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Reconstitution and repair system for nuclear fuel rod assemblies

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5960830
; ; ; ;
A system is described for repairing and reconstituting fuel assemblies submerged within a spent fuel pool, wherein each assembly includes a square array of fuel rods disposed between a top and a bottom nozzle fuel assembly, comprising: (a) an elevator and carriage means having a pair of adjacent baskets for containing and supporting a pair of fuel assemblies in side-by-side relationship so that the bottom ends of the fuel assemblies are mutually adjacent, a carriage means for lifting and lowering the baskets within the pool, and a basket inverting means including means for rotatably mounting the baskets to the carriage means for selectively inverting the baskets; (b) a rod handling tool having a length adjustable housing that includes a gripper means on its distal end and a lift motor means on its proximal end for gripping, lifting, lowering and ungripping a fuel rod, and a linkage for connecting the lift motor means with the gripper means which automatically adjusts its length to accommodate adjustments in the length of the housing, and (c) a tool positioner detachably mountable over the adjacent bottom ends of the fuel assemblies, the positioner having a tool guide for receiving and guiding the gripper means of the rod handling tool, first and second remotely operable slave carriages for moving the tool guide in different directions across the ends of the fuel assemblies, and a master carriage linked to the first and second slave carriages by at least one loop of cable for remotely moving the first and second slave carriages.
Assignee:
Westinghouse Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
Patent Number(s):
US 4822554
OSTI ID:
5960830
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Gripping apparatus of a lifting device, especially in a core reactor for setting down and lifting fuel elements and fuel rods
Patent · Mon Mar 22 23:00:00 EST 1976 · OSTI ID:7351803
Tool for pulling multiple rods from a nuclear fuel assembly
Patent · Tue Aug 18 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · OSTI ID:5992467
Apparatus for consolidation of spent nuclear fuel rods
Patent · Mon Mar 23 23:00:00 EST 1992 · OSTI ID:5218164

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
FUELS
MAINTENANCE
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
NUCLEAR FUELS
POSITIONING
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MAINTENANCE
REACTOR MATERIALS
REPAIR
SPENT FUELS
TRANSPORT