Patent Number: 048572624
Section: abstract

A method and apparatus for separating the fuel rods (15) in a fuel element 8), whereby the former are retained in a bird cage arrangement (16, 18) between a head piece (19) and a foot piece (19'). The fuel elements (8) is located on a support table (6) with the help of a clamping arrangement (10). Before the fuel rods can be separated, the head piece and the foot piece are removed. In order to simplify removal of the fuel rods from the fuel element, to save space, and to minimize any risk of breakage after removal of the head piece (19) and the foot piece (19'), the bird cage arrangement (16,18) is progressively stripped from one layer of fuel rods to the next and from around the fuel rods. The exposed fuel rods are then lifted out of the fuel element (8) layer by layer and reshuffled in a more compact arrangement. A cutting tool (24), provided with a cutting disk head (26), is used to strip and separate the fuel rods with the help of a grappler (28). The grappler is used to bend the bird cage arrangement apart, bar by bar, after it is severed.