Fuel Basket Weld-Bead Cutting for Safe Spent Fuel Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cutting devices for fuel baskets accommodating spent nuclear fuel in heavy water reactors often cause damage to the fuel and are inefficient in recovering cutting chips, as they perform through-cutting rather than targeting the welding bead.
Innovation Solution
A cutting apparatus with a vertical support, turntable, side-cutting and upper-cutting means, and a shatterproof film to prevent scattering of cutting chips, allowing only the welding bead to be cut, thereby preventing fuel basket damage and facilitating chip recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If through-cutting is performed on the fuel basket, then the fuel basket can be separated, but the spent nuclear fuel may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting operation is segmented into two distinct stages: first cutting the welding bead to separate the lid, and then performing through-cutting on the body. This segmentation allows the spent fuel to be protected during the initial separation phase while enabling complete separation when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The welding bead is cut first as a preliminary action before performing through-cutting on the fuel basket body. This preliminary cutting of the welding bead creates initial separation and allows for controlled subsequent cutting operations that minimize risk to the spent fuel.
2Productivity
If conventional cutting devices are used, then cutting operation can be performed, but cutting chips scatter and are difficult to recover
Solution Approach 1:
A water pool serves as an intermediary medium during the cutting operation. The water pool contains the cutting chips, prevents their scattering, and facilitates easy recovery while also providing cooling and lubrication during the cutting process.
3Ease of manufacture
If through-cutting is performed, then complete separation is achieved, but the operation takes a great deal of time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting process is divided into segments: welding bead cutting followed by body through-cutting. This segmentation allows for more efficient removal of the welding bead first, reducing overall operation time and effort required for complete separation.
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is a cutting apparatus for a fuel basket accommodating spent nuclear fuel of a heavy water reactor, wherein the apparatus includes a base, a vertical support arranged on one side of the base; a turn table arranged to be reciprocated between one side and an opposite side of the base and be horizontally rotatable on the base; a horizontal support arranged to extend from an upper-end of the vertical support in a horizontal direction toward the turn table; a side-cutting means arranged on the vertical support protruding toward the turn table for cutting a side welding bead of the fuel basket mounted on the turn table; and an upper-cutting means arranged on the horizontal support protruding toward the turn table for cutting an upper welding bead of the fuel basket mounted on the turn table.