METHOD FOR INSPECTION AND GRADING OF FUEL ELEMENTS AND SCRAP RECOVERY Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power engineering; manufacture of fuel elements for nuclear power reactors. SUBSTANCE: fuel element of VVER-1000 reactor whose can with plug is graded for inadequate length, surface and butt-end defects, and defective weld undergoes repeated inspection after electron-beam welding, Boundaries of no-fault area are detected and if this area is equal to or grater than length of reactor fuel element can, it is cut off to can size. Prior to checking for length of pellet stack in charged can, clearances between fuel elements, compensating length in can, locks and chips on fuel pellets by gamma-absorption method can charged with fuel pellets is weighed out and graded by weight followed by return to additional charge or removal of extra fuel pellets in case charged can weight exceeds desired value. Fuel elements rejected due to poor quality of weld after resistance butt welding of top plug to charged can and those rejected due to abnormal helium pressure under can are trimmed on top plug over compensating length of can, fuel pellets are removed therefrom and recharged, and can is cut off to size of VVER-440 reactor fuel element. EFFECT: enhanced yield of cans and fuel elements. 1 cl, 1 dwg