Combustion Engineering, Inc.

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Kenneth V Margotta

Michael D Heibel

Eric M Weisel

Joseph J Hahn

Daniel Walus

Thomas J Schildkamp

Mark W Yorns

Frank J Formanek

Douglas S Porter

Edward A Siegel

Patrick A Hellandbrand, Jr

David J Ayres

Scott A Kendrick

Russell R Radant

Ralph H Klumb

Divakar S Shendy

Michael J Sponzo

Pete Leombruni

A reactor in-core instrument handling system in which the signal leads are routed from the instrument sensors through an outer sheath through the upper reactor internals and out of and around the sheath in a substantially tightly wound spiral before exiting the reactor vessel.

Reactor in-core instrument handling system

A telescoping guide for extraction and reinsertion support handling of in-core instrument thimble assemblies in the area above the upper support plate in the upper internals of a pressurized water reactor. The telescoping guides extend between the upper ends of the upper internals support columns and an axially movable instrumentation grid assembly which is operable to simultaneously raise the telescoping guides and extract the in-core instrument thimble assemblies from the reactor fuel assemblies.

Method of accessing a core of a nuclear reactor

Upper internals arrangement for a pressurized water reactor

A protective hose, and a method of making the same, for an in-core instrument assembly used in a nuclear reactor, including a first end that is hermetically sealed to a first member of in-core instrument assembly such as a bullet nose, a second end that is hermetically sealed to a second member of said in-core instrument assembly such as a seal plug, and a body portion that surrounds at least one detector in the in-core instrument assembly, and has flexible, corrugated outer and inner surfaces. The body portion includes a series of ribs having peaks. The hose is compacted in length to a degree that the peaks of the ribs are substantially adjacent to one another. The ribs also have side surfaces that decline from the peaks to valley portions that are disposed between the side surfaces. The hose is compacted in length to a degree that the side surfaces are completely in physical contact with one another.

Nuclear in-core instrument (ICI) assembly with compressed flexible hose sheath

An irradiated steel pressurized nuclear reactor pressure vessel 10 is provided with a crack initiation retarding and crack extension retarding reactor vessel integrity girdle 20 or 120 made up of shoes or links 22, with mechanical take up joints (26 to 34a or 126 to 134a). Instead of pivoted shoe links 22, the girdle 120 may be made using constricting roller chain links 122. In any event, crack initiation and crack extension which may result from pressure loading or vessel material embrittled in the beltline region by neutron bombardment is retarded by maintenance of a prestress under the nozzles during all periods of operation of the reactor.

Method of retarding irradiated nuclear vessel crack initiation and

In order to reduce the time and difficulty of disassembling a seal arrangement in a cramped radioactive environment, a nozzle assembly hub is provided with a step bore which receives a seal arrangement, a compression collar, and a retaining nut which presses the seal arrangement into engagement with an inner wall portion of the hub and an outer wall portion of an ICI (in-core instrument) seal plug assembly. The ICI units remain connected to the seal plug assembly during normal disassembly operations. In this manner, the nozzle assembly may be disassembled by merely removing the retaining nut, compression collar, and seal arrangement and lifting the reactor head, along with the nozzle assembly, over the ICI units. The compression collar extends outside the retaining nut such that the collar can be engaged and compressed by an hydraulic loading tool while threading the retaining nut onto the hub.

Readily disconnectable nozzle arrangement for use with a nuclear reactor

A connector device to provide a primary pressure boundary between a flanged nozzle (18) and a column (20) concentrically disposed therein, including a closure member (26) for compressing a seal ring (22) against the nozzle flange (18). The closure member (26) includes a hub portion (34) defining an annular space (36) between the closure member and the column. Graphite gasket rings (40) are inserted into the annular space (36), and drive unit including a sleeve (42) actuator nut (50), and collar (54) is attached to the column at the collar location. Actuation of the nut (50) against the collar (54) draws the column (20) into rigid engagement with the closure member (26), and then advances the drive sleeve (42) along the annular space (36) to compress the gasket ring (40), thereby completing the fluid-tight connection.

Boundary seal for vessel penetration

A machine for smoothly and controllably winding or unwinding a stiff in-core-instrument tube onto and off of a reel during ythe refueling of a nuclear reactor. The machine includes a frame (33) and a circular reel (32) having a substantially continuous helical groove (44) extending around the circumference of the reel. The groove is adapted to receive the tube (14). A plurality of cam rollers (52) are carried by the frame and closely spaced around the circumference of the reel. The rollers keep the tube in the groove whereby the tube may be more easily wound onto or off of the reel. In the preferred embodiment, the reel carries a disposable cartridge (46) in which the grooves are formed.

Machine for removing in-core instrument assemblies from a nuclear reactor

Growing community of inventors

Ellington, CT, United States of America

Kenneth V Margotta