System for determining bow, twist and tilt of a nuclear fuel assembly

Patent · Tue Jul 26 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6942115

Toline, R W; Mummert, C R

This patent describes an apparatus for determining external dimensional relationships of a nuclear fuel assembly including an array of elongated fuel rods engaged in transverse grids and extending between top and bottom nozzles. Each of the grids and nozzles has external planar faces arranged in a rectangular configuration. The apparatus comprises: support means, carriage means mounted on the support means for cooperation therewith to define mutually perpendicular X and Y and Z references axes and XY and XZ and YZ reference planes, positioning means on the support means for fixedly positioning the fuel assembly in a selected orientation with the faces of the top nozzle disposed parallel to the Z axis. The carriage means and the XY plane being movable parallel to the Z axis and generally longitudinally of the fuel assembly among measuring locations respectively disposed adjacent to the nozzles and the grids with the XY plane defining a measurement plane intersecting the faces of the adjacent nozzle or grid, measuring means mounted on the carriage means for movement in the XY plane into and out of measuring engagement with intersecting faces of the adjacent nozzle or grid for establishing on the faces measurement points and measuring the distances of the points from the XZ and YZ planes, control means for controlling the movement of the carriage means and the measuring means, and processing means for calculating from the measured distances the location of the center of each of the grids and nozzles in its associated measurement plane and further calculating from the center locations the tilt of the fuel assembly and the bow and twist of the fuel assembly at each of the grids thereof.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4759897
• OSTI ID: 6942115
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
CALCULATION METHODS
ELECTRODES
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUELS
GRIDS
MATERIALS
MEASURING METHODS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTOR MATERIALS