Patent Number: 042077230
Section: claims

1. A system for handling and canning nuclear reactor fuel and reflector elements, comprising, in combination, housing means defining at least one shielded chamber,  a generally upstanding transfer chute supported by said housing means and adapted to receive a fuel or reflector element therein from a transfer cask,  an environmental chamber having communication with said shielded chamber and said transfer chute and adapted to receive a fuel or reflector element from said transfer chute,  conveyor means disposed within said shielded chamber and including a plurality of upstanding watertight chambers selectively movable to a predetermined position underlying said environmental chamber, selected ones of said watertight chambers defining fuel element receptacles each of which is adapted to receive a fuel or reflector element therein and has a releasable cover lid operative to effect sealed relation with its corresponding receptacle,  said environmental chamber having an access opening overlying said conveyor means so as to be substantially axially aligned with each of said conveyor chambers when moved to said predetermined position,  and grapple means disposed within said environmental chamber and adapted for movement through said access opening to remove a cover lid from a receptacle disposed in said predetermined position and move said cover lid to a position within said environmental chamber facilitating entry of a fuel or reflector element into said receptacle through said access opening,  said conveyor means being adapted to convey receptacles having fuel or refector elements therein from said predetermined position to a position facilitating movement of the fuel elements to a storage area.  a fuel element transfer chute supported by said housing means and adapted to receive a fuel or reflector element therein, an environmental chamber communicating with said fuel transfer chute and said shielded chamber and adapted to receive a fuel element from said chute,  endless conveyor means disposed within said shielded chamber and including a plurality of watertight chambers successively movable to a predetermined position underlying said environmental chamber, a container disposed within each of said watertight chambers and adapted to receive a fuel or reflector element therein, each of said containers defining a sealing surface peripherally of an upper open end thereof and having a cover lid releasably mounted thereon to close said open upper end,  said environmental chamber having an access opening overlying said conveyor means so as to be axially aligned with successive ones of said watertight chambers when disposed in said predetermined position,  seal means mounted on said environmental chamber circumferentially of said access opening and movable between a first position spaced from said conveyor and a second position in sealing engagement with a conveyor chamber when disposed in said predetermined position,  grapple means disposed within said environmental chamber for movement through said access opening to engage the cover lid of a container disposed in said predetermined position,  canning machine means supported by said housing in overlying relation to said conveyor means, said canning machine means being adapted to release the cover lid on an underlying container prior to movement of said container to said predetermined position underlying said environmental chamber,  said conveyor means including at least one inspection station movable to said predetermined position and operative to receive a fuel element thereon from said environmental chamber,  said housing means defining a shielded inspection area having means associated therewith for remotely observing a fuel element disposed on said inspection station,  said housing means further defining a storage area spaced from said shielded chamber,  and hoist means adapted to remove fuel element containers from said watertight conveyor chambers and move said containers to said storage area. 2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transfer chute defines an entry end, and including valve means operatively associated with said entry end and operable to close said entry end, and seal means operatively associated with said access opening of said environmental chamber and adapted to effect sealing relation between said access opening and a conveyor chamber when disposed in said predetermined position, said valve means and seal means facilitating gaseous purging of said transfer chute and environmental chamber when said valve means is closed and said seal means is disposed in said sealing relation with a conveyor chamber disposed in said predetermined positions. 3. The system as defined in claim 1 including a guide sleeve supported within said environmental chamber in substantially axial alignment with said transfer chute and being axially movable between a first position spaced from said access opening to facilitate free movement of said grapple means, and a second position extending through said access opening in substantially axially aligned relation to a conveyor chamber disposed in said predetermined position whereby to facilitate passage of a fuel or reflector element from said transfer chute into said conveyor chamber. 4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor means includes at least one inspection station movable to said predetermined position underlying said environmental chamber, said inspection station including a support table movable to a position generally adjacent said access opening to receive a fuel or reflector element thereon from said transfer chute, said table being movable to a position within said environmental chamber so as to lower the fuel or reflector element thereon below the upper level of said conveyor means. 5. The system as defined in claim 4 wherein said housing means defines a shielded inspection area, and including means communicating with said inspection area and said conveyor chamber and facilitating inspection of a fuel or reflector element supported on said support table when positioned at said predetermined position, and including means for moving said table to position the associated fuel or reflector element in a location to be observed from said inspection area. 6. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein the fuel elements to be inspected have longitudinal cooling channels therein, said inspection station including a plurality of inspection probes adapted to be moved through the cooling channels of a fuel element disposed on said support table to facilitate inspection of said cooling channels for detecting obstructions therein. 7. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein said support table has a support surface and includes a plurality of openings therethrough, said inspection probes being supported such that each probe is received through an opening in said support table, and including means for effecting axial movement of said probes relative to said table between positions below said support table and positions extending above said support table. 8. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel element receptacles comprise discrete containers adapted to be received within said selected ones of said watertight chambers, each of said containers having a releasable lid securable thereon in sealed relation therewith through a plurality of fasteners. 9. The system as defined in claim 8 including a canning machine supported by said housing means and adapted for cooperation with a container when disposed in axial relation therewith to release said fasteners from said containers prior to movement of the container to said predetermined position underlying said environmental chamber. 10. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein said fasteners comprise a plurality of headed screws supported by each of said container lids and adapted for threaded engagement with an associated container, said canning machine being adapted to simultaneously release all of the screws from their containers when positioned at said canning station. 11. The system as defined in claim 8 wherein said grapple means includes a sealing flange adapted to effect sealing engagement with said environmental chamber circumferentially of said access opening during movement of said grapple means to remove a lid from a container disposed in said predetermined position, said sealing flange being adapted to maintain a gaseous environment within said environmental chamber when said grapple means is extended through said access opening. 12. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said environmental chamber includes lid storage areas for separately storing new and damaged lids. 13. The system as defined in claim 8 wherein said housing means further defines a storage area, and including hoist means adapted for transferring said containers from said conveyor means to said storage area. 14. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means defines at least two shielded conveyor chambers, and including an endless conveyor disposed within each of said conveyor chambers, each of said conveyors being adapted to sequentially move a plurality of watertight conveyor chambers and associated containers to a predetermined position, said system further including a transfer chute overlying each of said conveyors, an environmental chamber communicating with each of said transfer chutes and having an access opening disposed axially above an associated one of said predetermined positions, grapple means disposed within each of said environmental chambers, and sealing means operative to effect sealing relation between the interior of each environmental chamber and an axially underlying conveyor chamber when disposed in its said predetermined position below its associated environmental chamber, said grapple means being adapted to engage a container lid disposed in predetermined position below the associated environmental chamber and move said cover lid to a position facilitating entry of a fuel or reflector element into the associated container in the underlying conveyor chamber. 15. In a system for handling fuel and reflector elements of a nuclear reactor, the combination comprising housing means defining at least one shielded chamber,