Tooling Strategy for Point Lepreau Retubing

Abstract

The Point Lepreau Generating Station was the first CANDU 6 unit to be licensed for operation, beginning commercial operation in 1983. It will now become the first CANDU 6 to undergo full refurbishment. As part of the overall project, all 380 fuel channels and associated feeders will be removed and replaced. In order to undertake this project, it was necessary to design and develop over fifty “first-of-a-kind tools” for fuel channel and calandria tube replacement. This paper outlines the complexity of the retube tooling project, the strategy for the engineered tooling systems development, and current status.