Automated Fuel Element Wire Shearing Mechanism

Justen Bock, Christopher Johnson

Alberto Castro, Richard Fries

Design Review Outline

Background Problem Definition Fuel Element Delivery Fuel Element Orientation Fuel Element Wire Shearing Fuel Element Rod Chopping Fuel Element Waste Management Integrated Solution Concepts Budget/Timeline Discussion Questions

Background

Currently a technician manually loads the fuel elements into the shearing and chopping devices using the master/slave manipulator.

Problem Statement

Design a labor-saving process for separating fuel elements from spacer wires at the INL Materials and Fuels Complex. This includes the following operations:

1. Load the fuel element into a wire shearing device

2. Orientate the fuel element to properly position the wire

1. Shear and separate the wire from the fuel element

1. Cut the wire into pieces of three inch length

1. Cut the fuel element into pieces of three inch length

Delivery: T-Bar

Fuel elements go on at Detail B end

Flaps recess inward as spade end is pushed on

Individual elements are advanced at Detail A end

Delivery: Canister

Operator inserts fuel elements

Canister revolves

Individual fuel element ejected through bottom

Orientation: 1-Tooth Gear

Fuel element goes through the Gear

Full gear used in Design Concept 1

Partial gear used in Design Concept 2

Orientation: Clapper

Claps onto the spade end of the fuel element

Wire must be one side or the exact opposite

Orientation: Shackle

Bend fuel element inserted between shackles

Shackles close and force the fuel element into position

Wire Shearing: Pac-Man

Rotates around rod and shears the wire

We created an experimental single shear

Wire Shearing: Double Shear

Fuel element is placed in lower shear

Bottom shear comes up to push the fuel element into the top shear

Rod Chopping

At Present, the plan is to use the existing chopper at INL for the fuel element rods.

Waste Management: Slotted Pan

Fuel elements and wire fall on tray

Wires fall into slot

Elements slide across into box at end

Integrated Solution Concept 1

Design Includes: Canister, 1-tooth Gear and Clapper, Shackles, and the Double Shear.

Integrated Solution Concept 2

Design Includes: T-bar, 1-Tooth Gear Open, Shackle Arm, Pac-Man, and the Slotted Pan

Budget

Is the submitted budget sheet correct? Alterations?

Timeline

Snapshot Day ……………….Dec. 01 2006

Semester End Report Due…Dec. 14 2006 Winter Break…………………Dec. 16 2006 Spring Semester Begins…….Jan. 16 2007 2nd Design Review………….Feb. 12 2007 Final Report Due…………….May 05 2007 Engineering Expo……………May 12 2007

Discussion Questions

Is using existing fuel element chopper an acceptable narrowing of scope?

How are the chopped fuel element sections sorted?

Did you have any ideas similar to ours? If so, what problems did you come across?

Questions?

Ideas, Comments, or Suggestions