Equipment for producing nuclear fuel powder

An installation for the production of nuclear fuel powder comprising:

• a conversion installation configured for converting of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) into uranium dioxide (UO2), the conversion installation comprising:
• a hydrolysis reactor configured for converting UF6 into uranium oxyfluoride powder (UO2F2) by reaction between gaseous UF6 and dry water vapor injected into the hydrolysis reactor;
• and
• a pyrohydrolysis furnace configured for converting the UO2F2 powder into UO2 powder by reacting the UO2F2 powder with dry water vapor and gaseous hydrogen (H2) circulating in the pyrohydrolysis furnace;
• and
• a packaging unit for the UO2 powder, the packaging unit comprising a filling station for filling a container with UO2 powder, the filling station comprising a containment chamber, a filling duct supplied with UO2 powder from the pyrohydrolysis furnace and having an outlet opening into the containment chamber, and a suction system comprising a suction ring disposed at the outlet of the filling duct for sucking an annular air flow around a stream of UO2 powder falling from the outlet of the filling duct into the container.