# US 2014/0192943 A1 · Fuel rod testing apparatus for nuclear fuel assembly

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- Number: US 2014/0192943 A1
- Document ID: US20140192943A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/149,879
- Filed: 2014-01-08
- 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; Ui Jea LEE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192943A1

## CPC

- G21C 17/002: {Detection of leaks (by testing the coolant or the moderator G21C17/04)}
- G21C 17/07: Leak testing
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Disclosed is a fuel rod testing apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly. The fuel rod testing apparatus includes a helium leakage testing chamber having a gate so that a fuel rod is horizontally loaded/unloaded and testing whether or not helium leaks from the fuel rod, a fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit that has first and second transfer sections located in front of the gate and horizontally installed apart from each other in order to guide the fuel rod loaded into or unloaded from the helium leakage testing chamber, and that vertically drives the first and second transfer sections, and a main frame that has a upper transfer section disposed in parallel in a lengthwise direction of the fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit and having an inclined face and a lower transfer section installed at a lower portion of the upper transfer section and having an inclined face.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel rod testing apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly comprising:
a helium leakage testing chamber having a gate at one side thereof so that a fuel rod is horizontally loaded/unloaded in a lengthwise direction and testing whether or not helium leaks from the fuel rod;
a fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit that has first and second transfer sections located in front of the gate and horizontally installed on upper and lower stages apart from each other in order to guide the fuel rod loaded into or unloaded from the helium leakage testing chamber, and that vertically drives the first and second transfer sections; and
a main frame that has an upper transfer section disposed in parallel in a lengthwise direction of the fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit and having an inclined face toward the fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit and a lower transfer section installed at a lower portion of the upper transfer section and having an inclined face in an opposite direction of the inclined face of the upper transfer section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel rod testing apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second transfer sections each include at least one drive roller and a plurality of idle rollers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel rod testing apparatus set forth in claim 1, further comprising a testing table installed adjacent to the lower transfer section, wherein the fuel rod undergoing a helium leakage test is transferred to the testing table via the lower transfer section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fuel rod testing apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper transfer section further includes a stopper member that is allowed to protrude on a transfer path of the fuel rod.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fuel rod testing apparatus set forth in claim 4, wherein the stopper member includes first and second stoppers that protrude upward from opposite ends of a lever pivotally installed on the upper transfer section, and a rotary driver rotating the lever, and the first and second stoppers are spaced apart a predetermined distance from each other and protrude from a transfer face of the upper transfer section at different points of time.