Other

General Electric Company

Cecil Roy Jones

Roy C Challberg

A refueling machine having relative positioning capability for refueling a nuclear reactor. The refueling machine includes a pair of articulated arms mounted on a refueling bridge. Each arm supports a respective telescoping mast. Each telescoping mast is designed to flex laterally in response to application of a lateral thrust on the end of the mast. A pendant mounted on the end of the mast carries an air-actuated grapple, television cameras, ultrasonic transducers and waterjet thrusters. The ultrasonic transducers are used to detect the gross position of the grapple relative to the bail of a nuclear fuel assembly in the fuel core. The television cameras acquire an image of the bail which is compared to a pre-stored image in computer memory. The pendant can be rotated until the television image and the pre-stored image match within a predetermined tolerance. Similarly, the waterjet thrusters can be used to apply lateral thrust to the end of the flexible mast to place the grapple in a fine position relative to the bail as a function of the discrepancy between the television and pre-stored images.

Refueling machine with relative positioning capability

A telescoping mast with zero clearance which can be used in a fully automatic, relative positioning refueling machine. The telescoping mast consists of a series of nested tubes separated by spacers of unique design. Each spacer consists of an upper spacer assembly attached to the upper end of an inner tube segment nested in an outer tube segment and slidable inside the outer tube segment; and a lower spacer assembly attached to the lower end of the outer tube segment and slidable outside the inner tube segment. The spacer assemblies are preferably made of molded plastic, for example, polyethylene. Each spacer assembly is formed by a spacer ring and a plurality of corrugated members connected at one end to the spacer ring. The distal ends of the corrugated members of the upper spacer assembly contact the distal ends of respective ones of the corrugated members of the lower spacer assembly when the inner tube segment is in an extended position relative to the outer tube segment. Each of the corrugated members comprises a multiplicity of spacer blocks connected in series by a multiplicity of flexible beams. Bending of the flexible beams during compression of the spacer assemblies provides damping of the force produced upon impact when the inner tube segment drops relative to the outer tube segment, for instance, after the inner tube segment has been stuck and then slips relative to the outer tube segment.

Telescoping mast with zero clearance for refueling machine

An automatic shut-off safety valve comprising a movable poppet held in a stable position by magnets and a movable weight. On the occurrence of an abnormal condition, such as a seismic event, the movable weight is displaced and gravity carries the poppet downward until it engages a valve seat, closing off fluid flow. Magnets may also be used to hold the poppet in its closed position. Modifications include using the fluid flow itself to assist in displacing the poppet from its stable position.

Fluid flow safety valve

A controlled motion apparatus capable of at least three degrees of freedom, such as apparatus for vibration testing of equipment, comprises a support suspended from a reaction mass by three anti-rotation, linear motion displacement actuator devices each extending and movable along one axis of an XYZ coordinate system. Each actuator may be independently activated to cause the support to undergo simultaneously controlled motion along the three axes.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Cecil Roy Jones