Method for decladding nuclear fuel and crushing machine by cladding deformation
AssigneeAreva Nc
InventorHubert Danten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine comprising two rollers for ovalizing a nuclear fuel cladding to crush the content thereof allowing its easy release even if the pellets are arranged in the cladding with little clearance. The opposite inclinations of the rollers promote automatic forward travel of the claddings. The opening and the inclination of the claddings lead to release of the crushed fuel. The rollers are biconical, with an input portion of increasing diameter and an output portion of decreasing diameter, to apply sufficient ovalizations to crush the fuel while restoring rotundity to the cladding when it leaves the machine, to facilitate the outflow of debris.
Claims8
Method for removing nuclear fuel from circular claddings, the fuel being in a compact state, comprising a step consisting of inserting the cladding in a machine applying deformation to the cladding by repeated ovalisation over a plurality of cycles entailing plastic deformations of the cladding, characterized in that ovalisation during the cycles is progressive from one cycle to the other and then degressive, so as to crush the fuel and then restore the claddings to the original circular shape;
- and
- tilting the cladding to remove the nuclear fuel from the cladding when the nuclear fuel is crushed.
A machine for applying deformation to fuel claddings, comprising a pair of opposite-facing rollers and a motor setting the rollers in rotation, characterized in that the rollers comprise a peripheral edge with a conical leading portion and a conical output portion, the leading portion and the output portion both extending towards a central portion of the rollers, wherein the central portion is cylindrical, and in that the rollers have axes of rotation that are essentially parallel to a direction of travel of the claddings through the machine, so that all said portions of the edge of the rollers contribute towards deforming the claddings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.