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US 4,495,146 AGranted
Spherical nuclear fuel loading system
AssigneeExxon Nuclear Company, Inc.
InventorAime A. Gheri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for the loading of spherical nuclear fuel in vertical fuel rods. The system includes a fuel rod support, a glovebox, a weighing station system, a means for feeding spherical fuel to the fuel rod and transportation means for moving the fuel between parts of the system.
Claims9
A system for the loading of substantially spherical nuclear fuel into a vertically maintained fuel rod comprising:
- (a) a main house having an inert atmosphere and having a sealable opening to receive three quantities of fuel spheres, each quantity having a different diameter for loading into fuel rods, said fuel rods having one open end within said housing;
- (b) a weighing station system for receiving said spheres and separating each of said three quantities of spheres into predetermined quantities, said weighing station including a balance means for weighing said nuclear fuel spheres;
- (c) a means for transferring said fuel spheres after entering said main housing to said weighing station within said main housing;
- (d) a fuel rod support system for supporting said fuel rod in an upright position;
- (e) a means for feeding said predetermined quantities of said fuel spheres in a controlled manner into said fuel rod so as to randomly mix said fuel spheres;
- (f) a means for raising and lowering said feeding means,
- (g) a means for transferring each of said predetermined quantities of said fuel spheres to a corresponding hopper of said feeding means for subsequent loading into said fuel rod;
- (h) a means for maintaining said fuel rod in sealing engagement with said main housing in order to preserve said inert atmosphere.
5 more elements
A method for loading a nuclear fuel rod with comprising:
- (a) connecting a fuel rod to a glove box having an inert atmosphere;
- (b) transferring nuclear fuel spheres having three different diameters into said glove box;
- (c) transferring said fuel spheres to weighing stations within said glove box, a different weighing station corresponding to each diameter of said nuclear fuel spheres;
- (d) weighing out a predetermined quantity of fuel spheres for each diameter;
- (e) lowering a fuel probe into said fuel rod so that the lower end of said probe is just above the bottom of said fuel rod;
- (f) transferring said fuel spheres to hoppers on said fuel probe, one hopper corresponding to each of said diameters of said nuclear fuel sphere;
- (g) discharging said nuclear fuel spheres from said lower end of said fuel probe at a controlled rate into said fuel rod;
- (h) removing said fuel probe from said fuel rod at a rate such that said lower end of said fuel probe remains just above the top of the ascending fuel column.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.