US 6,333,957 B1 · Tool kit for fabricating, inspecting and handling a nuclear fuel bundle

Abstract

A tool kit for adjusting the angular orientation of water rods about respective axes in a nuclear fuel bundle includes a washer wrench, socket, orientator wrenches, orientator gauges and an orientator cap. The washer wrench has opposed jaws having parallel surfaces and reliefs at junctures between the surfaces and the base of the jaws to inhibit rounding off corners of tie bars connected to the water rods. The socket has a corresponding D-shaped recess as the tie bar ends to facilitate rotational adjustment thereof. Orientator wrenches have witness notches for aligning the flats of the tie bars. The orientator gauges comprise a series of gauge bodies each having a pair of axially parallel openings with stepped margins to the openings such that one opening is axially offset from the margin defining the entrance to the other opening. The orientator cap has complementary-shaped openings for receiving the upper ends of the tie bars to maintain the orientation of the tie bars and water rods during shipment of the fuel bundle.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A tool kit for ensuring rotational orientation of a pair of tie bars having flats adjacent upper ends thereof wherein the tie bars form part of a water rod assembly in a nuclear fuel bundle, the water rod assembly including a pair of water rods, the pair of tie bars and pair of water rods having releasable locking subassemblies for respectively securing the tie bars and water rods to one another forming joints therebetween, comprising:

first and second gauges each having a gauge body with first and second openings generally complementary in shape to the respective upper ends of the tie bars having said flats, said openings having parallel axes, margins of each gauge body defining the openings being offset from one another in the direction of said axes, the openings of the second gauge being reduced in diameter relative to the openings in the first gauge body whereby the rotational orientation of the water rods about their respective axes is ensured upon application of the first and second gauges to the tie bars.

A tool kit for adjusting rotational orientation of a pair of tie bars having flats adjacent upper ends thereof wherein the tie bars form part of a water rod assembly in a nuclear fuel bundle, the water rod assembly including a pair of water rods, the pair of tie bars and pair of water rods having releasable locking subassemblies for respectively securing the tie bars and water rods to one another forming joints therebetween, comprising:

a pair of wrenches having wrench heads including openings respectively complementary in shape to the flats at the upper ends of the tie bars and reference points on the wrench heads for alignment with one another upon engagement of the tie bar upper ends in the wrench head openings to align the water rods with one another rotationally about their respective axes;
and
at least one gauge having a gauge body with first and second openings generally complementary in shape to the respective upper ends of the tie bars having said flats, said openings having parallel axes, margins of the gauge body defining the openings being offset from one another in the direction of said axes whereby rotational orientation of the water rods about their respective axes is adjusted upon application of the one gauge to said tie bars.

In a nuclear fuel bundle including tie bars with flats adjacent upper ends thereof forming part of a water rod assembly having a pair of water rods, the pair of tie bars and pair of water rods having releasable locking assemblies for respectively securing the tie bars and water rods to one another forming joints therebetween, a method for ensuring rotational orientation of the tie bars and water rods, respectively, relative to one another, comprising the steps of:

providing a pair of wrenches having wrench heads including openings respectively complementary in shape to the flats at the upper ends of the tie bars with reference points on the wrench heads;
applying the pair of wrenches to the upper ends of the tie bars and aligning the reference points on the wrench heads with one another to align the water rods with one another rotationally about their respective axes;
providing at least one gauge with first and second openings generally complementary in shape to the respective upper ends of the tie bars having said flats, with margins of the openings being axially offset from one another in the direction of the axes;
and
adjusting the rotational orientation of the water rods relative to one another by applying the one gauge to the upper ends of the tie rods having the flats.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tool kit for fabricating, inspecting and handling a nuclear fuel bundle

Life of this patent

Tool kit for fabricating, inspecting and handling a nuclear fuel bundle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23