Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Heinz Knaab

Klaus Knecht

Erich Katscher

Wilfried Jung

A method for shredding and packing used structural elements of nuclear reactors, such as fuel assembly cases, comprises the steps of shredding structural elements to scrap pieces; flushing the scrap pieces in a transport container and flushing away highly radioactive particles of foreign matter and collecting the particles in the interior of the transport container; packing the flushed scrap pieces around the particles of foreign matter collected in the interior; and inserting the packed transport container into a sealable disposal container. An apparatus for performing the method includes a shredder assembly, an interchangeable transport container disposed below the shredder assembly; connectors for connecting the transport housing in a liquid cycle; a filter disposed in the liquid cycle; a carriage for laterally displacing the transport container relative to the shredder assembly; and lifting and transportation devices for lifting the transport container and for inserting the transport container into an ultimate disposal container.

Method for shredding and packing fuel assembly cases or similar nuclear

An apparatus for inserting rods of a rod bundle from a nuclear reactor fuel assembly into a vessel includes a dense-setting device including: a holding cage for laterally holding the rods together in a given dense packing with mutually parallel longitudinal axes, the cage having a bottom on which one end of each of the rods stand; an insert associated with the holding cage having two ends and guide channels receiving the rods, the guide channels defining an outlet cross section at one end near the bottom with outlet openings disposed according to the given dense packing, and the guide channels defining an inlet cross section at the other end at which the rods are inserted with inlet openings disposed according to the position of the rods in the rod bundle, the insert including a plate having the inlet openings formed therein defining the inlet cross section, the plate being movable toward the outlet cross section against a spring up to a stop; and a pulling tool for pulling the insert out of the holding cage and off the rods in the guide channels, the pulling tool including a hold-down body in the form of a cover washer covering the inlet openings, the cover washer being in a stationary position relative to the holding cage at the inlet cross section for holding the rods disposed in the guide channels.

Apparatus for inserting rods containing nuclear fuel or neutron absorber

A method of repairing partly burnt-off fuel elements in a fuel-element pit of a pressurized-water reactor which includes placing a fuel element previously detected as being defective into a holding cage in substantially upright position with the aid of remotely controlled tools, and tipping it over through 180.degree.; removing the then upwardly disposed fuel-element foot from the fuel element so as to expose the ends of the fuel rods received in the fuel element; inspecting the fuel rods, the ends of which are then freely accessible for defects; removing with a fuel-rod exchanging tool those fuel rods at least which are determined to be defective and depositing them in a storage container; and raising replacement rods with the fuel-rod exchanging tool and inserting them into the fuel element without bending stress in exchange for the removed fuel rods.

Growing community of inventors

Erlangen, Germany

Heinz Knaab