METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DRYING NUCLEAR FUEL PELLETS AFTER WET GRINDING Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: nuclear engineering; manufacture of nuclear fuel pellets for charging fuel elements of nuclear reactors.

SUBSTANCE: each trough is filled with pellets in bulk to 85% of its volume and drying is made in three zones under different temperature conditions. Troughs are displaced at linear speed of maximum 0.04 m/s. Gaseous nitrogen is heated and supplied to drying zones under pressure, drying is effected until hydrogen content of pellets becomes not over 6 x 10^-5%. Pellet drying device is provided in addition with heater and control system. Drying unit is produced from retort in the form of square-section horizontal pipe enclosed by heating wires and thermal converters. Charge-discharge units at retort ends have doors set in motion by means of pneumatic cylinders. Conveying facility is, essentially, conveyer with levers, heater is heated pipe feeding hot gaseous nitrogen to retort, and control system is built around programmable controller.

EFFECT: enhanced quality and operating reliability of pellets, enhanced capacity of pellet drying device.

3 cl, 3 dwg