Westinghouse Electric Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Frank I Bauer

Phillip E Miller

Gary J Corpora

Thomas G Bengel

Robert S Mavretish

James Sejvar

Gregory L Calhoun

Arthur W Kramer

James S Schlonski

Gordon A Israelson

Noel P Grimm

Robert E Meuschke

Richard E Kothmann

David H Archer

Robert B Salton

William A Bencloski

Donald E Skoczylas

Edward J Vidt

Raymond J Nath

Regis P Shogan

Edward A Ray

Dan H Dixon

Lawrence B Shaffer, Jr

A nuclear reactor having a chemical decontamination clean-up system is provided in which every component of the chemical decontamination clean-up equipment which processes radioactive fluids is located within a shielded room of an existing on-site support building. Those components of the clean-up system not in direct contact with radioactive fluids are housed in portable trailers. The decontamination clean-up system is designed to provide for adequate shielding to minimize personnel exposure and also incorporates a modular design for component transportation and storage.

Nuclear reactor primary system chemical decontamination clean-up system

A tank is disclosed for containing a liquid in which control rod drive shafts of a nuclear power plant are stored. The tank comprises a lower tank portion having a bottom and a tank wall extending outwardly from the bottom for defining a lower storage cavity of the tank. An upper tank portion having walls is removably attached to the lower tank portion for defining an upper storage cavity of the tank. A plurality of tubes are arranged in the lower tank portion for adaptably receiving the shafts for storage.

Apparatus for storing control drive rod shafts during chemical

A chemical decontamination clean-up system for use on-line in a nuclear reactor primary system includes a pump arrangement within the nuclear reactor primary system for pumping primary system fluids to a cleaning system located directly downstream from the pump assembly. The cleaning system includes a plurality of first demineralizer banks arranged in a predetermined flow pattern for receiving the primary system fluids. Each of the first demineralizer banks comprises at least two individual, resin-filled demineralizers arranged in parallel wherein primary system fluids are demineralized. Each of the demineralizer banks includes valving for selectively directing the primary system fluids from the pump arrangement to selected demineralizer banks in the plurality of the first demineralizer banks. A second demineralizer bank receives the primary system fluids from the plurality of first demineralizer banks. The second demineralizer bank includes at least two individual, resin-filled demineralizers arranged in parallel wherein primary system fluids are 'finish' demineralized. A return system receives the primary system fluids from the second demineralizer bank and directs the fluids back to the nuclear reactor primary system. The return system includes at least one trap for receiving the primary system fluids from the second demineralizer bank and operable to remove resin suspended in the primary system fluids, and at least one filter downstream from the trap for removing solids suspended in the primary system fluids prior to the return of the fluids to the nuclear reactor primary system.

Clean-up system for the chemical decontamination of a nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor having a chemical decontamination system is provided in which every piece of decontamination equipment which processes radioactive materials is located within a decontamination building. The decontamination system is designed to provide for adequate protection for personnel safety and also incorporates a modular design for equipment transportation and storage.

Outside of containment chemical decontamination system for nuclear

A unique resin processing system for providing and removing resin to large demineralizer vessels during chemical decontamination of nuclear reactor primary systems is disclosed. Resin is premeasured in a batching tank for accurate filling of demineralilzer resin bed while minimizing personnel radioactivity exposure. Sluice water transfers spent resin to a storage tank and, thereafter, is recycled for subsequent sluicing operations. Spent resin from the storage tank is periodically delivered to high integrity containers for ultimate disposal.

Resin processing system

A nuclear reactor having a chemical decontamination system is provided in which every piece of decontamination equipment which processes radioactive materials is located within the containment chamber of the nuclear reactor. This decontamination system therefore presents advantageous safety benefits over an outside of containment system in the unlikely event of a leak of radioactive materials from the decontamination system.

In-containment chemical decontamination system for nuclear rector

An annealing apparatus is described which is designed, manufactured, preassembled and tested at a factory in equal-sized, longitudinal, self-contained segments. In a typical arrangement each segment is one-quarter of the total unit. Each segment includes a support frame, an arcuate heater shell covered with a plurality of heaters and thermocouples, heater and thermocouple connectors, a segmented upper flange, a utility flange and connectors for attaching adjacent segments. Each segment is transported to the nuclear reactor, fit through the equipment hatch of the containment building and assembled in the reactor vessel with the remaining segments using a crane in the building. Appropriate connections for the individual heaters and thermocouples of each segment are made by personnel introduced into the building and are led out the top of the annealing apparatus to a control station. The methods include the steps of: prefabricating and pretesting the segments at a factory; transporting a plurality of the segments to the reactor, introducing each segment through the containment building hatch; assembling the plurality of segments at the reactor vessel into an annealing apparatus; annealing; disassembling the apparatus; and removing the segments from the containment building.

Modular annealing apparatus for in situ reactor vessel annealing and

A unique clean-up sub-system for chemical decontamination of nuclear reactor primary systems is disclosed. Chemically-processed fluids containing suspended and dissolved solids are directed through a back-flushable filter and, thereafter, through one or more cartridge filters. After this initial filtering of suspended solids, the process fluid is directed to one or more demineralizer banks for removal of dissolved solids, followed by additional cartridge filtering to remove any resin fines carried out of the demineralizer banks. After final filtering, the process fluids are returned to the primary system, with or without chemical injection.

Clean-up sub-system for chemical decontamination of nuclear reactor

A temperature monitoring device for measuring the temperature at a surface of a body, composed of: at least one first thermocouple and a second thermocouple; support members supporting the thermocouples for placing the first thermocouple in contact with the body surface and for maintaining the second thermocouple at a defined spacing from the body surface; and a calculating circuit connected to the thermocouples for receiving individual signals each representative of the temperature reading produced by a respective one of the first and second thermocouples and for producing a corrected temperature signal having a value which represents the temperature of the body surface and is a function of the difference between the temperature reading produced by the first thermocouple and a selected fraction of the temperature reading provided by the second thermocouple.

Temperature monitoring device and thermocouple assembly therefor

System and method for abrading radioactive contaminants from the inside surface of a pipe. The system includes a nozzle block capable of mixing a liquid and an abrasive grit into a suitable liquid-abrasive grit cleaning composition and impinging the cleaning composition against the inside surface of the pipe. The system further includes an inflatable torus-shaped seal for confining the liquid-abrasive grit cleaning composition to a predetermined portion of the inside surface of the pipe so that substantially all of the contaminants and cleaning composition can be suitably vacuumed from the surface.

System and method for cleaning the inner surface of tubular members

A cylindrical coffer dam assembly is described for use in temporary shielding personnel from nuclear reactor stored internals' radiation. The coffer dam is made up of substantially equal segments small enough to pass through the equipment hatch of the reactor containment building. The segments are pre-fabricated at a factory, transported to the plant, introduced individually into the containment building, and assembled together in sealing relation at the operating floor into a complete coffer dam. The coffer dam is moved to the reactor vessel and connected to the reactor vessel upper flange in sealing relation. The coffer dam can be disconnected, disassembled, removed and re-used at other nuclear reactors.

Coffer dam for temporary shielding of reactor vessel internals

A temporary hot cell and related method for handling high radiation level sources having wall, ceiling and floor structures comprised at least in part of temporary structures forming an enclosure to reduce to acceptable levels radiation of the surround from high level radiation sources handled within the enclosure. Preferably one or more manipulator arms extended through a wall structure of the enclosure to permit handling of the high level radiation sources within the enclosure by an operator located external to the enclosure. A window is positioned in the wall structure of the enclosure to allow an external operator to view handling of the radiation sources. The hot cell preferably also has a false floor, a filter and vent system sheeting to cover portions of the inner surface of the temporary structure forming the enclosure hot cell.

Temporary hot cell and related method for handling high radiation level

Electric power is produced in an electric power generating combustion turbine using a biogas as fuel thereto, where a biogas, leaving a biomass gasification system at an elevated temperature of 650.degree.-875.degree. C. and containing tars, is partially cooled by injection of a spray of water thereto to a lower temperature of about 260.degree.-555.degree. but above that which would condense tars. The partially cooled biogas stream is then filtered to remove solid particulate matter therefrom and is directly charged as fuel to the electric power producing combustion turbine for the production of electric power.

Process for electric power production using a biogas

One or more pairs of vertically-spaced-apart sidewardly-aimable plasma arc cutting torches, the upper one angled upward and the bottom one downward, on the end of a horizontal boom movable longitudinally fore and aft and angularly sideward, are used to double-cut the tube bundle of a steam generator progressively in a manner clearing a path that accommodates torch assembly advancement.

Tube bundle cutting method and apparatus

Cutting apparatus having spaced apart cutters which can be brought closer together are disposed on one end of a boom which is movable in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of a closely packed tube bundle to cut out short segments from the tubes starting at the periphery and working through the tube bundle by bringing the cutters closer together to provide clearance as the cutters move deeper into the tube bundle.

Growing community of inventors

Perry Township, Lawrence County, PA, United States of America

Frank I Bauer