Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A system for consolidating used nuclear fuel, comprising:a structure securable in a recess for supporting a fuel assembly containing used nuclear fuel rods, the fuel assembly having a top nozzle assembly;an elongated top nozzle assembly removal tool operably suspendable from a drive source for removing the top nozzle assembly from the fuel assembly, exposing ends of the used nuclear fuel rods facing the drive source, wherein the top nozzle assembly removal tool includes a plurality of sleeve extractors for extracting corresponding retaining sleeves in the fuel assembly;an elongated tube cutter tool having a plurality of cutters operably suspendable from the drive source for cutting and removing a predetermined segment of corresponding tubes in the fuel assembly; an elongated rod extraction gripping tool having a frame having a longitudinal axis and a gripper array assembly selectively movable along the axis relative to the frame for selectively engaging ends of one or more used nuclear fuel rods arranged in a row, the rod extraction gripping tool operably suspendable from the drive source for removing the one or more used nuclear fuel rods from the fuel assembly to form a row of removed used nuclear fuel rods;an accumulator for selectively laterally arranging the row of removed used nuclear fuel rods therein; andan elongated second rod gripping tool operably suspendable from the drive source for moving at least one used nuclear fuel rod of the selectively laterally arranged row of used nuclear fuel rods from the accumulator to a consolidation canister for receiving the at least one used nuclear fuel rod therein. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to maintain a predetermined vertical separation from a reference surface in the recess at all times during movement of the used nuclear fuel rods from the fuel assembly to the consolidation canister. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the top nozzle assembly removal tool includes a retention hook for selectively engaging the fuel assembly. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of sleeve extractors are positionable between a retracted position, an intermediate position, and an extended position, and the retention hook is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position for selectively engaging and disengaging the fuel assembly;wherein in response to bringing the top nozzle assembly removal tool into aligned engagement with the fuel assembly, the plurality of sleeve extractors are actuated from the retracted position toward the intermediate position, and the retention hook is simultaneously moved from the disengaged position toward the engaged position for engaging the fuel assembly;wherein in response to actuating the plurality of sleeve extractors from the intermediate position toward the extended position, ends of the plurality of sleeve extractors are directed inside of corresponding sleeves and the ends of the plurality of sleeve extractors are actuated radially outward to engage inner surfaces of the corresponding sleeves; wherein in response to the plurality of sleeve extractors being actuated from the extended position toward the intermediate position, the corresponding sleeves being removed from the fuel assembly; andwherein in response to actuating the plurality of sleeve extractors from the intermediate position toward the retracted position, the retention hook is simultaneously moved from the engaged position toward the disengaged position for disengaging the fuel assembly. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the retention hook is pivotably movable between the engaged position and the disengaged position. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cutters has a cutter element that moves radially outward from a retracted position to an extended cutting position. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gripper array assembly has a plurality of grippers and each gripper independently has a predetermined float length along the axis capable of gripping an end of a corresponding used nuclear fuel rod row, each of the used nuclear fuel rods of each of the used nuclear fuel rod rows capable of having a length differential relative to another used nuclear fuel rod of the used nuclear fuel rod row from which the used nuclear fuel rod is a member thereof, the length differential equal to or less than the predetermined float length. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein each gripper is operatively connected to a corresponding pin, the pin being subjected to a tensile load equal to a retraction force of a corresponding used nuclear fuel rod applied along the axis;wherein in response to the retraction force exceeding a first predetermined force, a signal corresponding to the exceeded retraction force is provided to a controller, resulting in the gripper releasing the end of the corresponding used nuclear fuel rod. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein in response to the retraction force exceeding a second predetermined force, the gripper becomes slidably disengaged from the end of the corresponding used nuclear fuel rod. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the gripper array assembly is movable along the axis relative to the frame by a pair of ball screws. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the frame of the rod extraction gripping tool includes a pair of opposed guide rollers for guiding the row of used nuclear fuel rods along the axis relative to the frame during removal of the row of used nuclear fuel rods from the fuel assembly. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein each guide roller of the pair guide rollers is selectively movable between an engaged position and a retracted position. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein each guide roller is pivotably connected to a linkage operatively connected to an actuator movable between a first position and a second position. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the accumulator includes an intake operatively connected to a fuel rod feeder mechanism for laterally compressing adjacent used nuclear fuel rods of the row of used nuclear fuel rods. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the fuel rod feeder mechanism moves the laterally compressed row of used nuclear fuel rods toward an indexing conveyor. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein a first lateral transfer device collects a predetermined number of used nuclear fuel rods from the indexing conveyor, forming a predetermined arrangement of used nuclear fuel rods, the first lateral transfer device transporting the predetermined arrangement of used nuclear fuel rods to a first consolidation location for laterally compressing adjacent corresponding portions of the predetermined arrangement of used nuclear fuel rods in a direction parallel to a direction of movement of used nuclear fuel rods in the fuel rod feeder mechanism. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein a second lateral transfer device transports the predetermined arrangement of used nuclear fuel rods from the first consolidation location to a second consolidation location, the second lateral transfer device laterally compressing adjacent corresponding portions of the predetermined arrangement of used nuclear fuel rods in a direction transverse to a direction of movement of used nuclear fuel rods in the fuel rod feeder mechanism.