METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE LENGTHS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE FUEL COLUMN OF FUEL ELEMENTS AND INSTALLATION FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC G21C17/06 

FIELD: components lengths controlling.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to means for controlling the lengths of the components of the fuel column of fuel elements (fuel rods). In the method, spectra of intrinsic gamma radiation of the active part of the fuel rod are recorded, at the same time, using a servo drive, the total time of movement of the fuel rod T_KM, _MS, with a given length L, mm, relative to the spectrometer, taking into account the boundaries of time intervals T_АM, _MS, the length of the active part of the fuel column fuel element La, mm, boundaries of time intervals from the beginning of the product movement to the beginning of the active part T_xk1, _MS, with length L_xk1, mm, boundaries of time segments T_xk2, _MS, from the end of the active part of the product to the end of the fuel element movement, length L_xk2, MM. On the basis of the obtained data, calibration dependencies are formed, which are used for control. The installation contains an input module and an output module arranged in series, each of which includes a fuel rod accumulator, a movable and fixed frame with lodgements, fuel rod position sensors, and a measuring module located between the input and output modules. The input and output modules are equipped with vibration ramps for moving the fuel rods to the movable frame with the input module cradles and to the fuel rod storage of the output module. The measuring module is equipped with a mechanism for the transverse movement of the fuel rods and a servomotor with a sensor for measuring the characteristics of the shaft rotation.

EFFECT: invention provides the possibility of automated longitudinal and transverse transportation of fuel rods of complex geometric shape with automated control of the lengths of fuel rod components with high control performance and measurement accuracy.

7 cl, 3 dwg