Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic welding apparatus for an end plug of a nuclear fuel rod, which is used to perform resistance welding on a cladding tube and the end plug in a welding chamber. The automatic welding apparatus includes a welding chamber configured to perform resistance welding on an end plug and a cladding tube, a cladding tube transfer unit that has a cladding tube clamp fixedly clamping the cladding tube and a first servo motor for driving the cladding tube clamp in a horizontal direction and that horizontally transfers the cladding tube to the welding chamber, end plug welding electrodes gripping the end plug fed from an end plug feeder, an end plug transfer driver for driving the end plug welding electrodes toward the welding chamber in a forward/backward direction, and a position control module for controlling driving of the first servo motor and the end plug transfer driver.

Abstract: A method for loading fuel pellets for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod is provided. The method includes arranging fuel pellets in a row on a tray, aligning the fuel pellets in the row on the tray such that the fuel pellets are closely in contact with one another, obtaining a total length of the pellets in the row by measuring the fuel pellets in the row on the tray, and comparing the total length with a predetermined length. When the total length is smaller than the predetermined length by a difference greater than an average unit length of the pellet, one or more fuel pellets are added in the row until to increase the total length until the difference becomes smaller than the average unit length of the fuel pellet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel rod auto-loading apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly, which disposes fuel rods in a fuel rod case in a bundle to assemble the fuel rods into the nuclear fuel assembly. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus includes a fuel rod storage unit having a plurality of stacked racks for fuel rods, a fuel rod loading unit raised/lowered to the racks and transferring the fuel rods, a feeding unit placing the fuel rods in rows and loading the fuel rods into the fuel rod case, a fuel rod unloading unit selectively unloading some of the fuel rods stored in the fuel rod storage unit and transferring the fuel rods to the feeding unit, a fuel rod assembly lifter which is disposed parallel to the feeding unit, and a controller controlling driving of the fuel rod loading unit, the feeding unit, and the fuel rod unloading unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma welding apparatus for a guide thimble and guide thimble end plug of a nuclear fuel assembly, which includes: a welding chamber (100) includes an end-plug inserting part (110) into which the end plug (10) is inserted, a guide-thimble inserting part (120) which is provided on the same axis as the end-plug inserting part (110) and into which the guide thimble (20) is inserted and fixed, a torch assembling part (130) to which a plasma welding torch (131) is assembled so as to make a right angle with the end-plug inserting part (110) and the guide-thimble inserting part (120), and argon inflow and outflow ports (141, 142) through which argon is supplied or discharged; an end-plug transfer unit (210) supplying the end plug (10) to the end-plug inserting part (110); and an guide-thimble transfer unit (220) transferring the guide thimble (20) to the guide-thimble inserting part (120).

Abstract: A method for loading fuel pellets for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod comprises arranging fuel pellets in a row on a plurality of trays, measuring a whole length of the fuel pellets in the row on each of the plurality of trays and obtaining a total length of the pellets by accumulating the whole length of the fuel pellets one after another for the plurality of trays, comparing the total length with a predetermined length, and increasing or decreasing one or more fuel pellets in the row of a last tray of the plurality of the trays such that the total length of the pellets is less than the predetermined length and a length difference between the total length of the pellets and the predetermined length is within a length of one fuel pellet.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically loading a fuel pellet for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod is provided. The apparatus includes a tray transfer unit that horizontally transfers the tray, a fuel pellet alignment unit that aligns fuel pellets arranged in the tray, a measurement unit that measures an entire length of the fuel pellets arranged in a row on the tray, a controller that compares an accumulated measured length with a set length, a waiting table located adjacent to the tray transfer unit to store a redundancy fuel pellet, and a fuel pellet movement unit that is driven by the controller and moves the fuel pellets between the tray and the waiting table.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel rod testing apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly. The fuel rod testing apparatus includes a helium leakage testing chamber having a gate so that a fuel rod is horizontally loaded/unloaded and testing whether or not helium leaks from the fuel rod, a fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit that has first and second transfer sections located in front of the gate and horizontally installed apart from each other in order to guide the fuel rod loaded into or unloaded from the helium leakage testing chamber, and that vertically drives the first and second transfer sections, and a main frame that has a upper transfer section disposed in parallel in a lengthwise direction of the fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit and having an inclined face and a lower transfer section installed at a lower portion of the upper transfer section and having an inclined face.

Abstract: A suspension type high-density storage rack for nuclear fuel assemblies may include a plurality of body parts each having a basket cell storing the corresponding nuclear fuel assembly and having a generally square tube-like shape elongated in a height direction thereof, a plurality of connection plates integrally connecting the basket cells adjacent to each other, while maintaining them at a predetermined distance, and a base plate fixedly coupling the undersides of the basket cells thereto; and a plurality of cap parts each closing the opened upper portion of the corresponding body part and suspending the corresponding nuclear fuel assembly therefrom.

Abstract: Disclosed therein are an apparatus for and a method of welding a flange to a guide thimble tube in a nuclear fuel assembly. The automatic welding apparatus includes a welding unit located on an axially conveying line of a tube for welding a surface of the tube inserted thereinto and a surface of a flange, a flange supplying unit for supplying the flange at a tube inlet of the welding unit onto the axially conveying line, and a conveying unit mounted on the axially conveying line in such a way as to move the tube and the flange on the axially conveying line, so that they are inserted into and drawn from the welding unit.

Abstract: A lid frame for a nuclear fuel assembly shipping container and a shipping container for nuclear fuel assemblies are provided. The shipping container can include a lower container in which a cradle is installed, an upper container detachably coupled to the lower container, and a base frame coupled to the cradle with at least one nuclear fuel assembly placed thereon. The lid frame can include a plurality of supports installed apart from each other so as to surround the nuclear fuel assembly placed on the base frame, and a plurality of clamps separated from each other, coupled to the plurality of supports perpendicular to the plurality of supports, rotatably hinged to the base frame, and configured to clamp the nuclear fuel assembly. The lid frame safely protects the nuclear fuel assembly that is being transported.

Abstract: A lid frame for a nuclear fuel assembly shipping container and a shipping container for nuclear fuel assemblies are provided. The shipping container includes a lower container having a cradle, an upper container detachably coupled to the lower container, and a base frame coupled to the cradle with at least one nuclear fuel assembly placed thereon. The lid frame includes a plurality of supports installed apart from each other so as to surround the nuclear fuel assembly placed on the base frame, a plurality of clamps separated from each other, coupled to the supports so as to be perpendicular to the supports, rotatably hinged to the base frame, and clamping the nuclear fuel assembly, and a plurality of gap compensators coupled to inner surfaces of the supports in order to compensate for a gap between the inner surfaces of the supports and the nuclear fuel assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel rod testing apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly. The fuel rod testing apparatus includes a helium leakage testing chamber having a gate so that a fuel rod is horizontally loaded/unloaded and testing whether or not helium leaks from the fuel rod, a fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit that has first and second transfer sections located in front of the gate and horizontally installed apart from each other in order to guide the fuel rod loaded into or unloaded from the helium leakage testing chamber, and that vertically drives the first and second transfer sections, and a main frame that has a upper transfer section disposed in parallel in a lengthwise direction of the fuel rod upward/downward transfer unit and having an inclined face and a lower transfer section installed at a lower portion of the upper transfer section and having an inclined face.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma welding apparatus for a guide thimble and guide thimble end plug of a nuclear fuel assembly, which includes: a welding chamber (100) includes an end-plug inserting part (110) into which the end plug (10) is inserted, a guide-thimble inserting part (120) which is provided on the same axis as the end-plug inserting part (110) and into which the guide thimble (20) is inserted and fixed, a torch assembling part (130) to which a plasma welding torch (131) is assembled so as to make a right angle with the end-plug inserting part (110) and the guide-thimble inserting part (120), and argon inflow and outflow ports (141, 142) through which argon is supplied or discharged; an end-plug transfer unit (210) supplying the end plug (10) to the end-plug inserting part (110); and an guide-thimble transfer unit (220) transferring the guide thimble (20) to the guide-thimble inserting part (120).

Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel rod auto-loading apparatus for a nuclear fuel assembly, which disposes fuel rods in a fuel rod case in a bundle to assemble the fuel rods into the nuclear fuel assembly. The fuel rod auto-loading apparatus includes a fuel rod storage unit having a plurality of stacked racks for fuel rods, a fuel rod loading unit raised/lowered to the racks and transferring the fuel rods, a feeding unit placing the fuel rods in rows and loading the fuel rods into the fuel rod case, a fuel rod unloading unit selectively unloading some of the fuel rods stored in the fuel rod storage unit and transferring the fuel rods to the feeding unit, a fuel rod assembly lifter which is disposed parallel to the feeding unit, and a controller controlling driving of the fuel rod loading unit, the feeding unit, and the fuel rod unloading unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic welding apparatus for an end plug of a nuclear fuel rod, which is used to perform resistance welding on a cladding tube and the end plug in a welding chamber. The automatic welding apparatus includes a welding chamber configured to perform resistance welding on an end plug and a cladding tube, a cladding tube transfer unit that has a cladding tube clamp fixedly clamping the cladding tube and a first servo motor for driving the cladding tube clamp in a horizontal direction and that horizontally transfers the cladding tube to the welding chamber, end plug welding electrodes gripping the end plug fed from an end plug feeder, an end plug transfer driver for driving the end plug welding electrodes toward the welding chamber in a forward/backward direction, and a position control module for controlling driving of the first servo motor and the end plug transfer driver.

Abstract: Disclosed therein are an apparatus for and a method of welding a flange to a guide thimble tube in a nuclear fuel assembly. The automatic welding apparatus includes a welding unit located on an axially conveying line of a tube for welding a surface of the tube inserted thereinto and a surface of a flange, a flange supplying unit for supplying the flange at a tube inlet of the welding unit onto the axially conveying line, and a conveying unit mounted on the axially conveying line in such a way as to move the tube and the flange on the axially conveying line, so that they are inserted into and drawn from the welding unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically loading a fuel pellet for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod includes a tray transfer unit that horizontally transfers a tray; a fuel pellet alignment unit that aligns fuel pellets arranged in the tray; a measurement unit that measures an entire length of the fuel pellets arranged in a row on the tray; a controller that compares an accumulated measured length with a set length; and a waiting table located adjacent to the tray transfer unit to store a redundancy fuel pellet; and a fuel pellet movement unit configured to be driven by the controller and configured to move the fuel pellet between a tray of which length measurement is completed by the measurement unit and the waiting table to increase or decrease the fuel pellet arranged on the tray.

Abstract: Disclosed therein are an apparatus for and a method of automatically welding a flange to a guide thimble tube in a nuclear fuel assembly. The automatic welding apparatus includes: a welding part located on an axially conveying line of a tube for welding a welded surface of the tube inserted thereinto and a welded surface of a flange; a flange supplying part for supplying the flange at a tube inlet of the welding part onto the axially conveying line; and a conveying part mounted on the axially conveying line in such a way as to move the tube and the flange on the axially conveying line, so that they are inserted into and drawn from the welding part.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for performing an automated cleaning of nuclear fuel cladding-tubes. The apparatus comprises a pre-cleaning holding section disposed at a first side of the apparatus, a primary cleaning-material supplying section and a primary cleaning section disposed at a second side of the apparatus, a secondary cleaning section and a secondary cleaning material supplying section disposed at the second side of the apparatus and beside the primary cleaning section, an inspection section disposed at a third side of the apparatus that is opposite to the second side, and a post-cleaning holding section disposed at the fourth side of the transferring section. The pre-cleaning holding section and the post-cleaning holding section includes a cladding-tube guide where the cladding-tube is loaded before and after cleaning. Primary and secondary cleaning material supply sections are disposed at a lateral side of the primary and secondary cleaning sections respectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for capturing an image of a welding spot during a welding task and determining an accurate position of the welding spot based on the captured image in order to perform an accurate welding task. A beam splitter splits a path of light reflected from a welding section of a spacer grid from a path of a laser beam generated from a laser generator. An image sensor receives light reflected from a welding spot of the spacer grid, and senses and stores an image of the spacer grid. Welding control means controls the image sensor to capture the image of the spacer grid, receives the image of the spacer grind from the image sensor, calculates an accurate position of the welding spot based on the received image, corrects position information of the welding spot based on the calculated position, and controls a servo motor so that the laser generator can accurately collimate the welding spot based on the corrected position value.