Westinghouse Electric Corporation

David J Fink

James W Everett

Paul J Boone

Annette M Costlow

James J Roberts

Phillip J Hawkins

Frank W Cooper, Jr

David A Snyder

Bruce W Bevilacqua

Stephen M Ira

William H Blissell

Thomas M Frick

James R Ziler

A shot peening system for peening the tubes of a steam generator continuously generates a shot stream and withdraws the shot stream dispensing nozzle into a vacuum chamber in an end effector while repositioning the nozzle for peening the next tube. A load tank forms an air lock for recycling shot recovered and cleaned by the vacuum system to a pressurized peen tank which feeds the recycled shot to a feed valve for mixing with a flow of compressed air to generate the shot stream. The pressure on the shot in the feed tank and the pressure of the compressed gas supplied to the feed valve are independently regulated to adjust the concentration of shot in the shot stream. The feed valve is constructed for ease of assembly and repair, and directs flow of a purge gas across the shot feed orifice and into a purge line which cycles shot and debris purged from the feed valve to the shot cleaning equipment on the vacuum side.

Closed system and method for shot peening adjacently located tubes in a

A method of removing a metal plug from a conduit includes the steps of simultaneously applying a static pull force and repetitive impulses to the plug. The method is particularly suited to removing a plug from a heat exchanger tube in a nuclear powered steam generator. A tool for practicing the method on such plugs includes a first hydraulic actuator for first moving an expansion member out of engagement with an interior plug wall, a second hydraulic actuator capable of attachment to the plug for applying a static pull force to the plug, and an arrangement connecting an air impact tool to the second hydraulic actuator for applying, simultaneously with the static force, high-frequency impulses to the plug entirely through solid members.

Tool for removing a metallic plug from a tube

Method for removing a metallic plug from a tube

A method for shot peening a first tube external to and concentric with a second tube comprising the steps of forming a slot through the second tube; positioning a shot peening device adjacent the notch in the second tube for propelling shot peening balls; propelling the shot peening balls through the slot in the second tube for shot peening the second tube; and rotating the second tube in increments for shot peening an entire circumferential portion of the first tube positioned outwardly and radially from the slot.

System and method for shot peening reactor vessel penetrations

Vibration dampener and stiffener apparatus and method for increasing the dampening and the stiffness of a tube subjected to large amplitude flow-induced vibration. The preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes a plurality of flexible braided cables capable of being disposed in the tube for dissipating the vibration energy of the tube as the tube vibrates, the cables having a first end portion and a second end portion. Enclosing the first end portion of the plurality of flexible cables is a rigid cable tip member and enclosing the second end portion of each cable is a rigid cable end fitting. As the tube vibrates due to flow-induced vibration, the vibration energy will be transferred to the cables which will rub together creating frictional heat energy that will radiate from the cables. In this manner, the vibration amplitude of the tube is decreased. Moreover, as the tube vibrates, the rigid cable tip member and the rigid cable end fittings will tend to stiffen the tube.

Tube vibration dampener and stiffener apparatus and method

A gripper with leaf springs having fingers near their ends to engage and disengage work. The springs are respectively connected in an annular array to the end of a cylindrical support. The springs are diverged or expanded to cause the fingers to engage the work and are converged or collapsed to cause the fingers to disengage the work. During the diverging and the converging each spring is pivoted about its junction with the support. The diverging and the converging of the springs is effected by an actuator or mandrel including a rod having a nose at its outer end. The actuator is reciprocable within the springs between advanced and retracted positions. Near its outer end the rod has a conical cam surface which engages cooperative internal cam-follower surfaces on the springs to diverge the springs when the actuator is in advanced position. The nose has a skirt which engages the outer ends of the springs, i.e. the fingers, to converge the springs near the ends when the actuator is in retracted position. The joint between each spring and the support is flexed radially outwardly from an unstressed neutral position to diverge the springs and radially inwardly from the neutral position to converge the springs. The range of the flexing in each direction is within the elastic limit of the material of the joint. Thus the leaf springs remain resilient and fatigue as a result of repeated flexing of the joints is precluded.

Gripper apparatus and method

A nuclear reactor fuel assembly grid measuring method and device, including a grid measuring tool mounted on an X, Y, X positioner having a force limiter for each of these three axes and a grid clamping tool. The grid measuring tool is a combination of: a movable, spring-loaded, caliper assembly; a caliper stand assembly; and a base assembly. TV cameras are mounted on the base assembly to allow remote viewing and positioning of the caliper assembly and monitoring of the overall measuring process. An additional separate force limiter is provided near the caliper assembly to prevent excessive force from being applied to the delicate fuel assembly grids. Measurements are taken only after the caliper assembly is positioned upon the grid. Finally, a linear variable differential transformer is associated with the caliper assembly for enhancing accuracy of the measurements.

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Greentree, PA, United States of America

David J Fink