Inventors:
Robert S. Wilks - Plum Borough PA
Eliezer Sternheim - Pittsburgh PA
Gerald A. Breakey - Penn Township, Allegheny County PA
Robert H. Sturges - Plum Borough PA
Alexander Taleff - Churchill Borough PA
Raymond P. Castner - Monroeville PA
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the United States
Department of Energy - Washington DC
International Classification:
B07C 110, B07C 516, B07C 5344
Abstract:
Control for the operation of a mechanical handling and gauging system for nuclear fuel pellets. The pellets are inspected for diameters, lengths, surface flaws and weights in successive stations. The control includes, a computer for commanding the operation of the system and its electronics and for storing and processing the complex data derived at the required high rate. In measuring the diameter, the computer enables the measurement of a calibration pellet, stores that calibration data and computes and stores diameter-correction factors and their addresses along a pellet. To each diameter measurement a correction factor is applied at the appropriate address.
The computer commands verification that all critical parts of the system and control are set for inspection and that each pellet is positioned for inspection. During each cycle of inspection, the measurement operation proceeds normally irrespective of whether or not a pellet is present in each station. If a pellet is not positioned in a station, a measurement is recorded, but the recorded measurement indicates maloperation.