Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Saint-gobain Techniques Nouvelles

Gilbert Chaze

Daniel Tucoulat

Rene Guilloteau

Guy Cherel

This invention relates to a method and device for cutting a bundle of irradiated nuclear fuel tubes so as to cut the fuel into pieces of a suitable length for subsequent operation. According to the invention the fuel tubes are moved from the storage pond by manipulating means to the store of the cutting machine. Means is provided for detecting the position of the bottom end of the bundle with respect to a cutting section in the cutter by means of a movable reference plate so as to enable the bundle to be moved to an operative position in which the first cut can be made in the immediate neighborhood of the base spigot. The arrangement also includes means for moving the bundle forwards while adjusting its position between two cutting operations.

Method and device for cutting a bundle of irradiated nuclear fuel tubes

The invention relates to a method and device for cutting a bundle of tubes containing a nuclear fuel into pieces having a preset length so that the fuel can be dissolved in a suitable solution. The bundle of tubes is introduced into a guide tube in a shearing machine and is clamped by two side clamps within the tube so as to limit the width of the bundle to the diameter of one tube of the bundle. The side clamps subject the bundle to a sideways thrust so that the tubes in the bundle are maintained contiguous without any excessive curvature. The bundle of tubes is then submitted to a cutting operation at right angles to its major dimension and after the blade has been returned to its inoperative position a safety plate is positioned near the cut section at a distance slightly greater than the forward movement of the bundle between two successive cutting operations. The side clamps are then withdrawn by a limited amount so that the resilience of the tubes causes them to remain in contact with the clamps. The bundle of tubes is then pushed forwardly after which the bundle is again clamped by the two side clamps prior to the next cutting operation.

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Bourg-la-Reine, France

Gilbert Chaze