Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. In a nuclear power plant, a system for aligning a nuclear fuel bundle and handling selected fuel rods within the fuel bundle, the fuel bundle residing in a spent fuel pool within the plant, the fuel bundle having one or more water rods and a plurality of fuel rods including full-length fuel rods and part-length fuel rods, the part-length fuel rods having an upper end plug extending vertically within the bundle through a plurality of axially spaced fuel spacers provided between a top end and bottom end of the fuel bundle, each fuel spacer including a plurality of individual cells accommodating corresponding fuel rods and water rods, the system comprising:a fuel prep machine configured to attach to a wall of the spent fuel pool for supporting the fuel bundle thereon,a bundle alignment assembly attached to the fuel prep machine for aligning fuel rods and water rods within the fuel bundle to remove one or both of any twist or bow present in the fuel bundle,wherein the bundle alignment assembly includes a plurality of axially spaced alignment stations configured to be positioned between the top and bottom ends of the fuel bundle for vertically aligning groups of fuel rods and at least one water rod,wherein each alignment station includes a plurality of alignment blade bundles, each blade bundle including a plurality of metal blades rotatable into the fuel bundle from a disengaged position, in which the blades are substantially vertical and disengaged from the fuel bundle, to an engaged position, in which the blades are substantially horizontal and engaged within the fuel bundle, for vertically aligning groups of fuel rods and at least one water rod,a rod grapple tool for extracting selected part-length rods from within the fuel bundle, anda fuel rod guide block slidable onto the top end of the fuel bundle for protecting an uppermost fuel spacer of the fuel bundle, and for aligning fuel rods within individual cells of all the fuel spacers in the fuel bundle. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod grapple tool includes:a gripper at an end of the tool insertable into the fuel bundle for extracting a part-length fuel rod from the bundle, anda protective, removable guide pin inserted within the gripper prior to rod grapple tool insertion, the guide pin having a tapered pin end to prevent damage to the fuel spacers as the rod grapple tool is inserted into the fuel bundle. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:a guide pin retrieval tool for, when the rod grapple tool has been inserted into the fuel bundle so that the guide pin and gripper are positionable over a given part-length fuel rod to be extracted, removing the guide pin to permit the gripper to be attached to the upper end plug of the part-length fuel rod without damaging the bundle. 4. The system of claim 3, whereinthe guide pin includes a threaded section above the tapered pin end, andthe guide pin retrieval tool includes an extension element with a tongue attached thereto, the tongue having a threaded opening which fits over the blunt end of the guide pin to mate with the threaded section of the guide pin for releasing the guide pin from the rod grapple tool so as to expose the gripper. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the guide pin retrieval tool is configured to attach to a handling pole which enables an operator to lower the guide pin retrieval tool in place between the part-length rod grapple tool, the guide pin retrieval tool being insertable down through the rod guide block and through one or more fuel spacers to a position above both the rod grapple tool and a part-length fuel rod to be extracted, so as to remove the guide pin and expose the gripper. 6. The system of claim 1, whereinthe fuel bundle includes an upper tie plate at the top end and a lower tie plate at the bottom end and a generally rectangular channel extending the length of the fuel bundle and surrounding the fuel bundle, upper tie plate and lower tie plate, andthe channel and upper tie plate are removed in the fuel prep machine to expose the fuel bundle top end. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel rod guide block includes:an upper plate,a lower plate,a plurality of stainless steel tubes extending vertically between the upper and lower plates configured to accept fuel rods as the fuel rod guide block is placed over the fuel rods and water rods of the bundle at the bundle top end, anda pair of side plates attached to the sides of the upper and lower plates by a plurality of fasteners to secure the tubes there between. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the upper and lower plates include a plurality of openings configured to mirror the locations of the fuel rods and water rods in the fuel bundle so as to align with the tubes, the openings and tubes alignable with the fuel rods and water rods to permit the fuel rod guide block to slide over the fuel bundle. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod grapple tool includes a first end handled by an operator and a second end insertable into the fuel bundle to retrieve a part-length rod, the second end having a protective, removable guide pin which prevents the rod grapple tool from damaging fuel rod spacers as the rod grapple tool is inserted into the bundle. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rod grapple tool includes:a lower housing containing a movable gripper rod therein that is extendable from the lower housing, the gripper rod having a proximal end within the lower housing and a distal end terminating in a gripper that is attachable to the end plug of a part-length fuel rod configured to extract the part-length fuel rod from the bundle,a protective, removable guide pin which is attached to the gripper rod distal end so that the gripper is not exposed as the rod grapple tool is inserted into the fuel bundle,an upper housing connected to the lower housing, the upper housing including an activation rod therein which has a first end connected to the proximal end of the gripper rod within the lower housing,a push-pull handle actuatable by an operator and connected to a second end of the activation rod, the push-pull handle having a locked position which prevents activation rod movement and a released position that enables the actuation rod to be pushed forward within the upper housing to move the gripper rod with gripper and guide pin in an extended position. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the push-pull handle is placed in the released position so that the gripper rod is extended only to remove the guide pin, so as to expose the gripper and to attach the gripper to the part-length fuel rod to be extracted, the push-pull handle being returned to the locked position to remove the part-length fuel rod from the bundle. 12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a guide pin retrieval tool for removing the guide pin to permit the gripper to be attached to the upper end plug of the part-length fuel rod. 13. In a nuclear power plant, a system for removing twist and/or bow in a nuclear fuel bundle to permit inspection and replacement of one or more fuel rods or water rods within the fuel bundle, the fuel bundle having been irradiated in a reactor core and removed to a spent fuel pool within the plant, the system comprising:a fuel prep machine configured to attach to a wall of the spent fuel pool for supporting the fuel bundle thereon, anda bundle alignment assembly attached to the fuel prep machine for aligning fuel rods and water rods within the fuel bundle to remove one or both of any twist or bow within the fuel bundle,wherein the bundle alignment assembly includes a mounting frame, the mounting frame having a plurality of axially spaced alignment stations mounted thereon, each alignment station including a plurality of alignment blade bundles, each blade bundle including a plurality of metal blades rotatable into the fuel bundle from a disengaged position, in which the blades are substantially vertical and disengaged from the fuel bundle, to an engaged position, in which the blades are substantially horizontal and engaged within the fuel bundle, for vertically aligning groups of fuel rods and at least one water rod. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the fuel prep machine includes:a stanchion with rails formed thereon,a fuel prep carriage for supporting the fuel bundle thereon, the fuel prep carriage connected to the rails and vertically movable along the rails of the stanchion, the fuel prep carriage having an upper rotating fixture and a lower rotating fixture to permit the bundle to be rotated for visual inspection. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mounting frame is attached at upper and lower ends to the upper and lower rotating fixtures. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein each alignment blade bundle in a given alignment station is sequentially rotatable into the fuel bundle so as to create a protective grid for vertically aligning a plurality of fuel rods and at least one water rod in the bundle. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the protective grid formed by the alignment blade bundles are configured to vertically align with the plurality of fuel rods and at least one water rod above each of the fuel spacers in the bundle. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the protective grid formed by the alignment blade bundles is configured to vertically align the plurality of fuel rods and at least one water rod below each of the fuel spacers in the bundle. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the protective grid formed by the alignment blade bundles is configured to vertically align the plurality of fuel rods and at least one water rod above and below each of the fuel spacers in the bundle. 20. The system of claim 16, wherein a given alignment station includes three alignment blade bundles, one alignment blade bundle rotatable in a first plane, and the other two blade bundles rotatable in a second plane different from the first to form the grid. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one alignment bundle is arranged beneath the other two blade bundles in each alignment station. 22. The system of claim 16, wherein selected blades can be removed from selected blade bundles to align different sections of fuel rods within the bundle. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein different combination of blades of the alignment bundles are rotatable in the engaged position to align one or more fuel rods in at least one of a half cross-section of the bundle, a quarter cross-section of the bundle and an eighth cross-section of the bundle. 24. A fuel rod alignment system for a fuel bundle residing in a spent fuel pool within a nuclear power plant, the fuel bundle having one or more water rods a plurality of fuel rods including full-length rods and part-length rods extending vertically within the bundle through a plurality of axially spaced fuel spacers provided between a top end and a bottom end of the fuel bundle, each fuel spacer including a plurality of individual cells accommodating corresponding fuel rods and water rods, the system comprising:a fuel prep machine configured to attach to a wall of the spent fuel pool for supporting the fuel bundle thereon, anda fuel rod guide block slidable onto the top end of the fuel bundle for protecting an uppermost fuel spacer of the fuel bundle, and for aligning fuel rods within individual cells of all the fuel spacers in the fuel bundle,the fuel prep machine including,a stanchion with rails formed thereon,a fuel prep carriage for supporting the fuel bundle thereon, the fuel prep carriage connected to the rails and vertically movable along the rails of the stanchion, the fuel prep carriage having an upper rotating fixture and a lower rotating fixture to permit the bundle to be rotated for visual inspection,a bundle alignment assembly attached to the fuel prep machine including a plurality of axially spaced alignment stations configured to be positioned between the top and bottom ends of the fuel bundle, wherein the alignment station includes a plurality of alignment blade bundles, each blade bundle including a plurality of metal blades rotatable into the fuel bundle from a disengaged position, in which the blades are substantially vertical and disengaged from the fuel bundle, to an engaged position, in which the blades are substantially horizontal and engaged within the fuel bundle, for vertically aligning groups of fuel rods and at least one water rod. 25. The system of claim 24, whereinthe water rods extend vertically within the fuel bundle from the fuel bundle bottom end to a location above the uppermost fuel spacer of the fuel bundle, with top ends of the water rods being tapered, andthe fuel rod guide block is slidable over the fuel rods and water rods to rest on the tapered top ends of the water rods above the uppermost fuel spacer. 26. The system of claim 24, wherein the fuel rod guide block includes:an upper plate,a lower plate,a plurality of stainless steel tubes extending vertically between the upper and lower plates configured to accept fuel rods as the fuel rod guide block is placed over the fuel rods and water rods of the bundle at the bundle top end, anda pair of side plates attached to sides of the upper and lower plates by a plurality of fasteners to secure the tubes there between. 27. The system of claim 26, wherein the upper and lower plates include a plurality of opening configured to mirror the locations of the fuel rods and water rods in the fuel bundle so as to align with the tubes, the opening and tubes alignable with the fuel rods and water rods to permit the fuel rod guide block to slide over the fuel bundle. 28. The system of claim 26, wherein each side plate includes a plurality of holes therein for facilitating the decontamination of the fuel rod guide once removed from the spent fuel pool. 29. The system of claim 26, wherein the fuel rod guide block further includes:a bail having a generally inverted U-shape with a pair of arms connected to the side plates and an upper horizontal portion attachable to a handling pole for installing the fuel rod guide block on and removing the fuel rod guide block from the top end of the fuel bundle. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the fuel rod guide block further includes:a pair of bail attachment plates, each bail attachment plate arranged between a side of the tubes facing a corresponding side plate and an inner surface of the corresponding side plate,a pair of bail stops which limit travel of the bail, each bail stop attached to a corresponding bail attachment plate by a plurality of fasteners so as to sandwich its corresponding side plate there between,wherein bottom ends of each of the bail arms are supported by a corresponding bail stop and are attached to a corresponding bail attachment plate by a fastener.