Areva Np Gmbh

Framatome Anp Gmbh

Kurt David Klahn

George Vick Owen

Mark Alan Klahn

An improved manipulator system having a remotely actuated tube walker assembly for reciprocally moving the manipulator along a tube bundle for inspection and repair of the tubes of the tube bundle wherein the tube walker has a movable inner section and an outboard section with both sections having groups of hydraulically actuated locking fingers which are selectively engageable with the tubes of the tube bundle so that when the fingers of the outboard section are locked the fingers of the inner section are disengaged and the inner portion can be moved axially to an aligned position with new tube locations.

Tube walker for examination and repair of steam generators

A method of removing rib plugs from steam generator tubes in energy producing units such as nuclear reactors includes the removal of the expander element or mandrel from the expanded part of the rib plug, TIG welding a bead on the available internal surface of the plug in a spiral manner from the bottom to the top thereof to relax the rib plug from its forced contact with the tube and removal of the rib plug as a unit from the tube after it has cooled down from the welding process.

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Forest, VA, United States of America

Kurt David Klahn