Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Ian L Wilson

Luciano Veronesi

Kenneth C Radford

William G Clark, Jr

David E Boyle

George E Rudd

Jimmy Arthur Cox

David H Roarty

John C Matarazzo

A high strength bolt fastens a baffle plate and a former plate of a pressurized water nuclear reactor pressure vessel together. The bolt has a head portion and an integral locking member extending from the head portion for engaging one of the structural members to lock the bolt with the structural member. The integral locking member portion has a lower yield stress than the yield stress of the shank. A lower yield stress may be obtained by selective annealing. The locking member is less susceptible to stress corrosion cracking in high temperature, high pressure water of commercial nuclear power reactors.

Bolt with integral locking member

A passively temperature actuated valve has a shape memory alloy (SMA) mechanism connected to a lever arm which engages the valve stem to actuate the valve against the biasing force of a valve stem biasing spring when the ambient temperature rises above the transition temperature of the SMA. The SMA mechanism can include an SMA rod, but preferably has a tube of shape memory alloy supported in couplings which allow ambient fluid to freely pass through the tube. A stack of Bellville springs concentrically mounted over the tube biases the tribe to the elongated condition when below the transition temperature. An optional latch latches the valve in the actuated position if it is required that the valve remain actuated when the ambient temperature falls below the transition temperature and the Bellville springs again elongate the SMA member.

Passively ambient temperature actuated fluid valve

The present invention provides a method for applying a hardface alloy coating on a metal substrate concurrently with a nitriding procedure so that the hardface coating is deposited and nitrided in one step. The deposition of the metal hardface coating is conducted in an atmosphere of nitrogen under nitriding conditions. The single step of metal deposition and nitriding is made possible by using a hardface alloy composition containing 20-75% niobium, 5-35% titanium and 10-60% tungsten.

Method for hardfacing metal articles

A method and apparatus for producing turbine blade roots (23) utilize an electro-discharge machining apparatus (10) to machine critical portions of the blade root (23) and a peening apparatus (25) for peening of the machined portions. The electro-discharge machining of the blade root leaves recast layers (22) on the surface of the blade root (23), and high residual tensile stresses are found in the surface of the blade root (23), which could lead to crack propagation. Peening of the machined surfaces leaves compressive residual stresses near the surface and reduces the recast layers (22). The resulting blade root (23) meets the same specifications for durability and tolerances as a blade root machined using the conventional transfer line type cutting process, but at a fraction of the cost.

Method and apparatus for producing turbine blade roots

A process provides a method for attaching a turbine blade to a blade support such as a rotor or rotor disc of a turbine. The root portion of the blade is formed to a shape approximately that of a groove in the surface of the rotor or rotor disc and the root portion of the blade is inserted within the groove. A composition comprising a particulate compound selected from the group consisting of a ceramic, graphite metal, metal alloy and mixtures thereof is positioned between the root portion of the blade and steeples, located one on either side of the groove.

Growing community of inventors

Murrysville, PA, United States of America

Ian L Wilson