Method for cutting a piece of sheet metal used to hold a layer of neutron-absorbing material on a wall of an atomic fuel assembly storage rack cell
AssigneeSociete Atlantique de Techniques Avancees-ATEA-
InventorsJean-Paul Souchet, Marc Doukhan
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for refurbishing an atomic fuel assembly storage rack the partitions (10) of which include a layer (14) of neutron-absorbing material between a wall (16) and a more or less rectangular piece of sheet metal (18) welded onto said wall. In this method the sheet metal is cut along each of the four sides. Once the short sides of sheet metal (18) have been cut by cutting the welding spots or by cutting it into sections the long sides are cut using a cutting head (20) that includes one to four blade-blade support assemblies (22) or one to four blades. Each blade (24) and blade support (26) is either fixed or movable.
Claims12
Method for cutting a substantially rectangular piece of sheet metal, having two short sides and two long sides welded onto a wall of a nuclear fuel assembly storage rack cell, such that a layer of neutron-absorbing material, held initially between the sheet metal and said wall, may be removed, wherein said method comprises the following stages:
- cutting the two short sides of the sheet metal;
- cutting the two long sides of the sheet metal in a continual movement from one end of the sheet metal to the other with a cutting head that includes at least one single blade or one blade assembly comprising at least one blade and one blade support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.