Light-water reactor nuclear fuel rod loading force measuring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12159725-B2
Application number	US-201917765783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 7, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

A light-water reactor nuclear fuel rod loading apparatus, which comprises a spacer grid holder and a loading power device installed with a traction module configured to reciprocally move toward the spacer grid holder. The loading apparatus further comprises a hollow cladding tube sample and a pulling bar comprising one end part and an opposite end part. The one end part passing in use through a cell of a spacer grid held by the spacer grid holder and configured to couple to the hollow cladding tube sample. The opposite end part is coupled to the traction module. The loading apparatus further comprises: a measuring device installed on the pulling bar and configured to measure loading force of the traction module loading the pulling bar; a holder cap; and a holder comprising an end part configured to in use pass through the cladding tube sample and couple to the holder cap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light-water reactor nuclear fuel rod loading apparatus, which comprises a spacer grid holder and a loading power device installed with a traction module configured to reciprocally move toward the spacer grid holder, the loading apparatus further comprises:
a hollow cladding tube sample, wherein the hollow cladding tube sample is configured to be positioned on one side of a spacer grid held by the spacer grid holder, and wherein the hollow cladding tube sample has a nuclear fuel rod cladding tube diameter;
a pulling bar comprising one end part and an opposite end part, the one end part of the pulling bar passing in use through a cell of the spacer grid and is configured to be coupled to the hollow cladding tube sample, and wherein the opposite end part of the pulling bar is coupled to the traction module;
a measuring device installed on the pulling bar, wherein the measuring device is configured to measure loading force of the traction module loading the pulling bar;
a holder cap; and
a holder comprising one end part and an opposite end part, wherein the one end part of the holder is screwed to the one end part of the pulling bar, and wherein the opposite end part of the holder is configured to in use pass through the hollow cladding tube sample and couple to the holder cap.

2. The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the traction module is provided with a guide plate, wherein the guide plate is formed with a through-hole passing through both sides of the guide plate, and
wherein the opposite end part of the pulling bar in use passes through one side of the through-hole of the guide plate and is screwed to the measuring device at an opposite side of the through-hole of the guide plate.

3. The loading apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the holder cap and the holder are each formed with a step to support the hollow cladding tube sample.

Assignees

• Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co Ltd

Inventors

• Son Se Ick
• Lee Je Won
• Kim Byung Tak
• Park Sung Jun
• Sim Young Duk

Classifications

• G21C3/334

  Assembling {, maintenance or repair of} the bundles {(assembling, maintenance or repair of other reactor components G21C19/207)} · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• G21C17/06 Primary

  Devices or arrangements for monitoring or testing fuel or fuel elements outside the reactor core, e.g. for burn-up, for contamination (G21C17/08, G21C17/10 take precedence; detecting leaking fuel elements during reactor operation G21C17/04) · CPC title