CHARGING AND DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR AND SIMILAR APPLICATIONS

Patent · Mon Jun 13 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4813210

A device is described for charging and discharging the fuel elements placed side by side in vertical position in the core of a nuclear reactor. For these reactors, a rotating shield system is generally situated above the reactor core with at least one charging hole that can be brought into alignment with the axis of each fuel element. In order to avoid taking away adjacent fuel elements when a particular element is being removed, a vertical guide tube is provided having at its ends a flange that retains the adjacent fuel elements. After being coupled with the handling head of the fuel element, a grip is lifted by a cable and a drum drive, the latter being mounted in the shielding plug obturating the charging hole, and brings the fuel element into the guide tube. The shielding plug which supports the guide tube is then removed from the reactor together with the fuel element. The grip comprises a heavy cylindrical clamp support sliding on a central rod to which the lifting cable is fixed. The movement of the clamps is controlled by the movement of said support relative to the rod, the latter movement being induced as the support is coming to rest on the handling head of the element to be removed. (NPO)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-16-006199
• OSTI ID: 4813210
• Report Number(s): FR 1236554
• Country of Publication: France
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CABLES
CONFIGURATION
CONTROL
CYLINDERS
FUEL ELEMENTS
MACHINE PARTS
MAINTENANCE
MOTION
MOTORS
PATENT
PERFORMANCE
PLANNING
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REMOTE CONTROL
REMOTE HANDLING
RODS
ROTATION
SERVOMECHANISMS
SHIELDING
TRANSPORT
TUBES