Appendix O to Part 110 - Illustrative List of Fuel Element Fabrication Plant Equipment and Components Under NRC's Export Licensing Authority
10:2.0.1.1.20.11.139.7.36 : Appendix O
Appendix O to Part 110 - Illustrative List of Fuel Element
Fabrication Plant Equipment and Components Under NRC's Export
Licensing Authority Note:
Nuclear fuel elements are manufactured from source or special
nuclear material. For oxide fuels, the most common type of fuel
equipment for pressing pellets, sintering, grinding and grading
will be present. Mixed oxide fuels are handled in glove boxes (or
equivalent containment) until they are sealed in the cladding. In
all cases, the fuel is hermetically sealed inside a suitable
cladding which is designed to be the primary envelope encasing the
fuel so as to provide suitable performance and safety during
reactor operation. Also, in all cases, precise control of
processes, procedures and equipment to extremely high standards is
necessary in order to ensure predictable and safe fuel
performance.
(a) Items that are considered especially designed or prepared
for the fabrication of fuel elements include equipment that:
(1) Normally comes in direct contact with, or directly processes
or controls, the production flow of nuclear material;
(2) Seals the nuclear material within the cladding;
(3) Checks the integrity of the cladding or the seal;
(4) Checks the finished treatment of the sealed fuel; or
(5) Is used for assembling reactor fuel elements.
(b) This equipment or systems of equipment may include, for
example:
(1) Fully automatic pellet inspection stations especially
designed or prepared for checking final dimensions and surface
defects of fuel pellets;
(2) Automatic welding machines especially designed or prepared
for welding end caps onto the fuel pins (or rods);
(3) Automatic test and inspection stations especially designed
or prepared for checking the integrity of completed fuel pins (or
rods). This item typically includes equipment for:
(i) X-ray examination of pin (or rod) end cap welds;
(ii) Helium leak detection from pressurized pins (or rods);
and
(iii) Gamma-ray scanning of the pins (or rods) to check for
correct loading of the fuel pellets inside.
(4) Systems especially designed or prepared to manufacture
nuclear fuel cladding.
(c) Any other components especially designed or prepared for use
in a fuel element fabrication plant or in any of the components
described in this appendix.
[79 FR 39299, July 10, 2014]