Process for welding corner cells in fuel assembly grids
US4101752A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 1976 |
| Grant date | Jul 18, 1978 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 1996 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/30
- WIPO fieldMachine tools
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A process for welding the adjacent ends of frame members peripherally surrounding the interleaved straps of a fuel assembly grid which includes placing the assembled grid and its frame members into a fixture made to substantially the same dimensions as the outside dimensions of the grid. The side members of the frame are arranged such that a space appears at each of the four corners and a special tool placed in each of the four corner cells of the grid is designed to have an opening which corresponds to the openings formed on each corner of the fixture. After the tooling is placed in each of the four corner cells, the assembled grid and fixture is then placed in welding apparatus such that a welding tip thereof is placed in the tool located in a corner cell. Since the opening in the tool and between the plates of the fixture and at each corner are in alignment, the welding tip accordingly moves through the openings and into contact with the overlapping ends of the frame members placed on the peripheral surface of the grid. The upper welding tip is then brought into contact with the other side of the overlapping ends and a spot weld accordingly applied to the frame member overlappin…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.