Inventors:
Robert A. Haughton - Wilmington NC
James D. Landry - Wilmington NC
Ralph J. Reda - Wilmington NC
Robert J. Sziemkiewicz - Wilmington NC
Assignee:
General Electric Company - San Jose CA
International Classification:
B23K 902
B23K 3700
Abstract:
In an automated final weld apparatus, a transporter conveys nuclear fuel-loaded cladding tubes successively to a check station to verify the presence of a plenum spring in the open end of each cladding tube, a reader station where a unique first end plug serial number is read, an evacuation/backfill station where the cladding tube is backfilled with helium, a seam welding station where a final end plug is welded to the cladding tube open end, and a seal weld station where the tube is pressurized with helium through a pressurization hole in the final end plug, whereupon the pressurization hole is welded closed. After checking for helium leakage, the seam weld is inspected in a succession of inspection stations, and, depending on inspection results, the finished nuclear fuel rods are sorted into accepted and rejected lots.