| 摘要 |
987,548. Fuelling reactors. COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE. Dec. 9, 1963 [Dec. 13, 1962]. No. 48520/63. Heading G6C. A machine for loading and unloading fuel elements in a reactor core and also for inserting and removing plugs sealing the ends of the fuel channels in the core, has two arms arranged parallel to one another on a rotatable frame, each arm being movable longitudinally and carrying at its end a grab. One arm serves to transfer the fuel elements and the other arm serves to transfer the plugs, and for each given position of the machine relatively to the reactor the two arms are selectively aligned with the chosen fuel channel by rotation of the frame. By employing two arms the overall length of the machine may be reduced since the relatively long arm necessary to extend to the furthest extremities of the fuel channels does not handle the plugs which are much longer than the fuel elements, a relatively short arm being employed to handle the plugs. As shown, Fig. 1, a machine for fuelling horizontal fuel channels in a reactor core (not shown) comprises a frame 1 mounted on bogies 102, 104 and movable by means not shown so that a sleeve 2 may be aligned with and sealed to the chosen fuel channel. The frame supports concrete, shielding 106, 108 and a pressure vessel 11, the latter supporting on bearings a tubular rotary frame 8. The frame 8 carries parallel guide tubes 6, 7 each receiving an arm carrying at its end a grab (not shown), each arm being longitudinally movable within its tube by rack and pinion gearing (Figs. 6, 7, not shown). The frame 8 is rotatable about its axis Z-Z by a ram actuator 12, Fig. 9, whereby tube 6 or tube 7 may be aligned with axis Y-Y of sleeve 2. A magazine 3 for holding new or irradiated fuel elements is interposed between the vessel 11 and sleeve 2 and may be rotated about an axis X-X so that its compartments may be aligned with the axis Y-Y. One of the magazine compartments is a through compartment to enable the arm associated with tube 6 or the arm associated with tube 7 to be advanced from the vessel 11 into the reactor core. The arm associated with tube 6 is short and serves to handle the plugs whilst the arm associated with tube 7 is long and handles the fuel elements. A coolant reservoir 18 is connected to the magazine 3, the latter being loaded with new fuel elements from a magazine 110 by a conduit 112. The grabs are operated by axial movement of control cables extending through bores in the arms, the cables being moved by the rotation of pulleys to which they are attached (Figs. 2a.. 2c, not shown), unwanted operation of the grabs caused by movement of the arms being prevented by a compensating mechanism which adjusts the length of the cables. |
