Design of on-power fuelling machines

In May 1957, CGE was asked to design a fuelling machine for NPD2 Reactor. Two fuelling machines were required, one at each end of the reactor, that could either push the fuel bundles through the reactor or accept the bundles being pushed out. The machines had to connect on to the end fittings of the same tube, seal, fill with heavy water and pressure up to 1000 psi without external leaks. Each machine had to remove the tube seal plug from its end fitting and store it in an indexing magazine, which also had to hold up to six fuel bundles, or retrieve that many, if the magazine was empty. There was also the provision to store a spare plug. When finished moving fuel bundles, the tube plugs were to be replaced and tested for leaks, before the fuelling machines would be detached from the end fittings. This was all to be done by remote control. By late September 1957, sufficient design features were on paper and CGE management made a presentation to AECL at Chalk River Laboratories and this proposal was later accepted