PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING OF FUEL ELEMENTS IN NUCLEAR REACTOR Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC G21C21/02 

FIELD: power industry.

SUBSTANCE: according to the process of manufacturing of fuel elements, clad discharge is carried out by artificial method from interoperational cartridge. Loading of uranium dioxide fuel pellet column into open end of clad is carried out from processing pellet by pushing pre-assembled fuel pellet columns, and measuring the length of column of fuel pellets being loaded is carried out directly during loading. Control of enrichment, length and integrity of fuel core, length of compensatory space, presence of latching device and leakproofness control is carried out in process flow. Before weighting, contact-butt welding of plug with clad at inert gas pressure under the clad, contrilling the enrichment, length and integrity of fuel core, before controlling the leakproofness, ultrasonic testing of weld seals, diametre, length and unevenness verification, controlling inert gas pressure under fuel element clad, identification of each fuel element is carried out. Then data are transfered to procedure automated control system and fuel elements discarded as a result of verification are excluded from process flow. Discharge of effective fuel elements is carried out by artificial method into interoperational cartridge. Effective fuel elements are stored in interoperational cartridge. Fuel elements in process flow are stepwise transfered by transportational combs. Fuel element is identified by automatic bar-code read-out, marked on the clad.

EFFECT: quality improvement, reduction of fuel elements manufacturing cost.