Tool for pulling multiple rods from a nuclear fuel assembly
A tool is described for grasping and lifting a subset of nuclear fuel rods, including rods of contiguous fuel rod grid cells, from a vertically oriented nuclear fuel assembly including fuel rod containing grid cells, comprising: a gripper head including a frame generally oriented transversely to the fuel rods and mounted by means which permit the head to be oriented and fixed in two mutually perpendicular directions relative to the fuel assembly; a plurality of jaw mechanisms symmetrically carried on opposite sides of the frame, each jaw mechanism having means for grasping a fuel rod, the grasping means being rectangularly spaced relative to each other in conformance with the spacing of a plurality of rods of contiguous fuel rod grid cells in the assembly; an elongated shroud of uniform inner dimensions surrounding the gripper head; means for moving the gripper head longitudinally within the shroud; means operatively connected between the gripper head and the shroud, for maintaining the gripper head centered within the shroud during longitudinal movement therein; alignment means carried by the shroud for (establishing) fixing the shroud at a preselected position of the gripper head in either one of the two mutually perpendicular directions relative to the fuel rods, whereby a preselected subset of rods, at least some of which are from contiguous fuel rod grid cells, is grasped and lifted out of the assembly by the gripper head; guide means at the lower end of the shroud for maintaining the spacing of the lower ends of the subset of fuel rods as they are lifted into the shroud by the gripper head.
- Assignee:
- Combustion Engineering, Inc., Windsor, CT
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4687245
- OSTI ID:
- 5992467
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
COOLING SYSTEMS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
GRABS
HOISTING
HOISTS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
ORIENTATION
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
SHROUDS
SPACE DEPENDENCE
SUPPORTS
SYMMETRY