Abstract: A dimensional reactivity management system that takes into account the axial burnup shape data of a nuclear fuel assembly to determine the acceptability of placement of the assembly relative to other assemblies in a storage container.

Abstract: A dimensional reactivity management system that takes into account the axial burnup shape data of a nuclear fuel assembly to determine the acceptability of placement of the assembly relative to other assemblies in a storage container.

Abstract: An automated system for identifying nuclear power plant components includes a camera which provides an input signal from an image of the nuclear power plant components. A digitizer generates a digitized image of the nuclear power plant components from the input signal. A workstation locator routine locates the component identifier of the nuclear power plant components from pixel elements of the digitized image and a workstation determining routine determines the component identifier. The determining routine includes plural recognizer routines each having an output providing an intermediate recognition of the component identifier, and a combining routine combining the outputs of the recognizer routines to recognize the component identifier. Each of the outputs includes an intermediate identifier and a corresponding confidence value.

Abstract: An integrated data management system for compiling information concerning a plurality of nuclear power plant components includes a distributed database for maintaining the information over a lifetime of each of the nuclear power plant components, data entry terminals for entering the information in the distributed database, and data retrieval terminals for retrieving the information from the distributed database. The database is distributed by a wide-area network interconnecting the data entry and data retrieval terminals with distributed workstations which access the information.

Abstract: An automated system for determining positions of a plurality of nuclear fuel assemblies organized in an array within a housing of a nuclear power plant includes a radiation hardened, underwater camera for inputting images of the nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to each other or with respect to a baffle wall of a nuclear reactor core, a digital signal processor for generating a second digitized image including a plurality of pixel elements of the nuclear fuel assemblies from the first image, and a workstation for determining the positions of the nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to the baffle wall from counts of the pixel elements.

Abstract: A method of making a rack for storing a maximum number of fuel assemblies in spent-fuel storage locations in a minimum space. The rack has locations each formed by bending a stainless-steel sheet into a hollow body of the generally rectangular cross section and with each side shaped so that the apices of the body project outwardly. Except for bodies along the outer periphery of the rack, the apex of each body is contiguous to the apex of an adjacent body. These contiguous apices are joined by spaced welds longitudinally along the bodies. The welds are spaced so as to maximize the resistance of the rack to seismic acceleration and spent-fuel storage locations are thus formed. Four storage locations extend radially from the apices of each location. A wrapper plate is secured to each side of each of these four locations providing a pocket for neutron-absorbing material. An additional storage location is formed having pockets in common with the locations which bound it.

Abstract: A rack for storing a maximum number of fuel assemblies in spent-fuel storage locations in a minimum space. The rack has locations each formed by bending a stainless-steel sheet into a hollow body of the generally rectangular cross section and with each side shaped so that the apices of the body project outwardly. Except for bodies along the outer periphery of the rack, the apex of each body is contiguous to the apex of an adjacent body. These contiguous apices are joined by spaced welds longitudinally along the bodies. The welds are spaced so as to maximize the resistance of the rack to seismic acceleration and spent-fuel storage locations are thus formed. Four storage locations extend radially from the apices of each location. A wrapper plate is secured to each side of each of these five locations providing a pocket for neutron-absorbing material.

Abstract: A cluster of standardized reduced length burnable absorber rods include a plurality of middle rod sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and containing burnable absorber material in sealed chambers therein, a plurality of upper end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space, and a plurality of lower end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space. Each of the rods is formed of one middle rod section tandemly arranged between and rigidly interconnecting one upper end spacer section and one lower end spacer section. The three rigidly interconnected sections which form each rod being selected so as to provide the same standard combined axial length for each of the rods in the cluster thereof although the axial lengths of the middle rod sections can vary from rod to rod and thereby the axial location of the burnable absorber material along the rod can also vary from rod to rod.

Abstract: A cluster of standardized reduced length burnable absorber rods include a plurality of middle rod sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and containing burnable absorber material in sealed chambers therein, a plurality of upper end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space, and a plurality of lower end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space. Each of the rods is formed of one middle rod section tandemly arranged between and interconnecting one upper end spacer section and one lower end spacer section. The three interconnected sections which form each rod being selected so as to provide the same standard combined axial length for each of the rods in the cluster thereof although the axial lengths of the middle rod sections can vary from rod to rod and thereby the axial location of the burnable absorber material along the rod can also vary from rod to rod.