Continuum Dynamics, Inc.

Schering Corporation

Andrew E Kaufman

Alan J Bilanin

Tsong-Toh Yang

Thomas J Ambrosio

Srinivas Manthena

David J Kenyon

Charles R Ashley

Charles M Huck

Henry R Sochon

Robert K McCullough

Ken Wilkinson

William J Usab, Jr

Raymond Tiberge

Marc Sibilia

Controlled-debris elements inhibit the formation of a fibrous/particulate debris bed that unduly increases the pressure head loss through the perforated plates of strainers in a nuclear power plant emergency core cooling system. In a loss of cooling accident, pumps draw cooling water through the plates, which retain on their surfaces fibrous material in the circulating water to prevent it from reaching the pumps while permitting entrained particulate matter to pass through the perforations. The controlled-debris elements have a specific gravity substantially the same as the circulating water so they are entrained in the cooling water that is drawn toward the strainers and intimately intermix with the fibrous and particulate matter in the cooling water. The elements are configured to provide open structures in the bed formed on the plate surfaces to distribute fibers in the flow away from the surface and maintain cavities between the elements for the particulates.

Nuclear reactor using controlled debris to mitigate ECCS strainer pressure head loss

Flow induced vibration (FIV) at the slip joint between a nuclear reactor jet pump mixer and diffuser is suppressed without installing additional parts or altering the jet pump construction. The disclosed method determines a relationship between reactor operating conditions that trigger FIV and the magnitude of a mixer/diffuser transverse contact load. A mathematical analysis on a representative jet pump configuration determines the quantitative relationship between mixer/diffuser cold positions and their positions when the reactor is operating. Thus, a prediction can be made as to whether an installed jet pump will experience FIV, and the mixer and diffuser can be positioned by a mixer adjustment tool when the reactor is cold to provide the necessary operational transverse contact load. Alternatively, a contact load measuring tool directly measures the magnitude and direction of the cold mixer/diffuser transverse contact load to determine if FIV will be suppressed when the reactor is operating.

Method and apparatus for suppressing flow-induced jet pump vibration in a boiling water reactor

A strainer for an emergency core cooling system (ECCS) in a nuclear power plant comprises a perforated strainer element that is immersed in a reservoir of cooling water, which is drawn through the strainer element into the emergency core cooling system. The side of the strainer element in contact with the cooling water has a contoured configuration for disrupting the formation of a flat bed of fibrous material that can trap small particulate material intended to pass through the strainer element. Incorporating this strainer element into an ECCS strainer enables the strainer to be made more compact, because the debris bed need not be spread over an unduly large area to prevent excessive head loss from the debris load in the event of a reactor loss of coolant accident. The strainer also incorporates a modular construction that uses individual strainer disc modules. Each disc module includes a perforated first disc part having a central opening and a perforated second disc part also having a central opening. The first and second disc parts fit together to form an interior space with facing perforated major surfaces and an axial opening, and connecting tubes between the discs place the axial openings in fluid communication. The entire assembly is secured together by tie rods that hold the discs together with the connecting tubes compressed between them.

Low head loss modular suction strainer with contoured surfaces

A method and apparatus for light curing of composite materials in which the radiation required to initiate the curing is delivered via one or more lossy fiber optics. The fiber optics are made lossy by methods such as bending the fiber, weaving the fiber into a mat to create periodic micro-bends, tailoring the thickness of the fiber cladding to allow evanescent wave transmission, or simply removing the cladding at intervals along the fiber. Distribution of the light through out the composite material results in dramatic power and time reductions over traditional light curing methods. Unlike thermal curing of composite materials, there is no need for an auto-clave and hence no limit on the size of the part that may be created. Additional benefits include the possibility of curing at operational temperature and so avoiding thermal stresses.

Lossy fiber UV curing method and apparatus

A fire fighting system uses a bucket suspended from a helicopter to deposit fire retardant onto a fire from an opening in the bottom of the bucket. The bucket has a predetermined configuration and a valve for controlling the area of an opening through which the retardant is deposited when the bucket is suspended from the helicopter. A suitable mechanism, such as an electrically driven valve actuator, varies the area of the opening to deposit the retardant at a volume flow rate as a desired function of time while the helicopter flies along a drop line. The mechanism varies the area of the opening in accordance with a schedule determined before discharge is begun according to the configuration of the bucket, the flow characteristics of the opening as the valve changes the area thereof, and the initial amount of the retardant material in the bucket. As a result, the desired volume flow rate profile can be achieved without the use of expensive and fragile electronic circuitry and sensors that monitor the height of the retardant in the bucket during the deposition.

Aircraft-based fire-fighting bucket

Inhaler for powdered medications

A suction strainer for straining water from the emergency suppression pool of a boiling water reactor includes a plurality of stacked, perforated disks having an internal core with a minimum internal radius r(x) that decreases with increased distance from the intake of the strainer, so that the core has a tapered profile. Internal radius r(x) may vary linearly or exponentially or a combination of both. The stacked, perforated disks each include a first surface that faces in the direction of the intake and a second surface, that faces away from the intake. A circumferential band may connect the first and second surfaces together.

High capacity, low head loss, suction strainer for nuclear reactors

A powder dispenser includes a powder housing for holding a supply of powdered material to be dispensed, the powder housing including an inhalation conduit provided displaced relation to the powdered material supply; a metering plate including a metered dose hole for holding a metered amount of the powdered material, and positioned below the powdered material supply, the metering plate and the powder housing being relatively rotatable with respect to each other about a common central axis; a counter providing a visual count of the number of doses of the powdered material that have been dispensed or remain to be dispensed in response to the relative rotation, the counter including counter rings providing the visual count, the counter rings being rotatable about the common central axis and having indicia thereon which display the visual count, and an actuating mechanism rotatable about the central axis for incrementally rotating the counter rings in response to the relative rotation; a nozzle for breaking up agglomerates of powdered material from the inhalation conduit to form micronized powdered material, the nozzle including a cavity for changing the direction of flow of the powder from the direction of the inhalation conduit to a second different direction, and a curved wall for substantially continuously changing the direction of flow of the powder in a spiral manner in the second direction in the cavity; and a closure cap covering the powder housing and priming the powder dispenser for use automatically upon removal thereof.

Inhaler for powdered medications having spiral deagglomeration chamber

The present invention features a technique and system for achieving sufficiently stable, thick liquid films on an aircraft surface during a rain storm in flight, wherein such stable and thick films can be measured to determine liquid water content (LWC) in the air, and (by known correlation) rain fall rate. Rainfall impinging upon an airflow surface of an aircraft, such as a wing portion, is gathered and confined within a weir-like structure. The flow of the rain is constricted within this device to increase the film thickness and reduce shear between air and liquid boundaries, whereby a stable film surface for measurement is provided.

Growing community of inventors

New Hope, PA, United States of America

Andrew E Kaufman