Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Daniel E Ford

Robert M Wilson

King W Chan

Ronald J Hopkins

Wilmott G Brown

John T Land

Jeffrey A Pyle

A turbine blade assembly is provided which comprises a rotor which is rotatable about a turbine axis of rotation and a plurality of turbine blades supported by the rotor where each of the turbine blades has a root and the rotor is provided with a plurality of grooves which terminate in a projection. Each groove is shaped for holding each root in a manner such that the root and the groove have mutually contacting surfaces which apply a radially inwardly directed restraining force to the root. The root has a bottom facing the turbine axis and the groove has a base which is located radially inwardly of, and faces, the root bottom. Positioned between the root bottom and the groove base is a lock strip and disc spring assembly for pressing together the mutually contacting surfaces of the root and the groove. Inserted adjacent the lock strip, for further pressing together the mutually contacting surfaces of the root and the groove, is a shim comprising a first resilient projection engageable with the lock strip for preventing expulsion of the shim from between the root bottom and the groove base and a second resilient projection engageable with a back wall of the blade root for preventing the shim from migrating towards the center of the root.

Turbine blade locking assembly

An improved heat exchanger utilizing a primary heated fluid to vaporize a secondary fluid flowing axially therethrough including a preheater assembly located within a cold leg side of the heat exchanger to allow axial flow of the secondary fluid through a preheater assembly to heat the secondary fluid to it boiling point temperature. The heat exchanger generally comprises a vertical shell portion with a tubesheet disposed adjacent a lower end thereof and a tube bundle which includes a plurality of U-shaped tubes through which the primary fluid flows. The preheater assembly is located in the vicinity of the tubesheet wherein the secondary fluid enters the preheater through a fluid inlet nozzle into a lower feedwater inlet box which is disposed around the inlet nozzle for dispersing the secondary fluid from the nozzle over a greater area. Specifically, the feedwater inlet box may include a double-perforated plate assembly whose flow resistance produces a low velocity uniform introduction of feedwater into the tube bundle. This water flows upward providing axial-counter flow and enhances heat transfer. This cold water is introduced near the coldest end of the tubes where it is most effective, while the design prevents thermal shock of the tubesheet with a layer of warm recirculating water providing a cushion between the tubesheet and the cold feedwater.

Steam generator with axial flow preheater

A steam generator with a heat exchanger in which the tube openings of the support plate are oversized relative to the outer diameter of the heat exchanger tubes, to facilitate assembly of the heat exchanger, and in which a positive contact preloading of the heat exchanger tubes in opposite directions is produced, once the steam generator goes to operating temperatures and pressures, by a mounting of the support plates which causes them to pull on the heat exchanger tubes in opposites directions so as to provide a passive, positive supporting of the heat exchanger tubes by the supporting plates which eliminates cross flow induced vibrations during operation, pressures despite the existence of clearance gaps between the heat exchanger tubes and the support plates through which they pass at ambient temperatures and pressures.

Method of eliminating heat exchanger tube vibration and self-preloading

A steam generator comprises a distribution means, positioned between the shell and the wrapper in the annular downcomer region of the steam generator, for uniformly mixing the colder feedwater with the warmer recirculating water in the downcomer region of the steam generator so that the colder feedwater is not introduced directly into any steam regions of the steam generator and does not contact any pressure boundaries for preventing water hammer and thermal shock to the steam generator. The distribution means has a downwardly directing means for discharging the substantially evenly distributed feedwater from the distribution means into the downcomer region in a descending direction and away from any pressure boundaries for minimizing flow resistance and for preventing thermal shock to the pressure boundaries. The feedwater and the recirculating water are substantially uniformly mixed in the mixing zone of the downcomer region of the steam generator prior to the mixture of feedwater and recirculating water entering the tube bundle or contacting any pressure boundaries, thereby preventing thermal shock and water hammer to the steam generator.

Steam generator feedwater distribution system

A mounting system for removably mounting the lower flange of a control rod guide tube over an opening in the upper core plate of a nuclear reactor includes support pins having first and second pin portions. The first pin portion passes through the guide tube flange and has an externally threaded section. The second pin portion is secured within the bore of the upper core plate and has a solid body section and a split-leaf section. The solid body section has an outer diameter which is accommodated in the bore by a close clearance fit. The split-leaf section has a split intermediate section and a split end section. The split intermediate section extends from the solid body section, has an outer diameter which is less than the outer diameter of the solid body section, and tapers uniformly between the solid body section and the split end section to form a conical shape. The split end section biasingly engages at least a portion of the bore wall. A locking nut threadedly engages an externally threaded section of the first pin portion. A washer is disposed around the first pin portion between the locking nut and the control rod guide tube flange and includes a concave spherical upper surface which is shiftable during mounting of the locking nut to compensate for nonperpendicular alignment between the support pin and the control rod guide tube flange.

Tapered leaf support pin for operating plant guide tubes

Hole alignment probes utilizing strain gages spaced 90.degree. apart to indicate the extent and direction of misalignment of holes disposed in substantial alignment.

Growing community of inventors

Cantonment, FL, United States of America

Daniel E Ford