Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Clarence D John, Jr

Richard S Wengewicz

Francis C McNerney

James A Sparrow

George D Bucher

Hemant H Shah

Francis Cellier

Christopher K Wu

Thomas M Sanders

David M Batson

Joseph G Cigich

Wendell L Johnson

John E Steinkirchner

Robert T Graulty

Beverly T Jarabak

Paula J Larouere

John C Limpert

Robert A Williams

A tube inspection station includes a receptacle having walls defining a cavity for holding energy coupling liquid and receiving an object to be inspected in the liquid. At least one wall of the receptacle has a longitudinal bore defined and extending therein from an opening at the top thereof above the cavity and a transverse bore extending through the wall. The transverse bore intersects with the longitudinal bore and opens at both interior and exterior surfaces of the wall. The station also includes a transducer for measuring a parameter of the object, and a mounting assembly removably mounted in the longitudinal and transverse bores of the wall and removably mounting the transducer in the transverse bore such that the first end of the transducer communicates with the cavity and a second end of the transducer communicates with the exterior of the receptacle. A transverse cylindrical recess defined in the wall intersects the transverse and longitudinal bores and mounts a cylindrical bearing having a central opening for receiving an holding the transducer. An adjustable set screw in the longitudinal bore engages and holds the bearing in a stationary position.

Ultrasonic tube inspection station for a rapid changeover multi-diameter

A welding apparatus is disclosed for seal welding closed the bore of a sealing plug which is positioned adjacent the end of a hollow tube and where the bore defines an axis in communication with the tube. The apparatus includes a head with an end stop member rotatably mounted thereto. The end stop member is movable between an extended position where the front sealing plug engaging end is extended for engaging and supporting a sealing plug during girth welding, and a retracted position where the end stop member is retracted. A seal welding electrode is supported in an axial passage of the end stop member and is movable therein between a retracted non-welding position and an extended seal welding position where the electrode tip extends outward beyond the front opening of the end stop member for permitting the seal welding closure of the sealing plug axial bore. Drive means is interconnected to the seal welding electrode and end stop member for 1) moving the end stop member to a retracted position while moving the seal welding electrode to an extended welding position and for 2) moving the end stop member to an extended position while moving the seal welding electrode to a retracted non-welding position.

Girth and seal welding apparatus

An ultrasonic tube inspection system is capable of rapid changeover for inspecting tubes of different diameters for flaws of different orientations. The inspection system includes a serial arrangement of multiple separate inspection stations and a plurality of tube inspecting transducer assemblies supported at each inspection station in a predetermined configuration corresponding to the diameter size of the particular tube to be inspected at the respective inspection station without the need for readjustment. The multiple separate inspection stations includes one separate tube dimension inspection station for inspecting tubes irrespective of their different predetermined diameter sizes and a plurality of separate tube flaw inspection stations each for inspecting tubes of a given one of the different predetermined diameter sizes for flaws of different orientations so as to permit rapid changeover from one flaw inspection station to another so that the flaw inspection station will be matched to the diameter size of the tube to be inspected next.

Rapid changeover ultrasonic tube inspection system for inspecting tubes

A tube inspection station includes a receptacle having walls defining a cavity for holding energy coupling liquid and receiving an object to be inspected in the liquid. At least one wall of the receptacle has a longitudinal bore defined and extending therein from an opening at the top thereof above the cavity and a transverse bore extending through the wall. The transverse bore intersects with the longitudinal bore and opens at both interior and exterior surfaces of the wall. The station also includes a transducer operable for sending waves of energy from its first end into the cavity toward the object and receiving echos of energy at the first end from the object for measuring a parameter of the object. Also, the transducer is operable for transmitting input and output signals at its second end. Further, the station includes a mounting assembly removably mounted in the longitudinal and transverse bores of the wall and removably mounting the transducer in the transverse bore such that the first end of the transducer communciates with the cavity and the second end of the transducer communicates with the exterior of the receptacle.

Ultrasonic tube inspection station for a rapid changeover multidiameter

An ultrasonic tube inspection system capable of rapid changeover for inspecting tubes of different diameter sizes includes a serial arrangement of multiple separate inspection stations. One inspection station is used to inspect for tube dimensions irrespective of the tube diameter size. The other inspection stations are used to inspect for flaws and are employed for different ones of the tube diameter sizes to be inspected. A set of ultrasonic transducer assemblies is supported at each inspection station. The transducer assemblies at the flaw inspection stations are in proper orientations corresponding to the diameter sizes of the particular tubes to be inspected at the respective inspection stations without the need for readjustment. The inspection stations contain quantities of liquid for coupling ultrasonic energy between the ultrasonic transducer assemblies and the tube passing through the inspection stations. Liquid level control stations are disposed at opposite ends of the serial arrangement of inspection stations and are connected in flow communication with the inspection stations for controlling liquid level in the inspection stations. Tube drive are disposed adjacent the liquid level control stations and are operable to drive the tubes through the control and inspection stations such that the tubes are aligned along a common centerline irrespective of which tube diameter size is being inspected.

Rapid changeover multi-diameter ultrasonic tube inspection system

A tube inspection station includes a receptacle having walls defining a cavity for holding energy coupling liquid and receiving an object to be inspected in the liquid. At least one wall of the receptacle has a longitudinal bore defined and extending therein from an opening at the top thereof above the cavity and a transverse bore extending through the wall. The transverse bore intersects with the longitudinal bore and opens at both interior and exterior surfaces of the wall. The station also includes a transducer operable for sending waves of energy from its first end into the cavity toward the object and receiving echos of energy at the first end from the object for measuring a parameter of the object. Also, the transducer is operable for transmitting input and output signals at its second end. Further, the station includes a mounting assembly removably mounted in the longitudinal and transverse bores of the wall and removably mounting the transducer in the transverse bore such that the first end of the transducer communicates with the cavity and the second end of the transducer communicates with the exterior of the receptacle.

Ultrasonic tube inspection station

A dashpot in a control rod guide thimble for a nuclear fuel assembly includes a lower tubular portion of an elongated main tube of the guide thimble, an auxiliary hollow tube inserted in the lower portion of the main tube, and an end plug attached to a lower end portion of the auxiliary tube. The auxiliary tube has an outside diameter slightly less than an inside diameter of the main tube to permit a close fitting relationship between an exterior surface of the auxiliary tube and an interior surface of the main tube lower portion. The auxiliary tube also has an upper end portion with an inside surface portion in axial cross-section flaring upwardly and outwardly to provide a tapered transition extending between and connecting an interior surface of the auxiliary tube with the exterior surface thereof.

Dashpot construction for a nuclear reactor rod guide thimble

A system for ultrasonically cleaning tubes includes an elongated cleaning tank adapted to hold a quantity of detergent-containing water and a series of transducers mounted on the bottom wall of the tank in a generally linear arrangement extending between opposite end walls of the tank. The transducers generate ultrasonic cavitational energy within the water in the tank. An inclined upper tube entry ramp supported above the tank guides delivery of tubes in single file fashion into the tank to a reversely inclined middle tube transfer ramp. The inclined middle ramp guides transfer of tubes in single file fashion into the water in the tank and to a lower tube soak ramp having a tube accumulating terminal end. The lower ramp feeds the tubes across the tank within the water and above the transducers therein to its tube accumulating end such that each tube will pass through and be cleaned by the cavitation energy in the water. A conveyor supported in a generally vertical position in the tank and having two sets of tube lifting cradles thereon is operable to pick up one tube at a time at the accumulating end of the lower ramp with one set of cradles and lift the one tube from the water to a discharge location above the tank to remove the tube from the tank before another tube is picked up by the other set of cradles on the conveyor.

Ultrasonic tube cleaning system

An apparatus for processing the interiors of elongated hollow tubes having open opposite ends, such as by acid etching, water rinsing, steam cleaning or air drying the tube interiors, includes a pair of tube clamping mechanism being operable between tube clamping and unclamping conditions. The clamping mechanisms when in their clamping conditions support the tubes in stationary side-by-side spaced positions for processing and at locations on the tubes displaced inwardly from their opposite ends. The apparatus also has a pair of fluid supply manifolds each being displacable between disengaged and engaged positions with respect to the open opposite tube ends and having nozzles for engaging the respective tube ends to seal off the interior of the tube from the external atmosphere when the manifolds are in their engaged positions. A selector valve is mounted in each manifold and is selectively operable to provide communication between at least one source of pressurized processing fluid and the tube interior through the respective manifold. A pair of pneumatic actuator mechanisms are used for displacing the manifolds between their disengaged and engaged positions. The apparatus also has a frame and the clamping mechanisms, manifolds and actuator mechanisms are mounted thereon for movement toward and away from one another to place them at different distances from one another corresponding to the different lengths of the tube being processed.

Tube flush etching, rinsing and drying apparatus and method

In a fuel rod tube manufacturing system, a tube processing subsystem and method include the steps of arraying, flush etching and rinsing, drying, inspecting and plugging groups of the tubes. At an inlet stage, the tubes are dispensed one at a time from a bundle thereof numbering in the hundreds of such tubes. The dispensed tubes are arrayed in a side-by-side relationship at an assembling stage into a group thereof numbering in the fives of such tubes. Successive groups of the arrayed tubes are delivered to succeeding etch and rinse, drier, and inspection stations where the groups of arrayed tubes are respectively flush etched and rinsed, dried, and inspected. After inspection, accepted tubes are separated from rejected ones and conveyed one at a time to a plug stage where the tubes are plugged to seal the interiors thereof.

Tube flush etching, rinsing, drying, inspecting and plugging subsystem

A system for processing both ends of tubes, such a nuclear fuel rod cladding tubes. A conveyor, adjustable for different length tubing, supports and transversely moves the tubes to tube-end-processing sites. The conveyor is spaced up at the first-tube-end-processing sites to create first access areas. First-tube-end-processing machines have bases with a portion placed underneath the conveyor in these first access areas. The first machines have tube-end-processing modules movably mounted on the bases to accommodate different length tubing. The system also includes second-tube-end-processing machines having tube-end-process modules positioned at the second-tube-end-processing sites. The modules process the tube ends with such operations as deburring, attaching fittings for flush etching the tubes, etc. Preferably, the modules are aligned for the system to process both ends of a tube simultaneously.

Tube end processing system

An improved tube drive apparatus includes drive units disposed in respective orientations angularly displaced about and radially extending from a longitudinal centerline of a tube to be driven by the drive units and a drive train drivingly coupling a motor to the drive units for transmitting driving motion thereto. Each drive unit includes an endless flexible drive belt, a pair of spaced rotatable members entraining the drive belt such that an end of the belt drivingly engages the tube for transmitting driving motion thereto. One rotatable member is drivingly coupled to the drive train and the other rotatable member is angularly adjustable relative to the one rotatable member and the centerline of the tube such that runs of the belt can be changed between generally parallel and criss-cross orientations for varying the motion of the tube produced by engagement of the belt from solely axial rotation to solely longitudinal movement and any combintion of the two motions therebetween. A ratchet screw is provided for adjusting the angular relationship between the two rotatable members and thereby the degree of twist in the drive belt and the direction of motion of the tube.

Tube drive apparatus employing flexible drive belts

A flying cutoff apparatus for cutting longitudinally moving and axially rotating tubing includes a track positioned along and generally parallel to the direction of longitudinal movement of the tubing, a carriage mounted on the track adjacent to the tubing for movement along the track, a cutter mechanism mounted on the carriage adjacent the tubing and stationary relative to axial rotation thereof, and an actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder, mounted on the carriage for moving the cutter mechanism relative to the carriage and between non-cutting and cutting positions. The cutter mechanism also is mounted on the carriage for movement with the carriage and relative thereto in transverse relation to the direction of longitudinal movement of the tubing between a non-cutting position wherein the cutter mechanism is disengaged from the tubing and a cutting position wherein the cutter mechanism clamps and thereby moves with the tubing as the same moves longitudinally and operates concurrently to cut the tubing as the same rotates relative to the cutter mechanism. The cutter mechanism includes a cutting roll disposed on one side of the moving tubing and a pair of backing rolls disposed on an opposite side thereof which clamp the tubing therebetween when the cutter mechanism is in its cutting position. The movement of the carriage and cutter mechanism with the moving tubing is due solely to the cutter mechanism clamping the tubing when in its cutting position.

Flying cutoff apparatus

An automated fuel rod production system includes a radioactive powder fabrication and processing stage, a pellet fabrication stage, a pellet processing stage, a tube preparation stage and a fuel rod fabrication and inspection stage, all of which provide a continuous (paced) mode of operation from the conversion of a radioactive gas to powder, through the fabrication of the powder into pellets, to completion of the assembly of the fuel rods. Extra capacity is designed into the system at critical points in the powder processing and pellet fabrication and processing stages to facilitate the continuous, paced mode of operation.

Manufacturing automation system for nuclear fuel rod production

Systems for, within a sealed environment, determining the bulk density of radioactive nuclear fuel particles flowing in a process stream. A carrier having a known weight and a channel of known volume is selectively shuttled between the flowing particles and a weigh cell. Thus, from the weight of a known volumetric sample, the bulk density is determined. The carrier and selected portions of the cell and carrier transporter are enclosed within a sealed structure to contain the radioactive material within a controlled environment. Subsequent to density determination, the particle sample is dumped, preferably back into the flowing stream, by structure which rotates the carrier or opens a door at the bottom of the channel. The systems also provide for sealing of the housing at various positions of the carrier.

Growing community of inventors

Penn Hills Township, PA, United States of America

Clarence D John, Jr