Method and apparatus for providing identification indicia on nuclear fuel rods.

摘要

In a nuclear fuel rod (10) identification system, indicia is provided on a nuclear fuel rod in two stages. In the first stage, by use of a laser beam (56) a bar code is applied directly on the fuel rod cladding tube (20) prior to loading it with nuclear fuel and attaching plugs (22, 24) to opposite ends thereof to provide an assembled fuel rod. In the second stage, after loading nuclear fuel into and attaching end plugs to opposite ends of the fuel rod cladding tube with the applied bar code to provide an assembled fuel rod, by use of a laser beam identification and enrichment symbologies are applied respectively to the side end of one of the end plugs of the assembled fuel rod.