Multizone automated nuclear fuel rod loading system

Patent · Tue Dec 25 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:5638249

Schoenig, Jr, F C; Tashijian, D G; Lamb, A C; Guilliams, B S; Tunnell, G W; Meeka, E W

This patent describes, in the manufacture of nuclear fuel rods, an automated system for loading fuel pellets into cladding tubes. It comprises storage units, each storing trays of fuel pellets of different enrichments; a tray conveyor; cladding tube handling apparatus for arranging a predetermined number of cladding tubes in predetermined parallel pellet loading positions; a zone makeup machine; a vibratory loader for concurrently loading the pellet zones from the loading surface into the predetermined number of cladding tubes arranged in the loading positions; and a central controller for automatically controlling the operations of the tray conveyor, the tube handling apparatus, the zone makeup machine, and the vibratory loader.

• Assignee: General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (USA)
• Patent Number(s): US 4980119; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-503079
• OSTI ID: 5638249
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
42 ENGINEERING
420203 -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
AUTOMATION
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PELLETS
FUEL RODS
LOADING
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
PELLETS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
STORAGE