CALANDRIA TUBE, PRESSURE TUBE, AND ANNULUS SPACERS REMOVAL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR NUCLEAR REACTOR RETUBING

摘要

Methods, tools, and systems for removing a calandria tube and a pressure tube from a nuclear reactor. One method includes gripping at least a portion of a first diameter of a calandria tube contained at a lattice site with a guide tool, wherein the calandria tube includes a pressure tube rotated from an operational position to a removal position, and gripping at least a portion of a second diameter of the calandria tube with a retrieval tool. The method also includes pulling the calandria tube with the retrieval tool to remove the calandria tube from at least one tube sheet and advancing the calandria tube and the rotated pressure tube as a package with the retrieval tool and the guide tool across at least a portion of the calandria toward a receiving end of the reactor. The method further includes releasing the guide tool from the first diameter of the calandria tube, and retracting the guide tool from the lattice site at the pushing end of the reactor.