US3068035A - Unloading device, particularly for fuel elements of nuclear reactors - Google Patents

Unloading device, particularly for fuel elements of nuclear reactors Download PDF

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Publication number
US3068035A
US3068035A US7010A US701060A US3068035A US 3068035 A US3068035 A US 3068035A US 7010 A US7010 A US 7010A US 701060 A US701060 A US 701060A US 3068035 A US3068035 A US 3068035A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
sheath
fingers
rod
unloading device
recesses
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US7010A
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English (en)
Inventor
Foglia Sebastien
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
Original Assignee
Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA filed Critical Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3068035A publication Critical patent/US3068035A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
    • B65D1/34—Trays or like shallow containers
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C19/00—Arrangements for treating, for handling, or for facilitating the handling of, fuel or other materials which are used within the reactor, e.g. within its pressure vessel
    • G21C19/26—Arrangements for removing jammed or damaged fuel elements or control elements; Arrangements for moving broken parts thereof
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S294/00—Handling: hand and hoist-line implements
    • Y10S294/906—Atomic fuel handler

Definitions

  • the object of the present invention is to provide an unloading device for fuel elements of nuclear reactors, which makes it easy to remove from a reactor fuel rods, sheaths or control rods which have undergone such damage as to make it impossible to use conventional unloading means.
  • the device is essentially characterized in that it comprises a heavy cylindrical body provided at the bottom with three vertical fingers each of which has a recess on its face coming in contact with the element to be removed, a ball or roller located in each recess engaging the element when the device is raised.
  • the device according to the invention is very simple to manufacture and to use, and may be employed to unload not only fuel rods, but also the sheaths or sleeves. In effect all that is required is to provide recesses containing blocking balls on the desired faces of the fingers. By providing two recesses on the opposite operative faces of the fingers the device may even be used to unload simultaneously a fuel rod and its graphite sheath.
  • FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the unloading device according to the invention, shown in operative position with respect to a rod as well as to its sheath.
  • FIG. 2 is a view in detail of one of the fingers of the device.
  • FIG. 3 is a section on line a-a of FIG. 2.
  • the unloading device consists of a body 1 of circular cross-section provided at the top with a ring 2 for securing a lifting cable, and at the bottom with three vertical fingers 3.
  • the fingers 3 are angularly spaced 120 from each other, and their internal faces 4 enclose a cylinder of diameter corresponding to the diameter of a rod 5 which is to be unloaded. In other words when the device is placed in position the faces 4 slide with some play on the peripheral surface of the rod.
  • the width of the fingers in a radial direction is such that these can enter without hindrance between the rod 5 and the wall of the bore in which it is contained, or between the rod and a sheath 6 which surrounds it, if such a sheath is provided as shown. If the 3,068,035 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 device is to be used to lift out such a sheath 6, the external faces of the lingers are spaced from the axis of the device a distance such that they slide with some play on the inner wall of the sheath 6.
  • Each finger of the device has an elongated recess 7 on its inner face if the element to be removed is a rod or the like, or a recess 7' on its outer face if the element to be removed is, for example, a sheath.
  • two recesses, 7 and 7' have Ebeen shown on each finger, in which case the device may be used to remove simultaneously a rod and a sheath, but it is understood that only one set of recesses, 7 or 7', may be provided if it is desired to limit the use of the device to only one of these two types of elements.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate in greater detail the construction of one of the fingers of the device.
  • the finger is formed as a bar 8 of rectangular cross-section, pointed at its end, and of suitable length.
  • the bar has a recess 7 on the inner face of the finger, and a recess 7 on the outer face.
  • the recesses are at different horizontal levels to avoid excessive thinning of the section of the finger, and they are formed aS elongated triangles, as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the recess 7 has located in it a Iball (or roller) 9 and the recess 7' a ball (or roller) 9.
  • the balls or rollers are kept in place laterally by two strips 10 and 11 secured to the bar 8 forming the iinger.
  • the strips as shown in FIG. 3, have in cross-section the shape of a flattened T and comprise two flanges such as 12 and 13, each of which terminates in a small lip 14.
  • the ball 9 is free to move within the space formed by the recess 7 and strips 10 and 11, but it cannot fall out of this space.
  • the same goes for the ball 9' and for the balls of the other fingers which are all mounted in the same way.
  • the operation of the unloading device according to the lnvention is as follows. For example, a fuel rod 5 (FIG. l) and its graphite sheath 6 are to be removed from a lbore.
  • the device is lowered by gravity into the bore wherein it is guided by the cylindrical surface of the body 1.
  • the fingers 3 engage between the rod and the sheath, and the balls (or rollers) withdraw within the recesses by traveling inwardly therein.
  • the device is pulled back upwardly; the balls located n the recesses 7 are wedged in the cavities formed by the recesses and by the surface of the rod, thus securing together the rod and the fingers.
  • the balls in recesses 7 are wedged in the lower part of their recesses, thus securing together the sheath 6 and the fingers 3. Therefore the device as it moves up carries along with it the rod 5 and its associated sheath 6.
  • the device according to the invention may comprise either a set of internal recesses for handling rods or the like, or a set of external recesses for handling sheaths or the like, or as in the embodiment described, both internal and external recesses.
  • more than one recess may be provided on each face of the fingers.
  • the device is easy to manufacture and operate, which makes it widely applicable, it may be operated from a distance and is therefore of particular interest for the handling of radioactive elements.
  • a heavy cylindrical body having a core and a sheath spaced therefrom, at least three fingers extending from said body parallel to the longest length thereof and spaced symmetrically with respect to each other for insertion between the sheath and the core of the fuel element, surfaces on each of said lingers disposed parallel to the adjacent surface of the sheath and of the core respectively, a groove in each of said surfaces, said grooves in each of said fingers being spaced apart along the length thereof, a bottom for each of said grooves inclined downwardly toward the adjacent surface on the nger and a ball mounted in each of said grooves for movement into wedging engagement with the 15 2,514,760
  • each of said ngers comprises a bar of rectangular cross section, a plate secured to each of two opposed surfaces of said bar and extending beyond the other opposed surfaces of said bar and inturned edges on said plates, said balls being mounted between said plates and within said inturned edges.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
  • Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)
US7010A 1959-02-18 1960-02-05 Unloading device, particularly for fuel elements of nuclear reactors Expired - Lifetime US3068035A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR787024A FR1225784A (fr) 1959-02-18 1959-02-18 Outil de déchargement, notamment pour éléments de combustible de réacteurs nucléaires

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3068035A true US3068035A (en) 1962-12-11

Family

ID=8711408

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US7010A Expired - Lifetime US3068035A (en) 1959-02-18 1960-02-05 Unloading device, particularly for fuel elements of nuclear reactors

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3068035A (xx)
BE (1) BE587157A (xx)
CH (1) CH362765A (xx)
DE (1) DE1100193B (xx)
FR (1) FR1225784A (xx)
GB (1) GB910843A (xx)
LU (1) LU38215A1 (xx)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4551299A (en) * 1982-09-15 1985-11-05 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple fuel rod gripper
US4651400A (en) * 1983-12-21 1987-03-24 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple fuel rod gripper
US10729609B2 (en) 2014-03-28 2020-08-04 Izak Du Bruyn Gravestone marker with protected viewing chamber

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1273157B (de) * 1965-07-20 1968-07-18 August Laepple G M B H & Co Tragvorrichtung zum Aufhaengen und Handhaben von schweren Lasten
EP0200988A1 (en) * 1985-05-06 1986-11-12 Combustion Engineering, Inc. Rod pulling tool assembly
FR3115391B1 (fr) 2020-10-16 2022-10-21 Framatome Sa Dispositif d’extraction d’un crayon de combustible nucléaire ou d’un crayon de grappe et procédé d’extraction utilisant un tel dispositif d’extraction

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1509565A (en) * 1923-05-16 1924-09-23 Emil V Oswald Fishing tool
US1618851A (en) * 1924-06-06 1927-02-22 Thunberg Ernst Josef Detachable coupling for lifting ropes and the like
US2514760A (en) * 1948-09-02 1950-07-11 George G Hanson Gripping tool

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1509565A (en) * 1923-05-16 1924-09-23 Emil V Oswald Fishing tool
US1618851A (en) * 1924-06-06 1927-02-22 Thunberg Ernst Josef Detachable coupling for lifting ropes and the like
US2514760A (en) * 1948-09-02 1950-07-11 George G Hanson Gripping tool

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4551299A (en) * 1982-09-15 1985-11-05 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple fuel rod gripper
US4651400A (en) * 1983-12-21 1987-03-24 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple fuel rod gripper
US10729609B2 (en) 2014-03-28 2020-08-04 Izak Du Bruyn Gravestone marker with protected viewing chamber

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE1100193B (de) 1961-02-23
LU38215A1 (xx)
BE587157A (fr) 1960-05-30
GB910843A (en) 1962-11-21
FR1225784A (fr) 1960-07-04
CH362765A (fr) 1962-06-30

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