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:
Oct. 05, 1993
Filed:
Aug. 21, 1992
Theodore W Nylund, Columbia, SC (US);
Kendell L McDill, Columbia, SC (US);
David V Lambert, St. Matthews, SC (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An automated fuel assembly loader, capable of patterned loading, moves nuclear fuel rods in a loading direction between a fuel rod skeleton defining an array of receptacles for the fuel rods, and a fuel rod magazine supplying or receiving the fuel rods. A table supports the fuel rod skeleton at a loading position. A movable carriage having a line of individual fuel rod engaging devices moves a subset of fuel rods along the line forward in the loading direction. The rods are selected via a pattern stored in a controller. Selection devices such as pneumatic clamps mechanically couple the selected engaging devices to the carriage for movement while others are left behind. A ball screw carriage drive arrangement moves the carriage parallel to the loading direction and a jack screw positioning drive displaces the carriage perpendicular to the line of fuel rods. A controller is coupled to the carriage drive and to the selection devices, and stores data defining a preset pattern of receptacles in the array, operating the selection devices for actuating a group of engaging devices corresponding to the pattern. The controller also controls displacement speed, permitting patterned loading of the skeleton, for example to obtain a particular pattern of fuel rod enrichments, the controller moving line by line through an array of fuel rod receptacles in the skeleton.