METHOD AND DEVICE FOR HORIZONTAL CHARGING OF FUEL ROD CANS WITH PELLETS Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC G21C21/02 

FIELD: nuclear engineering; charging fuel element cans with pelletized nuclear fuel.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method for horizontal charging of fuel rod cans with pellets includes vibratory feed of fuel pellets to can, stacking of fuel pellets, checkup of stack length, and adding pellets to attain desired length of stack. Pellet stack is formed by feeding pre-formed incomplete fuel stack to metering zone. Each incomplete stack is step-by-step displaced within this zone. Sensors are installed at boundaries of this zone. Length of each incomplete stack is determined by counting number of pulses with aid of linear drive carriage. Pulses are supplied to stepping motor of carriage linear drive from moment of operation of one sensor in response to commencement of carriage linear drive movement till instant of operation of other sensor responding to passage of incomplete stack front end by front boundary of metering zone. Fuel pellet stack length is checked by total length of incomplete stacks.

EFFECT: enhanced productivity of device at reduced error in metering desired length of fuel stack.

6 cl, 4 dwg