摘要:
A system for metering the feed of portions of nuclear fuel assemblies and comprising a declivitous screen for receiving the portions and separating the portions into larger and smaller components thereof. The separated components are independently fed into a storage container by a variety of means including hoppers, receptacles, chambers, troughs and chutes, acting in a sequential manner, so as to provide efficient filling of the container.
摘要:
A vertical cell is provided for receiving a nuclear fuel assembly having a bundle of fuel rods retained at the nodes of a regular lattice and a skeleton formed of two end pieces connected together by tie rods and grids spaced apart along the tie rods. The structure of the cell has a cross-section corresponding to that of the assembly to be received and carries mechanisms for retaining the grids and the lower end piece, and a comb mechanism for holding the rods at their nominal spacing. The comb mechanism comprises at least two sets of combs carried by a frame fixed to the structure. The combs of each set are guided on the frame, and jacks move them towards and away from each other in a direction transversal to the movement of the combs of the other set. One of the grid retention mechanisms comprises jaws pivotably mounted on the structure and connected to simultaneous control jacks which move the jaws between a position in which they release the grid situated immediately below the comb mechanism and another position in which the jaws grip the grid on all sides thereof.
摘要:
A band saw blade is loaded between pairs of guide wheels upon tensioning the blade by guiding the blade between pairs of spaced guide plates which define converging slots that converge toward the guide wheels. The approach is particularly useful in loading blades on underwater band saw machines used to cut radioactive materials.
摘要:
A method of withdrawing spent fuel rods from a nuclear fuel rod assembly into a different nuclear fuel rod container wherein the spent fuel rods have a higher fuel rod density, whereby a greater number of spent fuel rods can be stored in a water storage pool. The individual rods are drawn upwardly through a transition funnel from the fuel rod assembly into a fuel rod container. Individual wires extend through the fuel rod container, through the transition funnel and are secured to the top ends of the individual fuel rods within a fuel rod assembly. All of the fuel rods are withdrawn concurrently and are merged toward one another into a tighter array within the fuel rod container.
摘要:
The invention is directed to a remotely-operable positioning and carrier aratus for remote-handling equipment for use in large-area cells containing process components. The apparatus is mounted on a lifting device of an overhead bridge crane. The apparatus achieves good positioning of the particular remote-handling equipment even at locations which are poorly accessible. The apparatus includes a horizontal beam which is fixed at an eccentric position thereon to the bottom sheave unit of the lifting device so that the horizontal beam defines a long lever arm and a short lever arm. A receiving lever is pivotally connected to the end of the longer lever arm. The receiving lever has an equipment receiving device at its free end. A displaceable counterweight is arranged on the short lever arm for altering the position of the center of gravity of the apparatus. This apparatus makes it possible also to operate in spaces beneath components present in a rack. It is further possible for vertical forces to be applied to objects on one side in parallel relationship to the line of action of the lift cable of the lifting device. With the apparatus of the invention, it is possible to operate with a crane in areas inaccessible with the hook of the crane lifting device.
摘要:
An apparatus for the simultaneous shearing of two sides of the boiling water nuclear reactor control rod. The rotation of the rods at 90 degree rotation and the shearing of the second two sides underwater in a nuclear waste storage pool.In a previous application by A. H. Krieg, Ser. No. 692,849, we have seen the crushing of a BWR control rod for the purpose of reducing nuclear radioactive waste. The control rod however has an end referred to as the velocity limiter end, which is round and bulbous. This end can not be crushed practically, due to its mass. The purpose of this invention is to shear or cut-off the velocity limiter from the rest of the control rod thus having the remaining cruciform crushable. Between the velocity limiter and the rest of the control rod are 2 "D" shaped holes, hereafter refered to as the "D" holes. At this point the control rod is solid and does not contain hollow fins or boron rods.The control rod can therefore be sheared at the "D" hole without concern of polluting the containment pool. At the bottom of the velocity limiter, in its center, is a protrusion which is cylindrical. This protrusion is allowed to stick into a hole in the turntable that rotates the velocity limiter in 90 degree increments for shearing and alignment. At the bottom of the velocity limiter are four ball or wheel like protrusions. These fit into slots in the turntable, and because they are in alignment with the fins, cause the correct positioning of the entire device for shearing. They act as the positioning stop for a rotating device that controls the turning of the control rod. In this manner, it is possible to index the control rod in such a way so that the shearing heads can be activated and carry out their designed function. After the first shearing operation is complete the shearing heads are retracted from the control rod to a sufficient distance to allow rotation. After completion of rotation, the shearing heads are returned to their working position.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for withdrawing spent fuel rods from a nuclear fuel rod assembly into a different nuclear fuel rod container wherein the spent fuel rods have a higher fuel rod density, whereby a greater number of spent fuel rods can be stored in a water storage pool. The individual rods are drawn upwardly through a transition funnel from the fuel rod assembly into a fuel rod container. Individual pulling elements extend through the fuel rod container and through the transition funnel. The pulling members each includes a renewable metal cap and an electrode for welding the cap to the top end of an individual fuel rod within a fuel rod assembly. All of the fuel rods are withdrawn concurrently and are merged toward one another into a tighter array within the fuel rod container.
摘要:
A treating process for the separation of coated nuclear fuel particles from a graphitic matrix in which the nuclear fuel particles are embedded, which is employed in an installation for the conditioning of graphitic fuel elements of high-temperature nuclear reactors. The graphite which encompasses the nuclear fuel particles is conducted away through the action of a brush which isolates the nuclear fuel particles together with their coatings or the nuclear particles themselves, and wherein the nuclear fuel particles which are contained in the brushed product are then separated from the comminuted graphite. The nuclear fuel particles are worked out of the graphitic matrix through the action of the bristles of the brush which conduct the graphite away, but in which the coated nuclear fuel particles when they are contained within hard coatings or the nuclear fuel particles themselves, remain preserved. The worked out nuclear fuel particles are separated from the comminuted graphite fraction through the delivery of the brushed product into a sifter which is passed through by a separating gas, and in which the fine-grained fraction is conveyed away together with the gas stream.
摘要:
Device for disposing of elongated core instrumentation probes from nuclear reactors, the device having a guide for the probes to be disposed of, shears for cutting the elongated probes into sections and a shroud for receiving the sections, including a shielded storage container, the guide including a switch for bypassing the shroud, and means for controlling the switch together with the shears for directing relatively long probe sections having a relatively low radiation level into the shroud, and for cutting probe parts having a relatively high radiation level into manifold shorter sections and guiding the manifold shorter sections of the probes having the relatively high radiation level into the storage container.
摘要:
An elongated canister (86) into which the fuel rods (42) from, preferably, two nuclear fuel assemblies (32) are inserted from above, and then passively consolidated within the canister such that at the lower end (88) the effective density of the rods is approximately double that of each fuel assembly. The canister includes a straight vertical back panel (308), side panels (312) having straight upper (310) and inwardly oriented, tapered lower portions (314), and a front panel (300) having straight upper (302) and tapered lower (304) portions. Spaced apart plates (90) extending between the front and back panels, and a temporary base (320), preferably titled from front to back, in conjunction with the generally funnel-shaped canister, operate to urge the rods close together while the rod pattern is transformed from square to triangular pitch. In the preferred embodiment, the canister has a detachable base (92) which can be removed through the bottom of the canister while supporting the weight of the consolidated rods.