WO1998026426A1 - Dispositif pour charger des pastilles de combustible nucleaire - Google Patents

Dispositif pour charger des pastilles de combustible nucleaire Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1998026426A1
WO1998026426A1 PCT/GB1997/003334 GB9703334W WO9826426A1 WO 1998026426 A1 WO1998026426 A1 WO 1998026426A1 GB 9703334 W GB9703334 W GB 9703334W WO 9826426 A1 WO9826426 A1 WO 9826426A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pellets
pellet
column
length
desired length
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1997/003334
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Michael Kevin Bridges
Graeme Michael Wigg
Neil Cockbain
Gerard Toon
Original Assignee
British Nuclear Fuels Plc
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 British Nuclear Fuels Plc filed Critical British Nuclear Fuels Plc
Priority to AU52320/98A priority Critical patent/AU5232098A/en
Publication of WO1998026426A1 publication Critical patent/WO1998026426A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C21/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of reactors or parts thereof
    • G21C21/02—Manufacture of fuel elements or breeder elements contained in non-active casings
    • 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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for loading desired numbers of nuclear fuel pellets into carrier tubes to form loaded rods which are then inserted into a skeleton of grids to form the assembled nuclear fuel element.
  • the invention has particular application to the case where fuel pellets of different enrichments are to be loaded into each tube.
  • US4,748,798 describes apparatus for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a tube to produce a fuel rod which includes a pellet transporting tray provided with a plurality of parallel grooves in which the nuclear fuel pellets are placed.
  • a pellet aligning tray also provided with a groove, may be aligned with one of the grooves of the pellet transporting tray.
  • a stopper member is moveable into the groove of the aligning tray for restricting movement of a row of pellets in the groove of the aligning tray.
  • a row of pellets is transferred from the transporting tray into the groove of the pellet aligning tray until the leading pellet of the row abuts against the stopper member.
  • a pellet row length defining device includes a pellet engaging member which is moveable adjustably along the length of, and transversely into, the groove of the aligning tray to engage a specific pellet or pellets at a position spaced from the stopper member by a distance corresponding substantially to a predetermined length of the row of pellets to be loaded into the tube. Such an engagement allows the predetermined length of the row of the pellets to be discriminated and the apparatus includes a further device for pushing the discriminated predetermined length into the fuel tube.
  • apparatus for loading a desired length of nuclear fuel pellets into a carrier tube from a column of end-to-end arranged pellets, said apparatus comprising visual inspection means for viewing at least a portion of the column, means for causing said visual inspection means to identify that interface between two adjacent pellets in the column which lies closest to a position corresponding to an end of the desired length measured from one end of the column, and means, responsive to said visual inspection means, for transferring the pellets between the determined interface and said end into said carrier tube.
  • the present invention also provides apparatus for loading a desired length of nuclear fuel pellets into a carrier tube from a column of nuclear pellets of length greater than said desired length, the apparatus comprising means for determining the position along said column which is spaced from one end of said column by a length equal to said desired length, means for comparing the distances of said position to the two nearest interfaces between adjacent pellets in said column to determine that interface which lies closer to said position, and means for transferring the pellets between the determined interface and said end into said tube.
  • the apparatus includes means for transversely displacing from the column one of the two pellets adjacent to said interface which lies to that side of the interface which is remote from said one end of said column.
  • the apparatus further includes pushing means for engaging the desired length of pellets at the end exposed as a result of said transverse displacement and for moving said length of pellets longitudinally in order to transfer the length of pellets into the carrier tube.
  • the transferring movement may result in direct transfer into the carrier tube or, for instance, into an intermediate position such as that provided by an alignment device prior to further movement into the carrier tube.
  • Figure 1 shows a plan view of apparatus for loading nuclear fuel pellets into carrier tube
  • Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1
  • Figure 3 is an end view of the apparatus of Figure 1
  • Figure 4 is a side view of the vision system part of the apparatus of Figure 1
  • Figures 5 to 8 illustrate stages in the operation of the vision system.
  • FIG. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings there is depicted apparatus which is capable of carrying out automatic multi-zoned pellet stack makeup under control of a computer control system (not shown).
  • the apparatus enables one or more fuel rods (carrier tubes loaded with fuel pellets) to be made up according to a predetermined multi-zoned makeup requirement for the rod or rods.
  • a required empty tube is first plugged and the plug welded to the tube at one end (bottom end plugging), the fuel pellets to be loaded via the other end of the tube.
  • the fuel tube 1 is then delivered to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tube 1 being supported on a support structure 3.
  • the unplugged end of tube 1 is introduced into a pellet load head 5 via a pneumatic rod seal 7 which ensures that the pellet loading area, indicated generally by numeral 9 in Figures 1 and 2, may be kept sealed from its surroundings including the tube support area indicated generally by numeral 11 in Figures 1 and 2.
  • Pellet load head 5 and pneumatic rod seal 7 are described in more detail in our co- pending application, having the same filing date as the present application.
  • the automatic control system associated with the apparatus checks the required substack pattern (length and enrichments of each substack).
  • the fuel pellets to be loaded into tube 1 are stored away from the apparatus on trays, each tray having a plurality of grooves, a line of end-to-end cylindrical pellets being located in each groove.
  • the control system will request a tray of pellets to be fetched if pellets of the required enrichment are not already located on the apparatus.
  • Required trays 13 are fetched by a tray retrieval unit 15 which is indicated in broken line in Figure 1 and will not be further described.
  • Trays from the tray retrieval unit 15 are delivered by that unit to an index table 17 which forms part of the apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Each tray 13 includes two pellet retaining end bars (not shown) which prevent the pellets from falling off the tray while it is in transit. Once the tray 13 is in position on the index table 17, a robot 19 is instructed to remove the pellet retaining end bar.
  • the index table 17 is capable of accommodating only two pellet trays 13.
  • a more typical manufacturing assembly may include, for instance, five stations for pellet trays on a larger index table.
  • the control system determines which pellet tray 13 on index table 17 is to be processed first and the robot 19 removes the pellet retaining bars from the opposite ends of that tray and stores the bars elsewhere in temporary locations.
  • a drive motor 21 is then actuated to move index table 17 along a support structure 23 to a position where a first pellet containing row on a selected pellet tray lies where required for the next stage in the operation (see broken line 25 in Figure 1).
  • FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings shows pellet tray 13 in position ready for the next step in the operation which is the transfer of all, or only some, of the pellets from a tray groove to a member known as a stack weigh track 31 where the transferred length of pellets is to be weighed.
  • a pellet pusher actuator assembly 35 is mounted for movement on horizontal rail 36.
  • Assembly 35 includes a downwardly directed camera 37 which is capable of viewing a portion of the line of pellets in the selected groove of the tray.
  • Mounted below camera 37 are two sets of fibre optic bundles 39, 41 which direct light from a high-intensity light source at the pellets being viewed by camera 37.
  • Also located on system 35 are side-by-side mounted pellet removal suction cup 43 and pellet pusher finger 45, each being mounted for vertical movement towards and away from the pellets in the selected groove. These movements are effected by small vertical pneumatic cylinders 47 and 49.
  • One end of stack weigh track 31, closer to the pellets on the selected groove, is shown in Figure 5.
  • That end is provided with a laterally extending, integral stop element 51.
  • the selected groove is aligned with its end abutting stop 51.
  • the pellet pusher finger 45 is first lowered at the outboard end of the pellet tray (that end remote from stop 51) and the pellet pusher cylinder 49 is advanced so that pusher finger 45 moves the pellets 53 in a direction towards stop 51, thereby closing up all gaps between the pellets in the groove.
  • the position of the pusher finger 45 relative to stop 51 which determines the length of the column of pellets 53, is fed to the control system.
  • Pellet pusher finger 45 is then retracted and the pellet pusher actuator system 35 advanced to carry the camera 37 to a position along the column of pellets which is determined by the control system, in the case where the required length of pellets for loading into the tube 1 is less than the length of the entire column of pellets in the groove.
  • the field of view 55 of the camera includes a datum line 57 and the camera is positioned so that the datum line 57 crosses the row of pellets 53 at a position corresponding to the end of the desired length of pellets for loading as measured from stop 51.
  • the position of the datum line does not exactly so correspond but the offset distance is known for calculation purposes.
  • this position will not normally lie exactly at the interface between two adjacent pellets but between the ends of a particular pellet 53.
  • the vision system views the two interfaces 59, 61 adjacent to datum line 57 and measures the distance from the datum line 57 to each interface 59, 61. These measurements are reported to a programmable logic controller (PLC) which forms part of the overall control system for the apparatus.
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • the PLC selects the more appropriate pellet 53 to remove from the tray groove to leave a length of pellets which is nearest to the required length of pellets.
  • the pellet chosen is the particular one of the two pellets adjacent to the chosen interface which lies to that side of the interface which is remote from the stop 51.
  • the pellet pusher actuator system 35 is then manoeuvred to position the pellet removal suction cup 43 over the selected pellet. Suction cup 43 is lowered onto the selected pellet, vacuum applied to the cup and the cup, carrying the pellet, is lifted out of the line of pellets, as illustrated in Figure 7.
  • the actuator system 35 is then moved so that pusher finger 45 is located over the gap left by the removed pellet and the finger 45 lowered into this gap, as indicated in Figure 8.
  • the stack weigh track 31 has been moved laterally so that its pellet receiving groove is aligned with the groove in the tray carrying the pellets (see Figure 7).
  • the pellet pusher actuator system is then moved to cause the pellet pusher 45 to push the desired length of pellets onto the stack weigh track 31.
  • the pellet carried by suction cup 43 is then returned to the tray groove.
  • the entire column is pushed off the tray groove onto the stack weigh track 31 without the intervention of the vision system and the pellet removal suction cup 43 for pellet removal.
  • the entire column of pellets is pushed off the tray groove by contact of the pusher finger 45 with the end pellet in the column.
  • the tray 13 is then indexed to place the next appropriate tray groove under the pusher actuator system 35 and one or other of the above described processes is repeated, according to the requirements for the substack makeup.
  • apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a device, located for use before the pellet substack length is selected, which reorients the pellets into an end-to-end aligned column.
  • the fuel tube 1 is brought into engagement with the pellet load head 5 and is sealed by means of pneumatic rod seal 7.
  • the pellet substack on weigh track 31 is then pushed by the pellet pusher actuator system through the load head and into fuel tube 1. This process is repeated until all required substacks have been loaded into fuel tube 1. Further operations are then carried out on the fuel tube including the insertion of necessary internal components and the insertion and welding of an end plug.
  • the seal effected by pneumatic rod seal 7 is then broken and the fuel rod is then subjected to quality checks and ⁇ -scanning.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif pour charger une longueur désirée de pastilles de combustible nucléaire dans un tube porteur, à partir d'une colonne de pastilles disposées bout à bout. Ledit dispositif est doté de moyens de contrôle visuel permettant de voir une partie au moins de la colonne, de moyens permettant auxdits moyens de contrôle visuel d'identifier l'interface entre deux pastilles adjacentes se trouvant dans la colonne qui est la plus proche d'un emplacement correspondant à une extrémité de la longueur désirée mesurée à partir d'une extrémité de la colonne, et de moyens réagissant auxdits moyens de contrôle visuel, servant à transférer les pastilles entre l'interface déterminée et ladite extrémité dans ledit tube porteur.
PCT/GB1997/003334 1996-12-09 1997-12-03 Dispositif pour charger des pastilles de combustible nucleaire WO1998026426A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU52320/98A AU5232098A (en) 1996-12-09 1997-12-03 Apparatus for loading nuclear fuel pellets

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9625514.6 1996-12-09
GBGB9625514.6A GB9625514D0 (en) 1996-12-09 1996-12-09 Apparatus for nuclear fuel pellets

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1998026426A1 true WO1998026426A1 (fr) 1998-06-18

Family

ID=10804143

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1997/003334 WO1998026426A1 (fr) 1996-12-09 1997-12-03 Dispositif pour charger des pastilles de combustible nucleaire

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU5232098A (fr)
GB (1) GB9625514D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1998026426A1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3308933A1 (de) * 1982-03-25 1983-10-13 General Electric Co., Schenectady, N.Y. Vorrichtung zum beladen eines troges mit kernbrennstoff-pellets
FR2581787A1 (fr) * 1985-05-10 1986-11-14 Nippon Nuclear Fuels Appareillage pour le chargement automatique de pastilles de combustible nucleaire dans des tubes
US4842808A (en) * 1988-03-25 1989-06-27 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Nuclear fuel pellet collating system
EP0391642A2 (fr) * 1989-04-04 1990-10-10 General Electric Company Système de chargement pour les barres de combustible nucléaire

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3308933A1 (de) * 1982-03-25 1983-10-13 General Electric Co., Schenectady, N.Y. Vorrichtung zum beladen eines troges mit kernbrennstoff-pellets
FR2581787A1 (fr) * 1985-05-10 1986-11-14 Nippon Nuclear Fuels Appareillage pour le chargement automatique de pastilles de combustible nucleaire dans des tubes
US4842808A (en) * 1988-03-25 1989-06-27 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Nuclear fuel pellet collating system
EP0391642A2 (fr) * 1989-04-04 1990-10-10 General Electric Company Système de chargement pour les barres de combustible nucléaire

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9625514D0 (en) 1997-01-29
AU5232098A (en) 1998-07-03

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