Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

David John Stefko

Robert E Meuschke

Thomas M Camden, Jr

Barry F Cooney

Louis J Tylman

James P Duke

Christopher Marc Burton

Leonard P Hornak

Edward H Smith

Robert M Blumstein

Craig Deah

Adam B Kauffman

Mark J Harper

John A Klimek

Jason A Hartle

William J Smoody

Adam B Kauffmann

A fuel assembly handling tool that can be lowered onto the top nozzle of a fuel assembly, positively latch the top nozzle, unlatch from the top nozzle, and be raised off the top nozzle of the fuel assembly. The tool head, that interfaces with the top nozzle has load bearing grippers that latch onto the fuel assembly, that are located in a storage position up within the tool while the tool is lowered onto the fuel assembly. The gripper fingers are then lowered into position during the latching process, and are raised back to the storage position during the unlatching process. In the storage position, the gripping fingers are spaced above the fuel assembly top nozzle when the tool head is resting on the nozzle.

Nuclear fuel assembly handling apparatus

A telescoping rod control cluster assembly change tool for moving control rod assemblies among fuel assemblies in a nuclear facility. The operation of the tool is completely mechanical and the telescoping feature enables the tool to have a relatively low profile when it is being moved and stored without housing a control rod assembly. Rigidly supported alignment cards guide a gripper that attaches to the control rod assembly as the control rod assembly is withdrawn into the tool with the alignment cards preventing any lateral or rotational movement of the gripper.

Control rod transfer device

A transfer device for moving a poison rod assembly between fuel cells in a nuclear fuel storage facility coupleable to an overhead crane. The poison rod assembly has a plurality of poison rods disposed in rows. The device includes an elongated outer member, an inner member, and a gripper assembly supported by the inner member. The inner member is slidably disposed within the elongated outer member. The overhead crane is coupled to the inner member for sliding said inner member between an upper position and a lower position. An interlock assembly selectively couples the inner member and elongated outer member. Thus, moving the crane, which is coupled to the inner member either moves the inner member relative to the elongated outer member when the interlock is not engaged, or, moves both the inner member and the elongated outer member when the interlock is engaged.

Interlock assembly for burnable poison rod transfer device

A transfer device for moving a poison rod assembly between fuel cells in a nuclear fuel storage facility, where the poison rod assembly has a plurality of poison rods depending from a web. The transfer device includes a frame assembly, a poison rod assembly lifting assembly, which is moveable between an upper position and a lower position, a plurality of comb assemblies. The comb assemblies are slidably mounted on the frame so that the comb assemblies slide between an open position and a closed position as the lifting assembly moves from its lower position to its upper position.

Slidable comb assembly for burnable poison rod transfer device

An integrated data management system for compiling information concerning a plurality of nuclear power plant components includes a distributed database for maintaining the information over a lifetime of each of the nuclear power plant components, data entry terminals for entering the information in the distributed database, and data retrieval terminals for retrieving the information from the distributed database. The database is distributed by a wide-area network interconnecting the data entry and data retrieval terminals with distributed workstations which access the information.

Integrated fuel management system

A camera mast system permits remote inspection of nuclear fuel assemblies and other components of nuclear reactors. The system includes a camera mast assembly mounted on a refueling mast which may be positioned over a selected fuel assembly in the reactor core. An extendable camera mast having a camera mounted thereon moves vertically with respect to a stationary camera mast and the refueling mast in order to allow for visual inspection of various components in the reactor core. The camera mast assembly preferably includes a video cable take-up mechanism for handling the camera video cable as the extendable camera mast is moved up and down. The camera mast assembly is preferably removably mounted on the refueling mast in order to aid in installation and removal. The removable mounting also allows the camera mast assembly to be used independently of the refueling mast. The camera mast assembly may optionally include an extendable fuel assembly guide mast including a guide member which facilitates placement of fuel assemblies within the reactor core. The extendable guide mast is preferably rotatably mounted on the refueling mast. In another embodiment, a guide mast assembly is mounted on the refueling mast, including an extendable guide mast having a fuel assembly guide member mounted thereon for aligning the fuel assemblies in the reactor core.

Nuclear reactor camera mast assembly and loading guide

An automated system for determining positions of a plurality of nuclear fuel assemblies organized in an array within a housing of a nuclear power plant includes a radiation hardened, underwater camera for inputting images of the nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to each other or with respect to a baffle wall of a nuclear reactor core, a digital signal processor for generating a second digitized image including a plurality of pixel elements of the nuclear fuel assemblies from the first image, and a workstation for determining the positions of the nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to the baffle wall from counts of the pixel elements.

Automated video characterization of nuclear power plant components

A device for transferring a poison rod assembly from one fuel assembly to another fuel assembly. The device comprising winch means cooperatively associated with the poison rod assembly for lifting and transferring the poison rod assembly; a tubular member attached to the winch means at one end and adapted to be attached to the poison rod assembly at its other end.for latching onto the poison rod assembly; motor means attached to the winch means for driving the winch means; and actuator means communicating with the tubular member for moving the tubular member in an arcuate motion for latching the tubular member to the poison rod assembly.

Device for transferring a poison rod assembly from one fuel assembly to

A transfer system moves fuel assemblies along a track extending through a transfer tube within a containment wall in a nuclear power plant between the auxiliary building side and the containment building side. A car carries a basket for the assemblies. Two winches are located on the auxiliary building side above the water level existing over the track during refueling operations. The winches operate respective pairs of cables, driving the car in either direction. Four sheaves respectively direct the cables to the horizontal direction along the track. One pair of cables is secured to a yoke on the car to drive the car away from the containment building. Two horizontal sheaves are located near the containment end of the transfer tube. The other two cables extend horizontally along the track from the vertical sheaves to the horizontal sheaves, redirecting them to extend horizontally in the reverse direction. These return cables are secured to the yoke to drive the car toward the containment building. The winches are operated under the control of a programmable limit switch to move the car selectively between one end position in which the car is within the auxiliary building, and the other end position in which the car is principally within the containment building with at least the car yoke located over the track within the transfer tube and to the auxiliary building side of the horizontal sheaves.

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Jeannette, PA, United States of America

David John Stefko