Combustion Engineering, Inc.

Karl Heinz Haslinger

Adrian Peter Wivagg

Douglas S Porter

Michael L Martin

Woodruff H Higgins

In order to support a shroud against bending, shear, stress and torsion, straps are placed in strategic positions with respect to cracks or like types of weaknesses which have been detected, and fastened in place using a suitable fastening technique. Holes are formed using an EDM technique in cooperation with supports for an EDM placed on the straps, and bolt units which have an expanding portion are inserted into the holes, torqued and expanded in a manner which fastens the strap to the shroud. A temperature responsive bimetallic strain system which produces a clamping force, is created by forming the straps of a material which has a lower expansion coefficient than the shroud material. As the reactor heats, the expansion differential tensions the straps and produces a clamping force.

Method and apparatus for repair of nuclear reactor shroud

A wear-reduction-sleeve for in-core-instrumentation thimbles of a pressurized water nuclear reactor having bottom mounted instrumentation to curtail flow induced excitation and increase support contact area in the region of thimble length which extends through and defines an annulus with the core support plate and extends upwardly to and through the fuel assembly flow distribution plates. The wear-reduction-sleeve includes a hollow shank portion which gives a low wear coefficient when in contact with the chrome-plated thimble and is inserted into the annulus and below where it is radially expanded and secured to a thimble guide tube. An upper portion of the wear-reduction-sleeve between the core support plate and flow distribution plate has a flow collection chamber and radial flow exit slots which divert thimble flow substantially away from the hole in the fuel assembly flow distribution plate through which the thimble extends.

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Bloomfield, CT, United States of America

Karl Heinz Haslinger