Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Other

Michael G Brunner

Gregory L Calhoun

Kevin L Fields

A heater probe assembly used to heat treat a portion of a metallic tube that is surrounded by a heat sink is disclosed. The heater probe assembly heats the tube to a selected temperature range to relieve stress in and prevent degradation of the tube portion. The heater probe assembly includes an elongated probe body that is insertable and slidably movable within the tube portion. A radiant heat source is removably mounted on the probe body and heats the tube portion to incandescence within the selected temperature range. A temperature monitoring device monitors the temperature of the tube portion. The temperature monitoring device includes first and second optical measuring devices which determine the color of the tube portion at its longitudinally middle and end portions of the tube portion. An optical pyrometer translates the optical color measurement into a temperature measurement. A fiber-optic cable connects the first and second optical measuring device to first and second prisms which conducts the light of incandescence of the heated tube portion to the temperature monitoring device. A probe sleeve is mounted on the probe body and prevents light from the heat source from reflecting in to the prisms. An eddy current sensing device properly locates the heater probe assembly within the tube.

Fiber-optic heater probe assembly for heat treating metallic conduits

A tube protection device is positioned within a heat exchange tube of a nuclear steam generator to span a defect region and protect same against damage or deformation during withdrawal of the tube from the generator for subsequent defect analysis and testing. The tube protection device includes gripper means at the opposite ends thereof which are expansible from a relaxed condition permitting movement of the device through the tube to a clamped condition, releasably, frictionally engaging the contiguous interior sidewall surfaces of the tube at positions respectively spaced from the defect and spanning the defect region. An installation tool includes an elongaged linkage mechanism insertable through an open end of the tube for positioning the tube protection device and for operating same from the accessible portion of the linkage mechanism exterior to the open end of the tube between said relaxed and clamped conditions, and for remote withdrawal of the tube protection device from the tube.

Tube protection device

Both an apparatus and a process for pulling tubes from a tubesheet with two relatively movable gripping means are disclosed herein. The apparatus of the invention is a tube puller which has upper and lower gripping means for gripping the section of the tube surrounded by the tubesheet. The two gripping means are mechanically linked together by means of an extendable connecting assembly. This assembly includes an outer sleeve where the lower gripping means is located, and a middle sleeve where the upper gripping means is located which is slidable a predetermined distance within the outer sleeve. In the process of the invention, a tube puller as heretofore described is inserted into the mouth of a tube. The lower gripping means is then engaged to the mouth of the tube. The upper gripping means is then engaged in a section of the tube beyond the tube mouth with the extendable connecting assembly in a contracted position. A pulling means including a hydraulic ram then applies a tensile force onto the lower gripping means in order to pull on the mouth of the tube and to plastically contract the outer diameter of the tube in the vicinity of the tubesheet. After such contraction occurs, the connecting assembly between the two gripping means extends to its maximum length, and the pulling means applies a tensile force to both the upper and lower gripping means. Both of the gripping means then coact to withdraw the tube from the tubesheet. The invention preserves the metallurgical properties of the section of tube between the two grippers, which is important when the tubes are being sampled for corrosion degradation.

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Wilkins Township, PA, United States of America

Michael G Brunner