Measurement apparatus for determining compressive loading that will be applied to a fuel rod of a pressurized water reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017194064-A1
Application number	US-201514985537-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An improved measurement apparatus employs a support that includes a housing and that further includes a follower that is movably situated on the support. The follower is biased in a direction generally away from the housing. The housing and follower are receivable between a spring/dimple pair, and a sensor detects the distance between the housing and the follower when interposed between the spring and dimple. An indicator apparatus employs the signal to output and indication that is representative of the amount of compressive loading that will be applied to a fuel rod by the spring/dimple pair, and the indication is based at least in part upon the distance between the portion of the housing that is engaged with the dimple and the portion of the follower that is engaged with the spring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A measurement apparatus operable to indicate an amount of compressive loading that will be applied to a rod having fissile material by a spring and a dimple of a grid of a fuel assembly when the rod is received between the spring and the dimple, the measurement apparatus comprising:
a support having a housing, a portion of the housing being structured to physically contact one of the spring and the dimple; a follower movably situated on the support, a portion of the follower being situated opposite the portion of the housing and being biased in a direction generally away from the portion of the housing, the portion of the follower being structured to be physically contacted by the other of the spring and the dimple and to have its bias overcome to move the follower between a first position out of physical contact with the other of the spring and the dimple and a second position in physical contact with the other of the spring and the dimple; and an indicator apparatus structured to provide an indication that is representative of the amount of compressive loading that will be applied to the rod, the indication being based at least in part upon the distance between the portion of the housing and the portion of the follower in the second position.

2 . The measurement apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicator apparatus comprises a sensor and a processor apparatus, the sensor being structured to output a signal that is representative of the amount of compressive loading and that is based at least in part upon a position of the follower with respect to the sensor, the processor apparatus being structured to receive the signal and to output the indication based at least in part upon the signal.

3 . The measurement apparatus of claim 2 wherein the follower is pivotably situated on the support and is pivotable between the first and second positions.

4 . The measurement apparatus of claim 3 wherein the indicator apparatus comprises another follower that translatable along a straight axis between another first position and another second position, the another follower being engaged with and moving with the follower as the follower moves to its second position, the another follower being in the another second position when the follower is in its second position.

5 . The measurement apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensor is structured to output as the signal a signal that is based at least in part upon a proximity of the another follower to the sensor.

6 . The measurement apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portion of the housing and the portion of the follower are interposed between the spring and the dimple in the second position of the follower.

7 . The measurement apparatus of claim 1 wherein the grid comprises a cell that comprises the spring and the dimple, the cell further comprising another spring and another dimple, the portion of the housing and the portion of the follower being disengaged from at least one of the another spring and the another dimple when the portion of the housing and the portion of the dimple are engaged between the spring and the dimple.

8 . The measurement apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support further includes an elongated leg from which the housing and the follower are suspended, the support further including a flag that protrudes from the leg, the flag being movably situated on the leg to be alignable with the follower.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Electric Co Llc

Inventors

• Polidora James T
• Lazeski Shawn D
• Conrad John W

Classifications

• G21C1/086

  Pressurised water reactors · CPC title

• G21C17/10 Primary

  Structural combination of fuel element, control rod, reactor core, or moderator structure with sensitive instruments, e.g. for measuring radioactivity, strain · CPC title

• G21C17/06

  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

• G21C3/356

  being provided with fuel element supporting members · CPC title

• G21C3/334 Primary

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