Fuel rod auto-loading apparatus for nuclear fuel assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9659675-B2
Application number	US-201414149872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2014
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a fuel rod auto-loading apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly, which disposes fuel rods in a fuel rod case in a bundle to assemble the fuel rods into the nuclear fuel assembly. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus includes a fuel rod storage unit having a plurality of stacked racks for fuel rods, a fuel rod loading unit raised/lowered to the racks and transferring the fuel rods, a feeding unit placing the fuel rods in rows and loading the fuel rods into the fuel rod case, a fuel rod unloading unit selectively unloading some of the fuel rods stored in the fuel rod storage unit and transferring the fuel rods to the feeding unit, a fuel rod assembly lifter which is disposed parallel to the feeding unit, and a controller controlling driving of the fuel rod loading unit, the feeding unit, and the fuel rod unloading unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel rod auto-loading apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly, the fuel rod auto-loading apparatus comprising:
a fuel rod storage unit including
a plurality of stationary beams installed in a vertical direction, and
a plurality of racks fixed to the plurality of stationary beams, wherein the racks are stacked one above the other and on which fuel rods are horizontally stored;

a fuel rod loading unit configured to supply the fuel rods to the fuel rod storage unit;
a fuel rod unloading unit configured to unload the fuel rods from the fuel rod storage unit, wherein the fuel rod loading unit and the fuel rod unloading unit are disposed in opposite sides of the fuel load storage unit with each other;
a feeding unit configured to arrange the fuel rods transferred from the fuel rod unloading unit for loading the fuel rods into a fuel rod case;
a fuel rod assembly lifter disposed collinearly in a longitudinal direction with the feeding unit, and configured to move upward or downward the fuel rod case separably placed on the fuel rod assembly lifter; and
a controller controlling the fuel rod loading unit, the feeding unit, and the fuel rod unloading unit,
wherein the fuel rod unloading unit, the fuel rod storage unit, the fuel rod unloading unit and the feeding unit are disposed in order.

2. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the fuel rod loading unit includes:
a loading conveyer on which the fuel rod transferred from another process is placed;
a tilting part handing over the fuel rod placed on the loading conveyer to the fuel rod storage unit; and
a raising/lowering driver raising/lowering the loading conveyer.

3. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 2 , wherein the tilting part includes a driving tilting part and a driven tilting part connected to the driving tilting part by a shaft so as to be cooperated.

4. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 3 , wherein the driving tilting part includes:
a fuel rod seat bar that is pivotably provided; and
a seat bar driver connected to the fuel rod seat bar by a link in order to rotate the fuel rod seat bar within a predetermined angle range.

5. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the feeding unit includes:
a feeding guide module that has a drive source so as to be able to move leftward/rightward relative to an upper portion of a main frame and a fuel rod seat member so as to allow the fuel rods to be placed in a row; and
a feeding module that provides a driving force for loading the fuel rods placed on the feeding guide module into the fuel rod case.

6. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of guide wings at the upper portion of the main frame in order to guide the fuel rods to the fuel rod seat member.

7. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 6 , wherein the guide wings are provided in parallel in pairs, and a tilting member is provided between each pair of guide wings to transfer the fuel rods placed between the guide wings to the fuel rod seat member one by one.

8. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 7 , wherein the tilting member includes:
a tilting lever having a second protrusion spaced apart from a first protrusion protruding from the guide wing; and
a driver vertically driving the tilting lever.

9. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein the feeding unit further includes a bar code reader that reads a bar code marked on each fuel rod on a transfer path of the fuel rods loaded into the fuel rod case.

10. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of the racks includes a plurality of rack bars fixed to the plurality of stationary beams in a transverse direction, such that the plurality of the rack bars are inclined from the fuel rod loading unit toward the fuel rod unloading unit at a predetermined angle.

Assignees

• Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Ju Young
• Hwang Chang Hwan
• Chang Hung Soon
• Guk Soon Ki
• Jung Yeon Doo
• Lee Ui Jea

Classifications

• B21D51/18

  vessels, e.g. tubs, vats, tanks, sinks, or the like · CPC title

• G21C21/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of reactors or parts thereof (in general section B, e.g. B23) · CPC title

• G21C19/32 Primary

  Apparatus for removing radioactive objects or materials from the reactor discharge area, e.g. to a storage place; Apparatus for handling radioactive objects or materials within a storage place or removing them therefrom (disposal of waste material G21F9/00) · CPC title

• B21D22/04

  for dimpling (combined with perforating B21D28/24) · CPC title

• G21C3/334 Primary

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