PROCESS LINE FOR MANUFACTURING FUEL ELEMENTS Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power engineering; fuel elements for pressurized-water reactors. SUBSTANCE: process line incorporates fuel can pre-treatment unit that has tubular can cutting gear to fit size of fuel cladding provided with shaped cutting tools for chamfering tubular can on both ends arranged on offset paths of revolution of cutting tools, expanding chucks whose rods have ducts for feeding compressed air to cutting areas on both ends of tubular can, and tubular-can hold-down pieces; abutting against inclined desk are adjacent baths for degreasing, rinsing, and drying tubular cans provided with shafts and disks with cradles, inclined rack desk with can press-fitting and weighing mechanisms arranged along it, electron-beam welding unit for attaching plug to can, weld cleaning mechanism, unit for fitting pile of fuel pellets into open end of can, mechanism for press-fitting locks into open end of fuel-filled can, mechanism for cleaning open end of fuel-filled can, unit for sealing open end of fuel-filled can, and fuel element check-up and quality control mechanism. EFFECT: improved yield of fuel elements. 2 cl, 6 dwg