Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Francis Cellier

Clarence D John, Jr

George P Sabol

George D Bucher

Robert J Comstock

Hemant H Shah

Albert B Cady

Christopher K Wu

William A Jacobsen

David M Batson

Wendell L Johnson

John E Steinkirchner

Paula J Larouere

John C Limpert

Robert T Graulty

Robert A Williams

Pilger tooling for use in a pilgering machine includes an elongated stationary mandrel for supporting a tube thereon in position for cold reduction, and a pair of roller dies positioned along opposing sides of the mandrel and in oppositely-facing relation to one another for coacting with the mandrel in reducing the cross-sectional size of the tube. Each roller die is ring-shaped with a central opening for mounting the die on a shaft and has a keyway defined therein adjacent the central opening for receiving a key to secure the die for movement with the shaft. The keyway also provides a timing mark for accurately mounting the die on the shaft. Each roller die has two relief pockets formed in the periphery thereof in circumferentially spaced apart relation with a bridge extending therebetween, and a tube-reducing groove formed in the periphery thereof having a tapered configuration and opening at its opposite ends into the respective pockets. The end of one of the relief pockets is disposed radially outwardly from and aligned with the center of the keyway so as to provide a reference point on the die adjacent the periphery thereof. Each of the mandrel and roller dies are fabricated from a high strength cemented carbide material which is composed of tungsten carbide ranging from about 81.5 to about 86 percent by weight and cobalt ranging from about 14 to about 18.5 percent by weight.

High strength cemented carbide dies and mandrels for a pilgering machine

Processes for the rapid alpha annealing of zirconium based articles are described. These processes utilize induction heating to rapidly heat a worked zirconium based article to an elevated temperature after which it is then cooled. Time at the selected elevated temperature is less than about 1 second, and preferably essentially zero. Stress relieving of cold pilgered Zircaloy may be performed by induction heating to a temperature between about 540.degree. and about 650.degree. C. Partial recrystallization annealing of cold pilgered Zircaloy may be performed by induction heating to a temperature between about 650.degree. and about 760.degree. C. Full alpha recrystallization annealing of cold pilgered Zircaloy may be performed by induction heating to a temperature between about 760.degree. and about 900.degree. C.

Annealing of zirconium based articles by induction heating

An automated fuel rod production system includes a radioactive powder fabrication and processing stage, a pellet fabrication stage, a pellet processing stage, a tube preparation stage and a fuel rod fabrication and inspection stage, all of which provide a continuous (paced) mode of operation from the conversion of a radioactive gas to powder, through the fabrication of the powder into pellets, to completion of the assembly of the fuel rods. Extra capacity is designed into the system at critical points in the powder processing and pellet fabrication and processing stages to facilitate the continuous, paced mode of operation.

Manufacturing automation system for nuclear fuel rod production

An automated system for manufacturing nuclear fuel pellets for use in nuclear fuel elements of nuclear power reactors. The system comprises process components arranged vertically but not directly under each other within a single enclosure. The vertical-lateral arrangement provides for gravity flow of the product from one component to the next and for vertical removal of each component without interference with the other components. The single enclosure eliminates time consuming transfer between separate enclosures of each component while providing three-sided access to the component through glove ports.

Remote nuclear green pellet processing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Export, PA, United States of America

Francis Cellier