Macchina per saldare tappi in barre di combustibile nucleare

Abstract

Equipment for resistance welding end caps onto thin walled tubes, cladding nuclear fuel rods, incorporates a main chamber with parallel vertical end faces. A cylindrical drum magazine rotates about an axis perpendicular to the ends of the chamber. The ends of the drum protrude in crown form beyond the cylindrical shell. Guide rods join the crowns, generating a second cylinder outside the magazine. Fuel rod supports slide along the guide rods. On each end face one of a pair of welding enclosures is aligned with the fuel rods, offset by 180 deg. Opposite each welding enclosure, on the other end face, a rod carrier displaces the aligned rod axially, to advance it into the welding enclosure