Method and apparatus for assisting the process of loading a reactor core with elongated fuel elements

Method and apparatus for assisting the loading of a reactor core with new and/or irradiated elongated fuel assemblies which includes inserting a fuel assembly with a fuel assembly carrier from a storage pit into a grid position of a reactor core with a refueling machine having propelling equipment, supplying an actual position of the fuel assembly carrier to the propelling equipment of the refueling machine during movement of the refueling machine between the storage pit and the reactor vessel, comparing the actual position of the fuel assembly carrier with a desired position of the fuel assembly carrier to find a deviation, and carrying out a correction of the deviation in the travelling movement of the refueling machine based upon the comparison.

The invention relates to a method for assisting the process of loading a 
reactor core with new and/or irradiated elongated fuel assemblies, in 
which a fuel assembly from a storage pit is inserted into the grid 
position of a reactor core using a refueling machine preferably under a 
neutron-shielding liquid covering. 
A method of this kind is known from German Published, Prosecuted 
Application No. DE-AS 22 46 637. In that publication a container having a 
plurality of fuel assemblies is supposed to be inserted into the reactor 
core all at once, in order to speed up the loading process when fuel 
assemblies are changed. 
It is also known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Application No. 
DE-OS 15 64 301 that when binoculars are used for observation and with a 
covering of water several meters thick, it is impossible to insert the 
wavering fuel assemblies into the grid positions of the core without 
expending a great deal of time. During that time, the fuel assemblies are 
prevented from wobbling by other means. However, one problem in this 
respect is that the axis of the carrier or base of the fuel assembly dos 
not coincide with the desired location of the axis. It is true that the 
deviations that arise due to bowing, are only on the order of only a few 
millimeters; nevertheless, they make it considerably more difficult to 
introduce the fuel assembly carrier into a particular grid position in the 
reactor core. Furthermore, the mechanical insertion aid proposed in German 
Published, Non-Prosecuted Application No. DE-OS 15 64 301 cannot be used 
unless enough space is available between the various grid positions for 
the insertion of cross-shaped control elements. 
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and 
apparatus for assisting the process of loading a reactor core with 
elongated fuel assemblies, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned 
disadvantages of the heretoforeknown methods and devices of this general 
type and with which it becomes possible to insert fuel assemblies in which 
the axis of the carrier or base deviates from its desired axis. 
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in 
accordance with the invention, a method for assisting the loading of a 
reactor core with new and/or irradiated elongated fuel assemblies, which 
comprises inserting a fuel assembly with a fuel assembly carrier from a 
storage pit into a grid position of a reactor core with a refueling 
machine having propelling equipment preferably under a neutron-shielding 
liquid covering, supplying an actual position of the fuel assembly carrier 
to the propelling equipment of the refueling machine during movement of 
the refueling machine between the storage pit and the reactor vessel, 
comparing the actual position of the fuel assembly carrier with a desired 
position of the fuel assembly carrier to find a deviation, and carrying 
out a correction of the deviation in the travelling movement of the 
refueling machine based upon the comparison. 
Bowing of the fuel assembly, which is entirely to be expected because of 
its length of over four meters, can accordingly no longer hinder the 
insertion of the fuel assemblies into the grids of the core supporting 
structure disposed in the reactor core. If the ascertained actual position 
of the carrier or base deviates from its desired position, the travel 
movement of the refueling machine is corrected by the amount of the 
deviation. 
In accordance with another mode of the invention, there is provided a 
method which comprises transmitting a picture from a stationary television 
camera to a monitor, for recognizing the deviation from the desired 
position and ascertaining the actual position of the fuel assembly 
carrier. 
With the objects of the invention in view there is also provided an 
apparatus for assisting the loading of new and/or irradiated elongated 
fuel assemblies having fuel assembly carriers into grid positions of a 
reactor core in a reactor vessel of a reactor having a storage pit, a 
flooding pit and a lead through therebetween, comprising a refueling 
machine having propelling equipment for transferring a fuel assembly from 
the storage pit to the flooding pit and inserting the fuel assembly into a 
grid position, means for recognizing the actual position of the fuel 
assembly carrier at a measuring point in the vicinity of the lead through 
and for supplying the actual position of the fuel assembly carrier to the 
propelling equipment of the refueling machine during movement of the 
refueling machine between the storage pit and the reactor vessel, means 
for comparing the actual position of the fuel assembly carrier with a 
desired position of the fuel assembly carrier to find a deviation, and 
means for carrying out a correction of the deviation in the travelling 
movement of the refueling machine based upon the comparison. 
The refueling machine moves to a predetermined position relative to the 
location of the television camera, so that the actual position of the fuel 
assembly carrier can be ascertained exactly. 
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the lead through 
includes guide rails for a floodgate and means supported in the guide 
rails for holding the recognizing means at the measuring point. Fixation 
of the camera is thus accomplished in a simple manner. 
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are 
set forth in the appended claims. 
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a 
method and apparatus for assisting the process of loading a reactor core 
with elongated fuel assemblies, it is nevertheless not intended to be 
limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural 
changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the 
invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, 
particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a cross section of a 
portion 1 of a reactor building, the remainder of which is not shown. A 
storage or spent fuel pit 2 contains two storage racks 3. A partition 4 
has a non-illustrated floodgate or sluice, which during operation of the 
reactor plant closes off a lead through, penetrator or transition 7 and 
separates the storage pit 2 from a flooding or reactor pit 5 located above 
a reactor vessel 6. FIG. 1 shows a reactor plant that has been shut down, 
so that the reactor vessel 6 is open. Both the storage pit 2 and the 
flooding pit 5 are filled with neutron-shielding liquid or water 9, 9a 
across the lead through 7 that is several meters thick, up to a level 
indicated at reference numeral 8. A compensator 10 which extends between 
the flooding pit 5 and a flange 11 of the opened reactor vessel 6, 
prevents the water from escaping downward. 
If a fuel assembly 12 from the storage rack 3 in the storage pit 2 is to be 
inserted into a grid position 13 of a core supporting structure 24 of the 
reactor vessel 6 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, then a refueling or fuel assembly 
changing machine 14 takes such a fuel assembly 12 from the rack 3 and 
moves with the fuel assembly through the lead through 7 between the 
storage pit 2 and the flooding pit 5. A television camera 17 is disposed 
in a stationary manner on a holder 16 in guide rails 15 for the removed 
floodgate. As soon as the refueling machine 14 has reached the position 
represented in phantom, the position of a carrier element or base 18 of 
the fuel assembly 12 appears in a monitor 19 shown in FIG. 3. 
Specifically, the monitor shows what is picked up by the camera, that is a 
central portion 20 of the lower surface of the fuel assembly carrier 18. A 
central tube 21 of the fuel assembly carrier serves as a reference point. 
The desired position of the central tube and therefore of the fuel 
assembly along with a nominal or reference axis axis 22, is stored in a 
memory in propelling or driving equipment and also appears on the monitor. 
The driver of the refueling machine causes the nominal or reference axis 
22 to coincide with the axis 23 of the central tube 21 and thus 
compensates for the deviation between the desired and actual positions of 
the fuel assembly carrier. The grid position 13 of the core supporting 
structure 24 of FIG. 4, which is shown on a larger scale in FIG. 4a, shows 
the actual position of the fuel assembly carrier in broken lines. A 
lowering of the fuel assembly in the direction of an arrow 25 before the 
deviation was corrected would complicate or impede the mounting of the 
fuel assembly 12 and would thus make insertion into the grid position more 
difficult. However, if a correcting movement of the refueling machine 14 
is first performed in the direction of arrows 26, 27, until the reference 
axis 22 coincides with the axis 23 of the central tube 21 as shown in FIG. 
3, then the refueling machine 14 can insert the fuel assembly 12 into the 
grid position 13 without danger, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 4. 
Bowing is expressed in a misalignment between a head piece or top 28 and 
the carrier element 18 of the fuel assembly 12; the nominal or rated size 
of the travelling movement of the refueling machine is calibrated by using 
the position of the head piece 28 and must be corrected with respect to 
the position of the carrier element 18. A fuel assembly shown on a larger 
scale in FIG. 5, measuring approximately 4207 mm in total length and 217 
mm on a side, with a total weight of approximately 683 kg, must be 
inserted without danger into the grid of the reactor vessel, as shown in 
FIG. 2. 
A substantial advantage of the novel loading method is a time saving of 
several days in reloading the entire core, with the result that the 
nuclear reactor plant is more quickly available for use. 
A torsion-proof test gauge, having similar contours to a fuel assembly, 
serves to set the camera position and the reference axis of the fuel 
assembly. It can be positioned either in the lead through 7 or at any 
point in the storage pit. 
The foregoing is a description corresponding in substance to German 
Application No. P 36 06 997.3, dated Mar. 4, 1986, the International 
priority of which is being claimed for the instant application, and which 
is hereby made part of this application. Any material discrepancies 
between the foregoing specification and the aforementioned corresponding 
German application are to be resolved in favor of the latter.