Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating the position of parts, and identifying hanges in parts position over time, within a radioactive cell by utilizing two cameras mounted on a stationary positioning table within the cell, each of the cameras being capable of relative displacement on the table under control of a computer, and each camera having a high resolution objective field smaller than the total desired viewing field. The method is implemented by simultaneously photographing the objective fields of both cameras, displacing one camera a predetermined distance relative to the other camera and repeating the step of simultaneously photographing, and repeating the displacement and simultaneous photographing steps over the entire viewing field; the method steps are repeated at a later time and a comparison is made of the viewing field images reproduced at the two times to identify relative changes in parts position with high resolution.

Abstract: A remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement for mounting and itioning remote handling apparatus is described for use in large-area cells containing process equipment particularly in radioactively-charged large-area cells of facilities for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels. In such large-area cells, the process components are disposed in racks. Maintenance and servicing work is carried out on the process components and the racks using the remote handling apparatus. The positioning and carrier arrangement which is used for this purpose has a vertically movable support. For a more precise positioning, the positioning and carrier arrangement is transportable and can be suspended on the particular rack at which work is to be done. The positioning and carrier arrangement has a table-like main frame which, in turn, has legs which are disposed horizontally when the frame is suspended on the rack. The ends of the legs are supported against the rack.

Abstract: The invention relates to a component which is replaceable be remote control nd which in the installed condition is releasably secured to a stationary component. In the remote handling art, there is a need to be able to exchange components, which are replaceable under remote control, safely, rapidly and reliably with remote handling equipment which is of maximum simplicity and with a small number of remote handling steps. For that purpose, at least two locking devices are provided laterally on the replaceable component. Each locking device has a perpendicularly mounted carrier on which a locking claw is pivotally mounted. The locking claws are provided with guide slots. Lateral guide trunnions of an entrainment member are provided with a threaded bore and engage the guide slots so that the entrainment member can be moved vertically by an elongated threaded actuating member which is fixed axially in position so that it remains at the same elevation.

Abstract: A storage container is disclosed for accommodating fuel rods of disassemb irradiated nuclear reactor fuel elements. The storage container includes a circular storage space into which a cage receiving the canned fuel rods is inserted. The individual fuel-rod cans are arranged in the insert cage in the form of a circle in order to achieve a good removal of heat. Hold-down springs bear on the end faces of the cans. The radial extension of the fuel-rod cans towards the longitudinal center of the container is limited to accommodate an empty square central shaft in the middle of the insert cage.

Abstract: An arrangement for centering and manipulating conduits is disclosed. The angement is an aid for connecting flanges together by remote control and can be used to connect the end flange of a stationary conduit to an end flange of a removable conduit portion. The use of the centering and manipulating arrangement is in a process cell such as a large-area cell for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels. The interface plane of the two end flanges to be connected together is disposed perpendicularly. In order to permit rapid and secure coupling, with a low level of technical complexity, the end flange of the stationary conduit is provided with an upwardly open guide cradle at its peripheral edge. The guide cradle is arranged in parallel relationship to the rotational axis of the end flange and is mounted laterally thereon. In the rearward region which is towards the stationary conduit, the guide cradle includes a catch ring.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for loading containers with individual fuel rods r fuel-rod sections of irradiated nuclear reactor fuel elements are disclosed. In order to ensure maximum safety, cleanliness and close packing when loading the containers, the fuel rods or fuel-rod sections are horizontally front-loaded into the container which is horizontally positioned. The loading aperture is located as closely as possible to the upper inner periphery of the container. Following their insertion, the fuel rods or fuel-rod sections will drop onto the inner wall surface of the container or onto the already existing pile of previously loaded fuel rods or fuel-rod sections. The container for loading with such a method has a loading aperture in the end wall thereof arranged close to the inner periphery thereof for insertion of the fuel rods or fuel-rod sections.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for performing remotemanipulated work on a conduit of a nuclear facility. The method of the invention is for maintaining pipe conduits in a radioactively contaminated cell such as a large-area cell of a reprocessing facility for irradiated nuclear fuel. The defective conduit portion to be removed is sawn out of a conduit and a replacement conduit segment is welded into the conduit. In order to provide for rapidly and accurately welding the replacement conduit segment into the conduit, the step of machining the two conduit end portions is combined with the step of determining the inside dimension between the conduit end portions formed by the step of sawing out the defective conduit portion. An apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a container for receiving and safely storing radioactive or other materials damaging to living organisms, especially such materials as vitrified radioactive fission products or irradiated nuclear reactor fuel elements. The container includes a vessel and a sealing cover. The vessel has a circular opening at one of its ends for receiving the materials to be stored therein, and a sealing cover is seated in this opening to tightly seal the container. In order to obtain a container of the kind which has the required high impermeability to gas, the open end of the inner bore of the vessel is widened to define a conical surface. A sealing cover is pressed into the vessel at this conical surfce. The sealing cover has a peripheral surface which converges toward the interior of the vessel and which has a taper corresponding to that of the conical surface of the vessel.

Abstract: Suction molds used in the suction removal process must first be prepared ore they can receive vitrified radioactive waste materials. A method is disclosed for preparing the suction mold which includes a suction pipe welded into the base of the mold with a desired-break location whereat the suction pipe is broken off during the suction removal process. An evacuation stub is mounted in the mouth of the suction pipe and communicates with the interior of the mold. The method of the invention includes evacuating the mold through the evacuation stub and then heating the mold to remove moisture and organic impurities. The mold is then filled with a dry inert gas and the evacuation stub is cleaned. The mold is then evacuated to a predetermined residual pressure. Thereafter, the evacuation stub is cold-press welded so as to close off the interior of the mold from the ambient.

Abstract: The invention is directed to remotely-controlled manipulator carrier systems for use in maintaining and servicing process equipment housed in large-area cells affected by radioactivity wherein industrial processes are conducted. The cells are part of a nuclear facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel materials. The process equipment is arranged along mutually adjacent walls of the cell and so defines a canyon-like passageway extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cell. The system includes a first overhead bridge crane having a trolley movable thereon in a direction transverse to said longitudinal axis. The trolley includes a hoist for lowering and raising a hook for engaging and moving a component of the process equipment in a first vertical plane transverse to said axis. A second overhead bridge crane is disposed beneath the first bridge crane.

Abstract: In containers having latchable covers for closing the container vessel, the overs are rigidly connected to the vessel opening and this condition can be disadvantageous under various load conditions. To attain a flexible yet secure closure, the cover is provided with an annular groove formed in the peripheral edge thereof. The cover is thereby capable of yielding under stress. For tensioning the cover, a device can be fixed in a recess formed in the inner wall surface of the vessel. Upright supports project out from a plate and are in contact engagement with an end face of the cover remote from a shoulder formed in the inside wall surface of the vessel opening. A tensioning unit is subjected to pressure and then presses the cover together in the region of the annular groove. After the latches are inserted into a recess, the tensioning unit is relieved of stress. The latches are then wedged in by the resilient action of the cover to produce a simple and reliable connection.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for loading containers with individual fuel rods r fuel-rod sections of irradiated nuclear reactor fuel elements are disclosed. In order to ensure maximum safety, cleanliness and close packing when loading the containers, the fuel rods or fuel-rod sections are horizontally front-loaded into the container which is horizontally positioned. The loading aperture is located as closely as possible to the upper inner periphery of the container. Following their insertion, the fuel rods or fuel-rod sections will drop onto the inner wall surface of the container or onto the already existing pile of previously loaded fuel rods or fuel-rod sections. The container for loading with such a method has a loading aperture in the end wall thereof arranged close to the inner periphery thereof for insertion of the fuel rods or fuel-rod sections.

Abstract: The invention relates to a remotely-operable remote handling arrangement use in radioactively loaded large-area cells of facilities containing process equipment for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels. The remote handling apparatus has an industrial robot which is controlled by a process computer and which, for the purpose of detecting the position of an arm of an articulated joint of the robot, is provided with a rotary sensor for determining the angular position of the arm. The rotary sensor is configured as a resolver and is configured pursuant to the induction principle. A second resolver is arranged coaxially with respect to the first resolver in order to be able to check the true position of the arm of the joint. On its shaft, the second resolver has a suitable indicator which is rotatable with the shaft relative to a zero mark.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an arrangement for vitrifying highly radioace waste solutions. The arrangement has a glass melting furnace and a wet scrubber for scrubbing particles of dust out of the offgas from the glass melting furnace. The offgas is passed from the glass melting furnace into the wet scrubber through an offgas conduit. The solids in the offgas are deposited in the offgas conduit. In order to counteract the disadvantageous consequences of such deposits, the offgas conduit includes two conduit lengths. The glass melting furnace is connected to one end of a first one of the conduit lengths via a connecting conduit stub mounted on the melting furnace and the wet scrubber is connected to one end of the second conduit length via a connecting conduit stub on the scrubbers. The two conduit lengths extend upwardly and are inclined toward each other so that they interconnect at their respective other ends.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a connecting arrangement for interconnecting o widely spaced stationary end flanges corresponding to two conduits with an interconnecting conduit section. The two conduits lead to processing components in a large-area cell for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels and the processing components are mounted in racks in the cell. When remote-controlled maintenance is carried out and the racks are exchanged, it must be possible for the interconnecting conduit section to be removed simply and quickly by remote-controlled handling and replaced simply and quickly after the exchange is completed. For this purpose, the conduit section has two connecting end flanges lying in respective planes parallel to each other and with their flange engaging surfaces facing in the same direction. The stationary end flanges which have to be interconnected by the conduit section are also arranged parallel to each other and their flange engaging surfaces face in the same direction.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for making a glass block containing dioactive fission products in a metal vessel. The method includes the steps of placing the radioactive glass melt in the metal vessel and cooling the same therein. To minimize the formation of fissures in the glass block which is formed, the inner wall surfaces of the metal vessel are coated with a carbon material. The metal vessel is then placed in a thermally-insulating receptacle. The metal vessel is then filled with a radioactive glass melt emanating from a glass melting furnace and, after the filling step, is cooled slowly in the heat insulating receptacle. A container assembly for use in performing the method of the invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method vitrifying radioactive fission prods in liquid solution. The liquid solution is pumped in metered quantities from a feed container to a vitrifying oven. The offgas occurring during vitrification is scrubbed of entrained radioactive dust particles and the like by a scrubbing liquid in a scrubber. In order to obtain a simplified sequence of method steps for metering the liquid solution and for scrubbing the offgas, the radioactive fission product solution from the feed container itself is used as the scrubbing liquid. This fission product solution is taken from the feed container and conducted to the counterflow scrubber through which it is passed in a direction opposite to the flow of the offgas. The fission product solution used as a scrubbing liquid is returned to the feed container after passing through the counterflow scrubber.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a remotely-controlled remote handling arrangnt for use in large-area radioactively-charged cells of a facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel materials. The remote handling means includes a travelling bridge crane and a manipulator carrying apparatus arranged in a plane below the bridge beam of the crane. To improve the self servicing and internal maintenance thereof, the arrangement is made up of various assemblies. The movable assemblies can be separated from their travelling chassis frames. The drive units for driving the chassis frames stay with assemblies when the latter are removed. Accordingly, chassis frames are left on the bridge beam or guide member without their drive units.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for remote-controlled connection nd disconnection of threaded bolts in a flange joint located in a radioactively-ladened cell. The apparatus includes a remotely controllable impact wrench carrying an extension shaft which is driven by the output shaft of the wrench. As a means of pulling the threaded bolts out of the through bores passing through the rear flange when a flange joint is being disconnected, a magnetic coil is arranged around the extension shaft. A voltage is applied to the coil thereby developing a magnetic force for holding the threaded bolts in the socket thereby permitting the threaded bolts to be moved away from the flange with the impact wrench.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a device for performing remotely-manipulated intenance work with a motor-driven tool such as an impact wrench or the like on conduits and process components arranged in a shielded, radioactively-ladened cell. The device includes an impact wrench mounted in a carrier frame. The impact wrench can be remotely-controlled in a vertical or a horizontal working position and is movable on the cable hoist of a remotely-controlled crane. The carrier frame is provided with motor-driven retractable and extendable torque bracing spindles on its longitudinally extending sides to prevent twisting of the impact wrench and carrier frame in the vertical working position about the cable of the cable hoist.