Patent ID: 7593501

Claim:
A method to insert nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod cladding element, comprising: providing a cladding element; providing nuclear fuel pellets aligned in a column on a segment make-up table by a pellet pusher device; illuminating a predefined length of the column of nuclear fuel pellets with a laser; removing any non-illuminated nuclear fuel pellet from the segment make-up table; subsequent to the removing step, measuring a length of the column of nuclear fuel pellets with a camera while the column of nuclear fuel pellets is on the segment make-up table, wherein the camera measures the length of the column of nuclear fuel pellets through measuring a distance of an overall position of the pellet pusher device; comparing the length of the column of nuclear fuel pellets to an expected design length; and incorporating the column of nuclear fuel pellets into the cladding element when the measured length of the column of nuclear fuel pellets is within a threshold value of the expected design length.