Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Denis J Altman

Donald G Sherwood

Douglas E Ekeroth

Terry L Schulz

Theo Van De Venne

Allen L Morris

John V Miller

Eric D Rinker

Steven J Lovasic

William R Snyder

John S Urban

A device in a nuclear reactor for connecting a plurality of energy conveying cables to a nuclear reactor head structure comprising a pair of matching multiple cooperative connector plates for disengageably connecting an energy source with the reactor head structure; at least one of said connector plates being a movable connector plate; each of the multiple connector plates containing a multiplicity of individual connectors, each individual connector being one of a matching pair of connectors that are engaged when the matching multiple connector plates are brought together, each connector of the matching pair being mounted in corresponding locations on the opposing matching multiple connector plates; and at least one displacing means, affixed to a support structure on one end and to said movable connector plate at the other end, for accurately guiding the movable connector plate along a precise, predetermined path, such that the connectors of each pair of matching connectors meet in correct alignment.

Multiple-cable connecting device for a nuclear reactor

An integrated head package for a nuclear reactor has a pressure vessel closure head with control rod drive mechanisms thereon enclosed in a shroud, and a plurality of vertical lift rods secured to the vessel head with a missile shield plate extrending between the lift rods and vertically slidably retained between spaced stop members adjacent the upper ends of the lift rods. A lift rig is secured to the missile shield plate, preferably through attachment to support blocks secured to the upper surface of the plate. Impact forces of a missile against the lower surface of the missile shield plate are transferred to a lifting force and are not transferred to the lifting rods, head lugs, closure studs and pressure vessel supports.

Integrated head package for a nuclear reactor

A support for the top ends of plural rod guides of at least first and second types which are generally vertically disposed within a pressurized water reactor vessel in corresponding, first and second interleaved matrices. Lower ends of the rod guides are affixed to a lower support structure and the upper ends thereof are disposed adjacent to and spaced vertically below an upper support structure of the vessel. Corresponding, first and second types of top support plates are disposed on and connected to respective top ends of the first and second types of rod guides. The first and second types of top support plates have mating exterior peripheral surfaces which are assembled in sliding, telescoping relationship, a transverse extension from one peripheral surface being received in a vertically extending, recessed channel in a mating peripheral surface of the contiguous support plates. A linkage is secured to a top support plate of one type and to each of the mating top support plates of the other type contiguously surrounding it, providing rigid lateral interconnection and resilient vertical interconnection of the top plates and maintaining same in a concatenated relationship. Aligned keyway segments of the assembled and contiguous first and second plates receive keys which are bolted in place and provide limit stops to relative displacement of the contiguous, interconnected plates.

Simplified, flexible top end support for cantilever-mounted rod guides

Selectively and remotely disconnectable two-piece drive rod assemblies comprising elongated hub and drive rod portions interconnected by a selectively disconnectable coupling, connect rod clusters within the pressure vessel of a pressurized water reactor system to respectively corresponding drive means. The drive means are selectively operable, through the drive rod assemblies, to move the corresponding rod clusters between fully inserted positions within the lower barrel assembly of the pressure vessel, in telescoping relationship with fuel rod assemblies therein, and to a fully withdrawn position within an inner barrel assembly of the pressure vessel. The rods of each cluster are mounted to and supported by a respectively corresponding spider, in turn connected to the hub portion, the spider supporting the respective cluster on a support plate defining the lower elevation of the inner barrel assembly, in fully inserted positions of the corresponding rod clusters, and support the hubs in parallel axial relationship within the inner barrel assembly. The drive rod portions extend through the calandria and engage the couplings of the corresponding hub portions. The couplings are selectively disconnectable and, when disconnected, permit movement en masse of the calandria and drive rod portions during disassembly and assembly operations. Noninterchangeable couplings of first and second types corresponding to first and second types of rod clusters assure that incorrect couplings are not made in the assembly operations.

Pressurized water reactor having disconnectable two-piece drive rod

A vent system for controlling hydraulically actuated drive means for selectively moving pluralities of rod clusters respectively connected to the plurality of drive means between fully inserted positions within the lower barrel assembly of the vessel in telescoping relationship with fuel rod assemblies contained therein, and a fully withdrawn position. Each drive means responds to the reactor coolant fluid pressure and includes a leakage passage and an outlet channel through which a leakage flow may pass under control of the vent system, the latter comprising a valve arrangement, flow restrictors and a common orifice through which the outlet channels are selectively connected to essentially ambient pressure, for establishing a pressure differential within each drive means producing a net force for moving the drive rods and associated clusters to the withdrawn position at which the drive means mechanically latch the fully withdrawn clusters for mechanically supporting same in the fully withdrawn position. The valve arrangement may be selectively actuated to reestablish the pressure differential within each drive means thereby to raise the associated drive rods and release same from the mechanically latched positions, after which the valve arrangement is selectively operated to establish pressure equilibrium within the drive means to permit the corresponding drive rods and associated control rod clusters to fall by force of gravity to the fully inserted positions thereof. Display indications and control panel operation provide for operator sensing of the rod cluster positions and control of the valve arrangement.

Vent system for displacer rod drive mechanism of pressurized water

A device for use in a nuclear reactor which includes a pressure vessel having a vessel head, a core in the vessel, elements for controlling the reactivity of the core, drive rods which pass through the vessel head for displacing the elements, and a plurality of head adapters which pass through the vessel head, each head adapter forming part of a drive rod housing enclosing a respective drive rod, each housing enclosing a region which communicates with the interior of the vessel and which is closed at the top. The drive is associated with a respective housing and constitutes a housing extension including a component for connecting the device to the head adapter forming part of the respective housing, and a component for forming, around the associated drive rod and within the associated housing, a fluid passage having a cross-sectional area not exceeding a selected value at least upon the occurrence of a leak in the respective housing.

Flow limiting head adapter extension

An intermediate seismic support system (100) comprises substantially square-shaped seismic support base members (102) which are suspendingly supported from rod position indicator coil assemblies (48) so as to peripherally surround control rod drive mechanism latch housings (20) in order to restrain deflections of the control rod drive mechanisms (12) under seismic conditions. In addition to being remotely installed and removed as a result of being mounted upon the RPI assemblies (48), the seismic supports are also remotely adjustable relative to one another through means of radially movable adjustment blocks (126) which are caused to move radially by means of axially movable actuator blocks (130). The latter blocks (130) are controlled by means of vertically extending actuator rods (134). A seismic support ring (150) peripherally surrounds the entire array of seismic supports (102) so as to laterally constrain the seismic supports (102), the support ring (150) adapted to be connected to the control rod drive mechanism cooling shrouds which, in turn, are connected to the nuclear reactor closure head (10).

Remotely adjustable intermediate seismic support

In the upper internals storage pit of a containment building housing a pressurized water nuclear reactor, there is installed a three-coordinate positioning apparatus which has a frame-like, horizontally oriented base track enclosing an area designed to be occupied by any of the control rod clusters when lowered from the upper internals supported in the storage pit; a mechanism for supporting and vertically displacing the base track in the storage pit; a traversing track supported on the base track for back-and-forth displacement in a first horizontal direction; a mechanism for moving the traversing track in the first horizontal direction; and a carriage supported on the traversing track for back-and-forth displacements in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The carriage is adapted to receive thereon inspection equipment. The positioning apparatus further has a mechanism for moving the carriage in the second horizontal direction; and an access track situated in the storage pit externally of and horizontally spaced from the area enclosed by the base track. The access track is arranged to be alignable by the traversing track to provide transferability of the carriage from the traversing track to the access track and conversely. The carriage is directly accessible from an operating floor above the storage pit when the carriage is on the access track.

Growing community of inventors

Penn Township, Westmoreland County, PA, United States of America

Denis J Altman