Nuclear fuel element filling - using glove box and lock chamber to fill sleeve with radioactive tablets

摘要

Filling of a sleeve or sheat, previously closed at one end by a welded-in plug, with radioactive products, particularly nuclear fuel tables contained in a sealed enclosure e.g. a glove box, by (i) introducing from the outside of the enclosure, the open end of the sleeve into a lock chamber mounted on one wall of the enclosure, (ii) establishing a sealed connection between the lock chamber and the external surface of the sleeve, (iii) evacuating and subsequently refilling the lock chamber and the sleeve with an inert gas, (iv) introducing the opened of the sleeve into the sealed enclosure for the lock chamber (v) causing the radioactive products to enter the sleeve and thereafter closing the open end of this by a second plug (vi) retracting the now closed end of the sleeve into the lock chamber, (vii) closing the lock chamber, eliminating the sealed connection thereof with the sleeve and withdrawing this from the lock chamber and (viii) welding the second plug into the sleeve. Enables the fuel element sleeve to be filled with nuclear fuel tablets without contaminating the outside of the sleeve.