Refueling system for a nuclear reactor

With the refueling system fuel elements are transferred from the intermediate distributing chamber within the fast breeder reactor vessel to the storage tanks for new and irradiated fuel elements outside of the reactor vessel and vice versa. It consists of a hermetic chamber, filled with inert gas, within which the refueling machine, having got a vertical swing pipe, is placed. On the swing pipe there is mounted by means of a bracket a hanging support tube for a tube manipulator that can be moved over the openings to the fuel elements. At the end of the tube manipulator there is a gripping device whose drive mechanism is arranged within the support tube. The swing pipe is moved by means of a drive mechanism outside of the chamber. (DG)