Pellet inspection apparatus
Abstract
Apparatus for inspecting nuclear fuel pellets in a sealed container for diameter, flaws, length and weight. The apparatus includes, in an array, a pellet pick-up station, four pellet inspection stations and a pellet sorting station. The pellets are delivered one at a time to the pick-up station by a vibrating bowl through a vibrating linear conveyor. Grippers each associated with a successive pair of the stations are reciprocable together to pick up a pellet at the upstream station of each pair and to deposit the pellet at the corresponding downstream station. The gripper jaws are opened selectively depending on the state of the pellets at the stations and the particular cycle in which the apparatus is operating. Inspection for diameter, flaws and length is effected in each case by a laser beam projected on the pellets by a precise optical system while each pellet is rotated by rollers. Each laser and its optical system are mounted in a container which is free standing on a precise surface and is provided with locating buttons which engage locating holes in the surface so that each laser and its optical system is precisely set. The roller stands are likewise free standing and aremore »
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864332
- Patent Number(s):
- 4349112
- Application Number:
- 06/136122
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B07 - SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS B07C - POSTAL SORTING
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-14-2170
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1980 Mar 31
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- pellet; inspection; apparatus; inspecting; nuclear; fuel; pellets; sealed; container; diameter; flaws; length; weight; array; pick-up; station; stations; sorting; delivered; time; vibrating; bowl; linear; conveyor; grippers; associated; successive; pair; reciprocable; pick; upstream; deposit; corresponding; downstream; gripper; jaws; selectively; depending; particular; cycle; operating; effected; laser; beam; projected; precise; optical; rotated; rollers; mounted; free; standing; surface; provided; locating; buttons; engage; holes; precisely; set; roller; stands; likewise; similarly; positioned; projects; light; scans; top; diode; fl; government; contract; clause; described; course; subcontract; thereunder; department; energy; bearing; ey-67-14-c-2170; free standing; fuel pellet; fuel pellets; nuclear fuel; laser beam; diode array; sealed container; inspection apparatus; diameter optical; precisely positioned; pellet inspection; inspecting nuclear; /209/198/250/376/702/976/
Citation Formats
Wilks, Robert S., Taleff, Alexander, and Sturges, Jr., Robert H. Pellet inspection apparatus. United States: N. p., 1982.
Web.
Wilks, Robert S., Taleff, Alexander, & Sturges, Jr., Robert H. Pellet inspection apparatus. United States.
Wilks, Robert S., Taleff, Alexander, and Sturges, Jr., Robert H. Fri .
"Pellet inspection apparatus". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864332.
@article{osti_864332,
title = {Pellet inspection apparatus},
author = {Wilks, Robert S. and Taleff, Alexander and Sturges, Jr., Robert H.},
abstractNote = {Apparatus for inspecting nuclear fuel pellets in a sealed container for diameter, flaws, length and weight. The apparatus includes, in an array, a pellet pick-up station, four pellet inspection stations and a pellet sorting station. The pellets are delivered one at a time to the pick-up station by a vibrating bowl through a vibrating linear conveyor. Grippers each associated with a successive pair of the stations are reciprocable together to pick up a pellet at the upstream station of each pair and to deposit the pellet at the corresponding downstream station. The gripper jaws are opened selectively depending on the state of the pellets at the stations and the particular cycle in which the apparatus is operating. Inspection for diameter, flaws and length is effected in each case by a laser beam projected on the pellets by a precise optical system while each pellet is rotated by rollers. Each laser and its optical system are mounted in a container which is free standing on a precise surface and is provided with locating buttons which engage locating holes in the surface so that each laser and its optical system is precisely set. The roller stands are likewise free standing and are similarly precisely positioned. The diameter optical system projects a thin beam of light which scans across the top of each pellet and is projected on a diode array. The fl GOVERNMENT CONTRACT CLAUSE The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a contract or subcontract thereunder with the Department of Energy bearing No. EY-67-14-C-2170.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}