Nuclear fuel pellet loading apparatus
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorKenneth S. Gerkey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Automatic apparatus for loading a predetermined amount of nuclear fuel pellets into a nuclear fuel element to be used in a nuclear reactor. The apparatus consists of a vibratory bed capable of supporting corrugated trays containing rows of nuclear fuel pellets and arranged in alignment with the open ends of several nuclear fuel elements. A sweep mechanism is arranged above the trays and serves to sweep the rows of fuel pellets onto the vibratory bed and into the fuel element. A length detecting system, in conjunction with a pellet stopping mechanism, is also provided to assure that a predetermined amount of nuclear fuel pellets are loaded into each fuel element.
Claims6
Apparatus for loading a predetermined amount of nuclear fuel pellets into nuclear fuel elements comprising:
- a gas-tight housing having a sealing mechanism in the side thereof for accommodating the insertion of the open end of said fuel elements in a gas-tight manner;
- rows of nuclear fuel pellets disposed in colinear alignment with said open ends of said fuel elements for being loaded into said fuel elements;
- a drive shaft extending through said housing above and transverse to said rows of nuclear fuel pellets and being attached to a motor located outside said housing for providing a mechanism to load said fuel pellets;
- and
- a first gear disposed on said drive shaft, a second gear disposed on an axle arranged parallel to said drive shaft and above said rows of fuel pellets, a continuous drive line extending around said first gear and said second gear while being arranged substantially parallel to said rows of fuel pellets, and a dog pivotally attached to said drive line and extending downwardly into a position to contact said fuel pellets when said drive line is activated, said drive shaft being capable of rotating said first gear causing said drive line to move around said second gear thereby causing said dog to contact said fuel pellets, thus causing said fuel pellets to advance toward said fuel elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.