1. Automated Fuel Element Wire Shearing Mechanism Justen Bock, Christopher Johnson Alberto Castro, Richard Fries

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Delivery: Canister Operator inserts fuel elements Canister revolves Individual fuel element ejected through bottom

7. Orientation: 1-Tooth Gear Fuel element goes through the Gear Full gear used in Design Concept 1 Partial gear used in Design Concept 2

8. Orientation: Clapper Claps onto the spade end of the fuel element Wire must be one side or the exact opposite

9. Orientation: Shackle Bend fuel element inserted between shackles Shackles close and force the fuel element into position

10. Wire Shearing: Pac-Man Rotates around rod and shears the wire We created an experimental single shear

11. Wire Shearing: Double Shear Fuel element is placed in lower shear Bottom shear comes up to push the fuel element into the top shear

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

13. Waste Management: Slotted Pan Fuel elements and wire fall on tray Wires fall into slot Elements slide across into box at end

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

15. Integrated Solution Concept 2 Design Includes: T-bar, 1-Tooth Gear Open, Shackle Arm, Pac-Man, and the Slotted Pan

16. Budget Is the submitted budget sheet correct? Alterations?

17. 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

18. 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?

19. Questions? Ideas, Comments, or Suggestions