PROCESS LINE FOR FUEL ROD MANUFACTURE AND NUCLEAR POWER REACTOR FUEL ROD Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear power engineering. SUBSTANCE: process line is designed to manufacture fuel rods for fuel assemblies of power reactors, primarily those of VVER-1000 type. Mounted on one end of stage or charging box is mechanism for partial charging of fuel stack with pellets having one degree of uranium-235 enrichment in bottom part of open end of can. Clamping separator is displaced in stage or charging box on horizontal beds for shaping fuel stack of pellets having other degree of uranium- 235 enrichment towards stopping separator through distance equal to that shorter than difference between length of complete pellet stack of and that of two partially charged stacks by length of stack of a few pellets. Installed past mechanism for final charge of intermediate part of can is mechanism for final charging of top part of can with fuel pellets whose degree of enrichment is similar to that of pellets charged in bottom part of can. Mechanisms for partial charging of pellet stack for top and bottom parts of can are made in the form of removable magazines provided with channels each holding fuel pellets equal in length to partial pellet stack charged in top or bottom part of can; they have gates with holes displaced when channels are closed and aligned when charging partial pellets stacks in or discharging them from channels to open part of can and provided with drives for their step-by-step movement until they are brought to position for discharging next channel holding partial pellet stack by means of power cylinder coaxial relative to channel and to open end of can being charged. Pellet stack of fuel element is axially profiled with respect to enrichment with uranium-235, its intermediate part is charged with uranium dioxide pellets of one degree of enrichment and its top and bottom parts, with pellets of other degree of uranium-235 enrichment through length affording reduced energy release difference through fuel element length. EFFECT: reduced energy release difference through length of fuel element, fuel assembly, and reactor as a whole. 4 cl, 8 dwg