Method and apparatus for manufacturing fuel rods
AssigneeASEA Aktiebolag
InventorThorbjorn Sahlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for manufacturing nuclear fuel rods by introducing elongated fuel pellets into cladding tubes. The pellets are arranged in end-to-end relationship on a support and are pushed axially from the support over a well defined break point and onto a downwardly inclined guide. The guide is disposed at a sufficient angle to cause the pellets to slide therealong under the influence of gravity. The cladding tube is disposed at the lower end of the guide in alignment therewith and in a position for receiving the sliding pellets.
Claims11
A method for manufacturing nuclear fuel rods by introducing elongated fuel pellets into cladding tubes, each having an open end, said method comprising:
- positioning a support means having an edge in a horizontal orientation;
- arranging a plurality of said pellets in end-to-end relationship along a horizontal axis extending toward said edge on said support;
- providing an elongated downwardly inclined guide means disposed with its upper end in direct contact with said edge at said axis whereby said support means and said guide means together present a break point at their junction, the downward inclination of said guide means being sufficient to cause a pellet placed longitudinally thereon to slide therealong under the influence of gravity;
- positioning a cladding tube at the lower end of said guide means in longitudinal alignment therewith and in a position for receiving sliding pellets thereinto through said open end;
- and
- displacing said pellets along said axis and over said break point whereupon each pellet will individually slide down said guide means and into the cladding tube, said displacing being accomplished at a rate such that the pellets are longitudinally spaced from one another as they slide toward and into the cladding tube.
An apparatus for manufacturing nuclear fuel rods by introducing elongated fuel pellets into cladding tubes, each having an open end, said apparatus comprising:
- support means having an edge;
- means for supporting said support means so as to be horizontally disposed;
- means for arranging a plurality of said pellets in end-to-end relationship along a horizontal axis extending toward said edge on said support means;
- an elongated downwardly inclined guide means,
- means for mounting said guide means so that it will be disposed with its upper end in direct contact with said edge at said axis whereby said support means and said guide means together present a break point at their junction, the downward inclination of said guide means being sufficient to cause a pellet placed longitudinally thereon to slide therealong under the influence of gravity;
- means for positioning a cladding tube at the lower end of said guide means in longitudinal alignment therewith in a position for receiving sliding pellets thereinto through said open end;
- and
- means for displacing said pellets along said axis and over said break point whereupon each pellet will slide down said guide means and into the cladding tube, said means being operative for displacing the pellets at a rate such that the latter are longitudinally spaced from one another as they slide toward and into the cladding tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.