Gripper assembly for inserting and removing burnable absorber rods and thimble plugs in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly

Patent · Tue Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6532051

Meuschke, R E

This patent describes combination with elongated members, each elongated member having a releasable latching structure disposed at one end thereof, each latching structure having at least one latching member adapted to be movable between a latched position in which the latching member is able to releasably engage the adapter plate of the top nozzle of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly and secure an elongated member in a stationary relationship with respect to the adapter plate, and an unlatched position in which the latching member is able to disengage from the adapter plate so that the elongated member can be removed from the fuel assembly, apparatus for inserting and removing the elongated members from the nuclear reactor fuel assembly comprising: a frame; first and second plates disposed within the frame, the second plate disposed below and spaced apart from the first plate, at least one of the first and second plates being capable of vertical movement relative to the other; means for moving the frame toward and away from the fuel assembly; means for moving the first and second plates within the frame toward and away from the adapter plate of the top nozzle of the fuel assembly; means for varying the vertical distance between the first and second plates between a first distance and a decreased second distance; means associated with the first and second plates for maintaining the first and second plates in a position whereby the vertical distance between the plates is the second distance.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4772446
• OSTI ID: 6532051
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
42 ENGINEERING
420203 -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
BURNABLE POISONS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MANIPULATORS
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR POISONS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTOR SAFETY
REMOTE HANDLING
REMOTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
REMOVAL
SAFETY