# US 2014/0190945 A1 · Plasma welding apparatus for guide thimble and guide thimble end plug of nuclear fuel assembly

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- Number: US 2014/0190945 A1
- Document ID: US20140190945A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/149,102
- Filed: 2014-01-07
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Ju Young LEE; Chang Hwan Hwang; Hung Soon Chang; Soon Ki Guk; Tae Hyung Na; Yeong Seon Oh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190945A1

## CPC

- G21C 21/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of reactors or parts thereof (in general section B, e.g. B23)
- B23K 10/006: {Control circuits therefor}
- B23K 10/02: Plasma welding
- B23K 37/0211: {travelling on a guide member, e.g. rail, track}
- G21C 3/334: Assembling {, maintenance or repair of} the bundles {(assembling, maintenance or repair of other reactor components G21C19/207)}
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Disclosed is a plasma welding apparatus for a guide thimble and guide thimble end plug of a nuclear fuel assembly, which includes: a welding chamber (100) includes an end-plug inserting part (110) into which the end plug (10) is inserted, a guide-thimble inserting part (120) which is provided on the same axis as the end-plug inserting part (110) and into which the guide thimble (20) is inserted and fixed, a torch assembling part (130) to which a plasma welding torch (131) is assembled so as to make a right angle with the end-plug inserting part (110) and the guide-thimble inserting part (120), and argon inflow and outflow ports (141, 142) through which argon is supplied or discharged; an end-plug transfer unit (210) supplying the end plug (10) to the end-plug inserting part (110); and an guide-thimble transfer unit (220) transferring the guide thimble (20) to the guide-thimble inserting part (120).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plasma welding apparatus for a guide thimble and guide thimble end plug of a nuclear fuel assembly, comprising:
a welding chamber including an end-plug inserting part into which the end plug is inserted and fixed, a guide-thimble inserting part which is provided on the same axis as the end-plug inserting part and into which the guide thimble is inserted and fixed, a torch assembling part to which a plasma welding torch is assembled so as to make a right angle with the end-plug inserting part and the guide-thimble inserting part, and argon inflow and outflow ports through which argon is supplied or discharged;
an end-plug transfer unit supplying the end plug to the end-plug inserting part; and
an guide-thimble transfer unit transferring the guide thimble to the guide-thimble inserting part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plasma welding apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the end-plug inserting part and the guide-thimble inserting part are provided so as to be able to rotate relative to the welding chamber, and are rotated by a driving motor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The plasma welding apparatus set forth in claim 2, wherein the end-plug inserting part and the guide-thimble inserting part are assembled to the welding chamber via at least one bearing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The plasma welding apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the argon inflow and outflow ports are configured so that argon is introduced at a lower portion of the welding chamber and is discharged to an upper portion of the welding chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The plasma welding apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide-thimble inserting part includes a collet into which the guide thimble is inserted, a jig that horizontally moves along the collet in a forward/backward direction and provides the collet with a fastening force for fixing the guide thimble, and a lever operating the jig.