Process for carrying out an inspection round of nuclear installations

• US 5,339,339 A
• Filed: 09/22/1993
• Issued: 08/16/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cogema - Compagnie Generale Des Matieres Nucleaires
• Original Assignee: Cogema - Compagnie Generale Des Matieres Nucleaires
• Inventors: Ricaud, Jean-Louis, Petitclerc, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARROLL, CHRISMAN DION
• Application Number:
  US08/125,493
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 376/245, 376/259, 340/305, 340/306, 340/307, 340/308
• US Class Current: 376/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman
• CPC Class Codes: G21C 17/00 Monitoring; Testing measuring in general G01; Maintaining
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/30 Nuclear fission reactors

Abstract

Process for carrying out an inspection or monitoring round of a nuclear site (5) consisting of recording in a central computer (22) connected to a radiofrequency transmitter/receiver or transceiver (24) a combination or sequence of different collection or reading points (12) grouping sensors (10) constituting the round to be performed. This sequence is copied again into a memory of a portable microcomputer (26) carried by the watchman during the round and connected to a radiofrequency transceiver (28). Each connection point (12) is validated and this validation is transmitted to the central computer (22). The sensors are checked and any abnormal condition is indicated to the central computer (22). All the checks carried out are recorded in the portable microcomputer (26) and copied again at the end of the round into a central computer (22) in such a way that they can be processed.

Claims

1. Process for performing a monitoring or inspection round of a nuclear site over which are distributed collection or reading points carrying an identification on the said points indicated by labels, sensors and equipments, at least one sensor and at least one equipment having a certain operating state being grouped around a collection point, the round being performed by a watchman, carrying a portable microcomputer equipped with a screen associated with a radiofrequency transceiver and a wand reader for reading labels characterized in that it comprises:

(A) beforehand

(a) recording in a central computer connected to a radiofrequency transceiver,

(i) a sequence or combination of collection points, sensors to be checked and equipments to be checked and/or whose operating state is to be modified, said sequence constituting the round,

(ii) information including at least reference values, tolerance thresholds and assistance comments on the watchman'"'"'s decision concerning the collection points, the sensors to be checked and the equipments to be checked and/or whose operating state is to be modified,

(b) copying again the recording performed in (a) in the portable microcomputer,

(B) during the round, at each passage to a collection point the watchman reads the label carrying the identification reference of the point using the wand reader;

(a) performing a validation affirming passage to the collection point and for each validation a pinpointing signal of said collection point is transmitted by the transmitter connected to the portable microcomputer to the receiver connected to the central computer and recorded in the latter,

(b) checking the sensors supplying information, recording said information in the portable microcomputer and comparing same with prerecorded information concerning said sensors in such a way as to detect any abnormal state,

(c) checking and/or modifying the operating state of the equipment, recording information concerning said equipment and comparing the same with prerecorded information concerning said equipment so as to detect any abnormal state,

(d) said portable microcomputer providing to the watchman an immediate comparison at an installation site between measured information and prerecorded values corresponding to a normal operation of the installations, historical information of the measurements performed during preceding rounds and assistance comments as a function of the comparison made by the microcomputer thereby providing an immediate diagnosis for the watchman to analyze abnormal situations of said installation site and act on the process as a result thereof, any abnaormal state detection in (b) and (c) leading to the transmission by the transmitter of the portable microcomputer to the receiver of the central computer, the watchman being able then to change the passage sequence of the collection points, sensors or equipments not planned during the definition of the round or even interrupt his round,

(C) at the end of the round, the information recorded in the portable microcomputer is coped again into the central computer for processing.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that, following stages (B) (b) or (B) (c), the sequence of collection points (12), sensors (10) and equipments (11) is optionally modified, a radiofrequency transmission from the portable microcomputer (26) to the receiver of the central computer (22) informing the central computer (22) of changes.

3. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that, following stages (B) (b) or (B) (c), the round is interrupted, a radiofrequency transmission from the portable microcomputer (26) to the receiver of the central computer (22) informing the latter of the interruption.

4. Process according to claim 3, characterized in that, following an interruption, the round is optionally resumed from any random collection point (12).

5. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the validation of a collection point (12) consists of reading a bar code associated with the collection point (12).

6. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that a file of collection points (12) and their location on the site (5) also containing a list of sensors (10) and equipments (11) grouped at each collection point (12) is recorded in the central computer (22).

7. Process according to claim 6, characterized in that the sequence constituting the round is determined on the basis of said file.

8. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the sequence constituting the round is chosen from among a list of previously established sequences recorded in the central computer (22).

9. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that a theoretical time necessary to the path between each collection point (12) is recorded in the central computer (22) and, during the round, following each individual a clock is triggered by the central computer (22) and if the following validation has not taken place when the theoretical time has elapsed, an alarm is triggered by the central computer (22).