Method of magnetically removing an irradiated capsule from a burnable absorber rodlet

A system for removing irradiated burnable absorber (BA) capsules from a plurality of burnable absorber rodlets, the system comprising:

• a control circuit communicably coupled to a rodlet positioning module, a cutting module, and one or more BA capsule removal modules;
• the control circuit comprises at least one processor, and configured to:
• secure, by the rodlet positioning module, a first BA rodlet to the rodlet positioning module;
• position, a first BA capsule removal module around the BA rodlet;
• remove, by the cutting module, the first BA rodlet from a BA assembly, wherein the first BA rodlet comprises a plurality of BA capsules;
• select, by the first BA capsule removal module, a first BA capsule from a plurality of BA capsules;
• induce, by the first BA capsule removal module, an electromagnetic flux into the first BA capsule comprising a ferromagnetic material, wherein the electromagnetic flux locks the first ferromagnetic BA capsule in parallel with the first BA capsule removal module;
• remove, by the cutting module, a bullet nose plug from the first BA rodlet;
• leverage, by the rodlet positioning module, the position of the first BA rodlet relative to the first BA capsule removal module, wherein the applied leverage by the rodlet positioning module allows the first BA capsule removal module to move the first BA capsule in along a longitudinal axis;
• align, by the rodlet positioning module, the first BA rodlet over a first vacant storage slot in a capsule storage cage;
• and
• deposit, by the first BA capsule removal module, the first BA capsule into the first vacant storage slot of the capsule storage cage.