower guide rail 16.

The sensor 42 is a detector that detects the bottom inspection position mark M3, and is composed of, for example, a laser sensor. When the bottom inspection position mark M3 is detected, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 stops and takes a photograph with the photographing unit 46. The communication unit 43 is an interface for communicating with the management computer 7 and the like. The memory 44 is a storage device that stores various information, and stores, for example, images captured by the photographing unit 46 and identification information for the drum 101 described below. The lighting 45 is a light that illuminates the surrounding area, and is installed to illuminate the bottom of the drum 101 in particular.

The photographing unit 46 is a photographing device that photographs the bottom surface of the drum 101 to generate and output an image, and in this embodiment, is composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera and a 3D scanner (a scanning type light wave distance meter). That is, the CCD camera photographs the bottom surface of the drum 101 in color to generate 2D image data, and the 3D scanner generates 3D scan data (solid/point cloud data) of the bottom surface of the drum 101. In addition, the angle of view, etc. are set so that the entire bottom surface of the drum 101 can be photographed in one shot.

Here, in the scan data, the points are sparsely (coarsely) represented in flat areas, and densely represented in areas that are deformed and uneven. In addition, the CCD camera and the 3D scanner photograph the same position and the same area of the drum 101, and the coordinate axes of the image data and the scan data match. The same applies to the imaging unit 56, which will be described later.

When multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged side by side, the side inspection vehicle 5 is disposed between the drums 101 as shown in FIG. 11, and photographs the sides and peripheral surfaces of the multiple drum pallets 101 while moving between the multiple drum pallets 1. As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 14, the side inspection vehicle 5 mainly comprises a main body 50, a traveling unit 51, a sensor 52, a communication unit 53, a memory 54, lighting 55, a photographing unit 56, a rotating tower 58, and a central processing unit 57 that controls these components.

The running part 51 is composed of wheels 5a and their driving source (motor, etc.), and moves the main body 50. Here, the side inspection vehicle 5 moves along the upper guide rail 15, and in this embodiment, a recess into which the upper guide rail 15 fits is formed on the bottom surface of the main body 50, and moves along the upper guide rail 15.

The sensor 52 is a detector that detects the side inspection position mark M1, and is composed of, for example, a laser sensor. When the side inspection position mark M1 is detected, the side inspection vehicle 5 stops and takes a photograph with the photographing unit 56. The communication unit 53 is an interface for communicating with the management computer 7 and the like. The memory 54 is a storage device that stores various information, and stores, for example, images captured by the photographing unit 56 and identification information for the drum 101 described below. The lighting 55 is a light that illuminates the surrounding area, and is particularly installed so as to illuminate the side of the drum 101 from top to bottom.

The photographing unit 56 is a photographing device that photographs the side of the drum 101 to generate and output an image, and in this embodiment, is composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera and a 3D scanner (a scanning type light wave distance meter). That is, the CCD camera photographs the side of the drum 101 in color to generate 2D image data, and the 3D scanner generates 3D scan data (solid/point cloud data) of the side of the drum 101. In addition, the angle of view, etc. are set so that the drum 101 can be photographed from the top to the bottom in a single shot.

The rotating tower 58 is a tower body extending vertically upward from the top surface of the main body 50, and is equipped with a light 55 and a photographing unit 56. This rotating tower 58 can rotate around a vertical axis passing through the center, and is designed to photograph the side of a specified drum can 101 by rotating. That is, when the side inspection vehicle 5 moves along the upper guide rail 15 located in the center of the drum can pallet 1, it stops at the side inspection position mark M1 to photograph one drum can 101, and then rotates 180 degrees to photograph the other drum can 101. Also, when the side inspection vehicle 5 moves along the upper guide rail 15 on one side of the drum can pallet 1, it rotates to the side of the drum can 101 adjacent to this upper guide rail 15, and photographs only this drum can 101 side. Thus, in this embodiment, the lighting 55 and the photography unit 56 are provided on one side of the rotating tower 58, but the lighting 55 and the photography unit 56 may be provided on both opposing sides so that two drums 101 can be photographed in one stop.

These bottom inspection vehicles 4 and side inspection vehicles 5 are capable of transmitting images captured by the photographing units 46, 56 to the management computer 7 at any time. For example, images may be transmitted each time an image is captured by the photographing units 46, 56, or images stored in the memories 44, 54 in the order of movement may be transmitted together after inspection of all drums 101 has been completed. At this time, the images are transmitted in association with the identification information of the drums 101. Any method may be used to obtain the identification information of the drums 101, but for example, an IC tag storing the identification information may be attached to each drum 101, and the identification information may be read by an IC reader.

Meanwhile, the management computer 7 stores the arrangement pattern of the drum pallets 1, i.e., the number of pallets arranged side by side, the number in the depth direction, and the number of layers, as well as the movement routes of the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and the side inspection vehicle 5. Therefore, when identification information and images of the drums 101 are received from the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and the side inspection vehicle 5, it is possible to identify where the drum 101 with the identification information is located, and it is also possible to identify what each image is. In this way, the identification information, placement position, and image of each drum 101 can be identified and associated, but other methods may be used for identification and association. For example, the identification information and placement position may be identified and stored in advance, and the received images may be associated.

The inspection lift conveyor 6 is a device that turns (changes direction) the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and side inspection vehicle 5, and also moves the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and side inspection vehicle 5 upward or downward to the drum can pallet 1 when the drum can pallets 1 are stacked in multiple layers, and is controlled by the management computer 7. In this case, to clarify the drawings, etc., we will explain the case where the number of drum can pallets 1 arranged horizontally is 2, the number arranged in the depth direction is 1, and the number of layers is 3.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the inspection lifting conveyor 6 mainly comprises a belt conveyor 61 and a lifting link 63. The belt conveyor 61 extends horizontally across two drum pallets 1 arranged side by side, and rotates when multiple rollers 60 rotate. Two types of tables 62 are detachably attached to the belt conveyor 61. The bottom table 62 shown in the figure has guide rails 62a the same as the lower guide rails 16, at the same pitch as the lower guide rails 16, so that the bottom inspection vehicle 4 can be guided and placed on it. Similarly, the side table 62 (not shown) has guide rails the same as the upper guide rails 15, so that the side inspection vehicle 5 can be guided and placed on it.

A lift link 63 is connected to the lower end of the conveyor box of the belt conveyor 61, and the lower end of this lift link 63 is connected to a base 64 having wheels 66. The base of a hydraulic cylinder 65 is connected to the lower end side of the lift link 63, and the tip of a plunger 651 of the hydraulic cylinder 65 is connected to the upper part of the lift link 63. When the plunger 651 of the hydraulic cylinder 65 expands and contracts, the lift link 63 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, and the belt conveyor 61 moves up and down.

Such an inspection lift conveyor 6 is disposed on the front and back sides of two drum pallets 1 arranged side by side, respectively, and is controlled by the management computer 7 as follows. That is, when the bottom of the drum 101 is photographed by the bottom inspection vehicle 4, the bottom table 62 is mounted on the belt conveyor 61, and for example, the belt conveyor 61 is first lowered to the lower guide rails 16 of the lowest drum pallet 1. At this time, the bottom table 62 faces the pair of lower guide rails 16 at the very end (for example, the left end).

Next, when the bottom inspection vehicle 4 is placed on one side (e.g., the front side) of the bottom table 62 and started, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 moves along the lower guide rail 16 from one end (the front side) of the lower guide rail 16. Then, when it detects the bottom inspection position mark M3, it stops and photographs the bottom of the drum 101, then proceeds to the next bottom inspection position mark M3 and photographs again. After repeating this process of photographing and reaching the other end (the back side) of the lower guide rail 16, it moves to the other side (e.g., the back side) of the bottom table 62.

Next, the two belt conveyors 61 rotate, and the bottom table 62 is moved so as to face the adjacent pair of lower guide rails 16. Next, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 proceeds along the lower guide rail 16 from the other end of the lower guide rail 16 (the bottom inspection vehicle 4 turns 180 degrees and changes direction), sequentially photographing the bottom of the drum 101 at the position of each bottom inspection position mark M3. Then, when the bottom inspection vehicle 4 reaches one end of the lower guide rail 16 and moves to one of the bottom tables 62, the two belt conveyors 61 rotate, and the bottom table 62 is moved so as to face the next adjacent pair of lower guide rails 16.

In this way, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 moves back and forth from the front side to the back side while moving laterally, and when all of the drums 101 on the bottommost drum pallet 1 have been photographed, the hydraulic cylinder 65 extends and the belt conveyor 61 rises to the lower guide rail 16 of the middle drum pallet 1. Next, in the same manner as for the bottommost pallet, the belt conveyor 61 rotates and the bottom table 62 moves laterally while photographing all of the drums 101 on the middle drum pallet 1. Then, in the same manner, the belt conveyor 61 is raised to the topmost drum pallet 1, and the drums 101 are photographed.

When photographing the sides of the drums 101 with the side inspection vehicle 5, the side table 62 is mounted on the belt conveyor 61. Then, as with the bottom inspection vehicle 4, the inspection lift conveyor 6 moves the side table 62 horizontally and vertically while the side inspection vehicle 5 moves over all the drums 101 from the bottom to the top, photographing the sides of all the drums 101 with the side inspection vehicle 5. At this time, the side inspection vehicle 5 stops at the side inspection position mark M1 to photograph.

When taking pictures using such a bottom inspection vehicle 4 and a side inspection vehicle 5, one vehicle may take pictures after the other vehicle has finished taking pictures, or they may be taken simultaneously. When taking pictures simultaneously, the timing at which the inspection vehicles 4, 5 turn or move up and down can be shifted so that the movement of both inspection vehicles 4, 5 can be controlled by a pair of inspection lift conveyors 6. The inspection lift conveyor 6 may also be moved to take pictures sequentially. For example, if four drum pallets 1 are arranged side by side, the inspection lift conveyor 6 of the above length may be moved sideways to accommodate the four drum pallets 1.

The management computer 7 is a device that automatically determines whether or not there are any abnormalities, such as corrosion, in the drum 101 based on images taken by the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and the side inspection vehicle 5, and will be described in detail later.

According to the drum can storage and inspection equipment 100 configured as described above, when multiple drum can pallets 1 are arranged and stored, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 photographs the bottom of the drum can 101 through the peephole 11b while moving between the drum can pallets 1. Therefore, it is possible to easily, quickly, and properly inspect the bottom of the drum can 101 while the drum can 101 is stored. In other words, it is possible to easily, quickly, and properly inspect and confirm the bottom condition of the drum can 101 by simply looking at the image taken by the bottom inspection vehicle 4 without removing or tilting the drum can 101 with a forklift or the like. Moreover, since the bottom inspection vehicle 4 photographs the bottom of multiple drum cans 101 while moving between multiple drum can pallets 1, it is possible to inspect multiple drum cans 101 more easily and quickly. As a result, it is possible to reduce the manpower, time, and space required for inspection.

In addition, when multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged and stored, the side inspection vehicle 5 photographs the side and outer periphery of the drums 101 while moving between the drum pallets 1. This makes it possible to easily, quickly, and properly inspect the side of the drums 101 for abnormalities while the drums 101 are stored. In other words, it is possible to easily, quickly, and properly inspect and confirm the side condition of the drums 101 simply by looking at the images taken by the side inspection vehicle 5 without removing the drums 101 with a forklift or the like. Moreover, since the side inspection vehicle 5 photographs the sides of multiple drums 101 while moving between multiple drum pallets 1, it becomes possible to inspect multiple drums 101 more easily and quickly.

Furthermore, the management computer 7 determines whether there is an abnormality in the drum 101 based on the images taken by the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and the side inspection vehicle 5. In other words, since the determination is made automatically without a person having to look at the image to determine whether there is an abnormality, it becomes possible to more easily, quickly, and properly inspect the drum 101 for abnormalities.

Meanwhile, the bottom inspection vehicle 4 and the side inspection vehicle 5 are turned by the inspection lift conveyor 6, and are moved to the upper or lower drum pallet 1 with the drum pallets 1 stacked in multiple layers. Therefore, even if multiple drum pallets 1 are arranged in the horizontal, depth, and vertical directions, the inspection vehicles 4, 5 can turn and rise and fall without manual labor, and it is possible to smoothly and quickly inspect the presence or absence of abnormalities in all the drums 101. Moreover, since the turning and rising and falling of both inspection vehicles 4, 5 are performed by a pair of inspection lift conveyors 6, there is no need to provide an inspection lift conveyor 6 for each of the inspection vehicles 4, 5 (providing two pairs), which makes it possible to reduce equipment and energy consumption.

"Management Computer 7"
The management computer 7 is a device that mainly judges whether or not there is an abnormality in the drums 101 based on image data generated by photographing the drums 101 with a camera and scan data generated by photographing the drums 101 with a 3D scanner. That is, based on the images (image data and scan data) of each drum 101 transmitted and input from the inspection vehicles 4 and 5, the management computer 7 judges which drums 101 are abnormal and outputs the result.

Specifically, the judgment is made according to the following algorithm. Here, the entire surface of the drum 101, including the bottom, is painted yellow to make it easier to see discoloration due to corrosion, etc.

First, if a discolored area in the image data matches a deformed area in the scan data, that area is determined to be rusted or corroded. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17(a), if the image data contains black or reddish-brown data based on pre-stored color sample data, that area or region is extracted as a discolored area R1. Also, as shown in FIG. 17(b), if the scan data contains an area where the point cloud is at a specified density, that area or region is extracted as a deformed area (area with deformation greater than a specified value) R2.

The "predetermined density" here refers to the state of the point cloud when deformation due to rust has occurred, and is equivalent to the density of the point cloud of the scan data when, for example, rust has occurred on the steel material beneath the paint of the drum 101, and as the rust progresses, the paint has risen, deformed, and discolored, and this state is stored in advance in the management computer 7. In addition, normal irregular parts (including large deformed parts that are not rust) such as the rim of the drum 101 that have been stored in advance are not extracted as the deformed part R2.

If a discolored area R1 and a deformed area R2 exist and their positions and areas match, it is determined that the areas R1 and R2 have rust (confirmed presence of rust). Here, area R3 in FIG. 17(b) is an area where the point cloud is in a predetermined sparse state, and is an area that is not deformed like the deformed area R2 but is not flat or smooth (an area with small deformation less than a predetermined value), and areas other than areas R2 and R3 are areas where the point cloud is less than the predetermined sparse state (from none to less than sparse), and where the surface of the drum can 101 is flat or smooth.

Secondly, if a deformed area in the scan data has not changed color in the image data, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17(b), if there is an area in the scan data where the point cloud has changed from a predetermined sparse state to a dense state, that area/region is extracted as the deformed area R2, R3. Then, it is determined whether or not there is any black or reddish-brown data portion in the image data in these deformed areas R2, R3, and it is determined that there is a possibility of rust (watch out for rust) in the deformed area R3, which is an area that has not changed color to black or reddish-brown (remains yellow).

Thirdly, areas that have not turned black or reddish-brown in the image data and have not been deformed in the scan data are determined to be rust-free. In other words, areas that remain yellow in the image data and where the point cloud in the scan data is less than a certain sparseness (areas other than areas R2 and R3 in Figure 17(b)) are determined to be rust-free (confirmed to be rust-free).

Such a judgment is made using a machine learning algorithm in artificial intelligence (AI). That is, machine learning is performed using learning data (teacher data) such as locations where rust has actually been confirmed to have reached the surface, or locations where rust has actually been confirmed to have occurred in the steel material beneath the paint, to make a judgment. By constantly performing such machine learning, the judgment accuracy can be improved. For example, even if numbers or a radiation mark are painted on the surface of the drum can 101, it is possible to prevent these from being judged as rust.

The results of such a determination are output and displayed together with the position information of each drum 101. That is, as described above, the management computer 7 is capable of identifying where the drum 101 with which identification information is located, and of identifying which image each represents. For this reason, the determination results are output in correspondence with the placement positions of the drums 101. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, in a diagram showing the placement layout of the drums 101, determination information regarding drums 101 that have been determined to have rust or to require caution regarding rust is displayed on the display. In this case, the determination information includes the inspection date and time, whether rust has been confirmed or to require caution regarding rust, the identification information of the drum 101 (drum management number), the location of rust, and the size of the rust, as well as a link to display an image of the drum 101.

When a drum 101 that has been determined to be rust-free is specified, the inspection date and time, a notice that it has been determined to be rust-free, the identification information of the drum 101, and a link to display an image of the drum 101 are displayed. Furthermore, information about each drum 101 can be input and stored in the management computer 7. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, when a drum 101 is repaired, the repair date and repair location can be input and stored, and can be displayed at any time.

According to the management computer 7 and the drum inspection method using the management computer 7 configured as described above, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the drum 101 is determined based on image data of the drum 101 photographed by a camera and scan data photographed by a three-dimensional scanner, so that the presence or absence of an abnormality in the drum 101 can be inspected with higher accuracy. That is, it is difficult to determine three-dimensional abnormalities such as deformation or unevenness on the surface of the drum 101 or corrosion that has occurred under the paint (paint build-up) using only two-dimensional image data photographed by a camera, but by taking the three-dimensional scan data into consideration, it is possible to determine these abnormalities as well. Therefore, by determining the presence or absence of an abnormality in the drum 101 based on image data and scan data, it is possible to inspect the drum 101 with higher accuracy.

Specifically, if a discolored area in the image data matches a deformed area in the scan data, it is determined that rust is present, making it possible to more reliably determine and inspect for the occurrence of rust. In other words, when rust occurs and progresses on the steel material underneath the paint, the surrounding area discolors and the paint rises and deforms (the paint rises and breaks, causing the surrounding area to discolor). For this reason, if the same area of the drum 101 is discolored and deformed, it is possible to more reliably determine and inspect for the occurrence of rust by determining that that area is rusted.

In addition, if a deformed area in the scan data does not show discoloration in the image data, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust (high risk of rust occurrence), making it possible to determine and inspect the occurrence of rust without overlooking it. That is, in the early stages when rust occurs on the steel material underneath the paint, the paint may rise and deform. Therefore, if the same area of the drum 101 is deformed but not discolored, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust occurring in that area, making it possible to determine and inspect the occurrence of rust without overlooking it. In other words, it is possible to find rust before the surface of the drum 101 has discolored.

By the way, by installing the following drum inspection program in a general-purpose computer, it is possible to construct a management computer 7. That is, this drum inspection program causes the computer to function as a determination means for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the drum 101 based on image data generated by photographing the drum 101 with a camera and scan data generated by photographing the drum 101 with a 3D scanner, and determines that there is rust if a discolored area in the image data matches a deformed area in the scan data, and determines that there is a possibility of rust if the deformed area in the scan data is not discolored in the image data.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiment, and the present invention includes design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the vertical connecting means and the depth connecting means are configured as separate bodies, but they may be configured as one body, or the vertical connecting means and the depth connecting means may be configured as one body using a plate-like body (wall body).

If a device that can adjust the fork spacing using a forklift attachment is available, the spacing of the claw insertion parts 14 of the upper plate 11 is made wider than the outer periphery of the peephole 11b, and each connecting claw 32 is extended in the depth direction. The extended connecting claws 32 are then inserted and penetrate the claw insertion parts 14 of the multiple drum can pallets 1, so that the multiple drum can pallets 1 are in a state of being pierced horizontally, which further improves the earthquake resistance. In this case, the connecting claws 32 and the horizontal connecting bar main body 31 may be separated, and after inserting the connecting claws 32, they may be fastened to the horizontal connecting bar main body 31 with bolts or the like. The spacing of the claw insertion parts 14 is made wider so that the extended connecting claws 32 do not pass directly under the peephole 11b, thereby preventing interference with the photographing of the bottom of the drum can 101 and the collection of scan data.

The drum pallet 1 is made of a lightweight material with sufficient strength and rigidity (e.g., aluminum alloy or hollow steel). However, if there is concern that galvanic corrosion due to a corrosion potential difference may occur between the drum 101 and the drum pallet 1, measures against galvanic corrosion may be taken by inserting an insulating shim such as a ring-shaped plastic that matches the shape of the lower edge housing portion 11a and the upper edge housing portion 12a.

Although the inspection vehicles 4, 5 are designed to move along the guide rails 15, 16, the inspection vehicles 4, 5 may be automatically controlled to move along a preset travel route. In this case, if they are on the same plane, there is no need to turn the inspection lift conveyor 6, and it is sufficient to move the inspection vehicles 4, 5 up and down using the inspection lift conveyor 6. Furthermore, instead of the inspection lift conveyor 6, a slope or conveyor connecting the upper and lower drum pallets 1 may be provided as a mechanism for lifting and lowering the camera device, and the inspection vehicles 4, 5 may move up and down on this slope, etc.

The judgment algorithm by the management computer 7 is not limited to the above. For example, if there is a black or reddish-brown discolored area in the image data, but that area is less than a specified sparse state (flat/smooth) in the scan data, it may be judged that there is a possibility of rust (for example, pinhole-shaped rust). Also, if there is an area in the image data that is recognized as a crack, but that area is less than a specified sparse state (flat/smooth) in the scan data, it may be judged that there is a possibility of crack.

Normally, there is a certain gap between the top surface/top lid of the drum 101 and the radioactive waste, and the top surface of the drum 101 does not corrode, so in the above embodiment, the top surface of the drum 101 is not inspected, but it may be possible to inspect it. For example, a peephole similar to the peephole 11b may be provided in the bottom plate 12 of the drum pallet 1, and a top surface imaging device that images the top surface of the drum 101 may be moved through this peephole.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Drum pallet 10 Drum pallet frame 100 Drum storage and inspection equipment 11 Upper plate 11a Lower edge storage section 11b Peephole 12 Lower plate 12a Upper edge storage section 14 Claw insertion section 15 Upper guide rail 16 Lower guide rail 2 Adjacent connector (adjacent connector means)
30 Horizontal connecting bar (horizontal connecting means)
32 Connecting claw 35 Vertical connecting bar (vertical connecting means)
36 Depth connecting bar (depth connecting means)
4. Bottom inspection vehicle (bottom photography device)
5. Side inspection vehicle (side photography device)
6. Inspection lifting conveyor (first imaging device lifting mechanism, second imaging device lifting mechanism)
7 Management computer (drum inspection device, judgment means)
101 Drum can 101a Lower edge 101b Upper edge

Claims (4)

The presence or absence of an abnormality in a drum can is determined based on image data generated by photographing a painted drum can from the outside with a camera and scan data generated by photographing the drum can from the outside with a 3D scanner;
If a discolored area in the image data matches an area in the scan data where paint is raised and deformed , it is determined that rust is present.
A drum inspection device characterized by the above. If a portion where the paint is raised and deformed in the scan data is not discolored in the image data, it is determined that there is a possibility of rust.
2. The drum inspection device according to claim 1 . Computer,
a determination means for determining whether or not there is an abnormality in a drum can based on image data generated by photographing the drum can having a painted surface from the outside with a camera and scan data generated by photographing the drum can from the outside with a three-dimensional scanner;
A drum inspection program, comprising:
The drum inspection program is characterized in that the determination means determines that there is rust when a discolored area in the image data matches an area in the scan data where paint is raised and deformed . The determining means determines that there is a possibility of rust when a portion where paint is raised and deformed in the scan data is not discolored in the image data.
4. The drum inspection program according to claim 3.

Images