EP0146808A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multiple fuel rod gripper
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1984-11-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-11-29
Abstract
Abstract Both an apparatus and a method for removing fuel rods from spent fuel assemblies is disclosed herein. The apparatus of the invention includes a locking plate having a plurality of tapered holes registrable with the rods of a fuel rod assembly, a plurality of tapered collets, each of which includes a hollow portion for receivirg the ends of the fuel rods, and a plurality of hydraulically operated plungers for upwardly withdrawing each of the tapered collets into its respective tapered hole in the locking plate, thereby contracting the hollow portion of the collet around its respective rod in gripping engagement. The locking plate is slowly moved down to the same degree as, and simultaneously with the plungers being withdrawn upwards. The use of hydraulic plungers causes each of the collets to apply substantially the same gripping force onto its respective fuel rod regardless of the rod diameter. Additionally, the apparatus includes a means for confirming whether each of the collets has grippingly engaged its respective rod.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward Prescott Shields
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:37
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C19/00; G21C19/02; G21C19/10; G21C19/19; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30; Y10; Y10S; Y10S294/00; Y10S294/906; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49815; Y10T29/49822; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/531
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
An apparatus for simultaneously gripping a plurality of rods disposed in an array, comprising: (a) a plurality of gripping members, each grippingly engageable with one of said rods, each of said gripping members having a hollow portion terminating in an open end for receiving the end of one of said rods, (b) a closing and gripping means for causing the hollow portion of each of said gripping members to apply a controllable gripping force onto the end of its respective rod and means to maintain the controllable gripping forces on each of said rods the same.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
96 words
An apparatus for simultaneously gripping a plurality of rods disposed in an array, comprising: (a) a plurality of gripping members, each grippingly engageable with one of said rods, each of said gripping members having a hollow portion terminating in an open end for receiving the end of one of said rods, (b) a closing and gripping means for causing the hollow portion of each of said gripping members to apply a controllable gripping force onto the end of its respective rod and means to maintain the controllable gripping forces on each of said rods the same.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for detecting whether each of said gripping members has grippingly engaged its respective rod.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said closing means includes a locking plate having a plurality of tapered holes registrable with said array of rods, and wherein the exterior of each of said gripping members is tapered and nested within one of said tapered holes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said closing means further includes a withdrawing means for applying a substantially identical withdrawing force on each of said gripping members, whereby the hollow portion of each of the gripping members applies substantially the same gripping force on its respective rod.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said withdrawing means includes a hydraulic plunger operatively connected to each of said gripping members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
145 words
A multiple fuel rod gripper using the apparatus of claim 1, for extracting nuclear fuel rods from a nuclear fuel assembly, comprising: (a) a plate having a plurality of tapered holes registrable with said fuel rods; (b) said closing and gripping means including: a plurality of gripping members, each of which includes walls nested within one of said tapered holes, and each of which further includes a hollow portion having an open end for receiving a fuel rod; (c) means for positioning the open end of each of said gripping members over the ends of the fuel rods of a nuclear fuel assembly, and (d) a closing means for causing said hollow, tapered portion of each of said gripping members to apply substantially the same gripping force on its respective fuel rod by applying a substantially identical withdrawing force on each of said gripping members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 6, further including an electric switch operatively associated with each of said gripping members which changes state whenever its associated gripping member is withdrawn without a fuel rod grippingly engaged within its hollow portion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 7, wherein each of said switches is connected to an indicator means for indicating which of the gripping members is withdrawn without a fuel rod present within its hollow portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 6, wherein each of said switches is operatively connected to an indicator light.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 6, wherein each of said lights is arranged on a display panel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 6, further including a securing means for securing each of said gripping members in a withdrawn position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 11, wherein said securing means includes a ratchet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 6, wherein said closing means includes a plurality of plunger members, each of which is operatively connected to one of said gripping members.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 13, further including a linear ratchet operatively associated with each of said plunger members for securing each of the gripping members connected to the plungers in a withdrawn position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 13, wherein each of said plungers is hydraulically operated.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 6, wherein said closing means includes a cylinder block assembly having a plurality of plunger members, each of which is connected to one of said gripping members.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 16, wherein each of said plungers is hydraulically operated, and wherein said cylinder block assembly is connected to a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid by way of a fluid valve.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 17, wherein each of said plungers is fluidly connected to said source of pressurized hydraulic fluid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The multiple fuel rod gripper of claim 18, wherein said hydraulic fluid operates to retract each of said plungers when said valve is open.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of simultaneously gripping a plurality of fuel rods from a fuel rod assembly, comprising the steps of: (a) removing a top nozzle of the fuel rod assembly; (b) positioning an array of gripping members, each of which has a contractable hollow portion, in registration with top ends of said fuel rods, so that the top end of each of the fuel rods is surrounded by the hollow portion of one of said gripping members; (c) contracting said hollow portions of said gripping members by withdrawing each of said gripping members through a tapered hole in order to grippingly engage each of the top ends of the fuel rods, at the same time pushing the gripping members in a direction opposite to said withdrawal direction; (d) confirming whether or not each of said gripping members is engaged to a fuel rod after said member is withdrawn through a tapered hole.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of simultaneously gripping a plurality of fuel rods from a fuel rod assembly, comprising the steps of: (a) removing a top nozzle of the fuel rod assembly; (b) positioning an array of gripping members, each of which has a contractable hollow portion, in registration with top ends of said fuel rods, so that the top end of each of the fuel rods is surrounded by the hollow portion of one of said gripping members; (c) contracting said hollow portions of said gripping members by withdrawing each of said gripping members through a tapered hole in order to grippingly engage each of the top ends of the fuel rods, at the same time pushing the gripping members in a direction opposite to said withdrawal direction; (d) confirming whether or not each of said gripping members is engaged to a fuel rod after said member is withdrawn through a tapered hole.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 20, including ascertaining when said gripping member has been withdrawn through its respective tapered hole without grippingly engaging a fuel rod, by using an electric indicating means associated with each of said gripping members.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 20, further including the step of securing each of said gripping members in a rod gripping position.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 22, further including the step of releasing each of said gripping members from said rod gripping position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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