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:
Nov. 06, 1990
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1989
Alan Savinell, Penn Hills, PA (US);
Donald G Sherwood, Monroeville, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A method and system for removing fuel rods from a fuel assembly having top and bottom nozzles that are removed and a plurality of grids for uniformly spacing apart the fuel rods is disclosed. The system includes a rod pushing mechanism which pushes a first end of a selected fuel rod such that a second end of the fuel rod extends out of the fuel assembly. The system also includes a removal device adjacent the second end of the selected fuel rod. The removal device engages and pulls the fuel rod completely from the fuel assembly when the second end of the fuel rod extends out of the fuel assembly a distance sufficient to engage the removal device. The method includes the following steps. First, a first end of a selected fuel rod is pushed such that a second end of the fuel rod extends out of the fuel assembly. Then, the second end of the selected fuel rod is engaged with a removal device. Finally, the selected fuel rod is pulled completely from the fuel assembly with the removal device.