Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

Clair Arthur Cox

Richard Wilfrid Wray

James Mitchell King

Brian A Cheadle

Walter E Muth

Frank Kamler

Roger Joynes

Han Adema

Don J Burnett

David Eric Poff

George Solti

Paul Adrien Rochefort

Dragan Grandic

Jamie Dennis Higgs

Andrew Brian Kittmer

Paul Andrew Joynes

Terry John Schaubel

A method and apparatus for reducing the volume of a cylindrical tube for disposal by crushing flat and then shearing into small coupons. Shearing is accomplished by opposed dies having a checkerboard grid of cutting edges. The resulting coupons are preferably substantially square in shape. The invention is particularly useful for reducing the storage volume of irradiated radioactive pressure tubes from a nuclear reactor.

Checkerboard shear volume reduction system

A sample of the pressure tube of a CANDU type of nuclear reactor is obtained for deuterium analyses without removing the pressure tube from the reactor. The preferred sampling tool comprises two cutters and means for capturing the removed material, wherein one cutter removes the surface oxide layer, and the second cutter removes a sample for analysis. The cutters and cutting operation are designed to avoid damaging the integrity of the pressure tube to allow it to remain in service. In the preferred embodiment, the sampling tool performs the surface and sample removal operation with the fueling equipment with simple linear movement.

Pressure tube sampling

Growing community of inventors

Deep River, Canada

Clair Arthur Cox