The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 28, 1990
Filed:
Feb. 16, 1989
Frederick J Ellingson, Murrysville Boro, PA (US);
Anoop Kapoor, Murrysville Boro, PA (US);
Arthur W Kramer, Murrysville Boro, PA (US);
Donald G Sherwood, Monroeville Boro, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A system and a method for removing and consolidating the spent fuel rods of a fuel assembly is disclosed herein. The sytem comprises a pushing assembly having a push rod for pushing a selected fuel rod out of a fuel assembly, a fuel assembly positioner including an elevator for conveniently positioning a fuel assembly within the spent fuel pool of a nuclear facility, a rod catching grid for preventing the pushed-out fuel rods from falling to the bottom of the pool and a transition cannister for funneling the rods into a consolidated arrangement within a storage cannister. In operation, the push rod is positioned over and engaged against the upper end of a fuel rod to be removed from the assembly. Thus engaged, the push rod is inserted through the cells in the grids of the fuel assembly that surround the selected fuel rod, thereby pushing it out of the fuel assembly. Thus the grid cells are used as an alignment means for the push rod during the rod-pushing operation.