Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Richard E Salnick

Charles D Bice

Mark H Emerson

David A Mohr

Hsiang-Jung Kuo

Paul C Gaberson

An online system for diagnosing operability of a rotating electrical apparatus includes sensors producing electrical variables corresponding to operating conditions of the apparatus, data converters for converting the electrical variables to digital values, a comparator for comparing the values to corresponding predetermined baseline values of the apparatus and producing a corresponding comparison value, and a signalling mechanism for outputting signals related to a period of predicted operability of the apparatus whenever the comparison value exceeds a corresponding predetermined deadband value. The operating conditions may be non-electrical operating conditions, such as a condition of a lubrication system or a bearing of the apparatus. Alternatively, the sensors may sense electrical insulation non-thermal parameters during operation of the apparatus, in order to produce signals related to the operability of an insulator of the apparatus. The system may have a local processor for performing the comparisons and signaling. Alternatively, the system may include an intermediate data storage and communication mechanism for storing and communicating the sensed values to a remote processor. The processor may also trend the values with respect to time and determine a derivative of a sensed value. The apparatus may be a motor operating in a hazardous environment, such as a reactor coolant pump (RCP) motor operating in a nuclear containment vessel.

Online diagnostic system for rotating electrical apparatus

A probe guide assembly permits optical inspection of critical nuclear reactor coolant pump motor parts located inside a generally cylindrical motor housing without requiring disassembly of the motor. The assembly is removably mounted to the outside of the housing near a vent and includes a probe guide member for carrying an elongated probe guide that extends into the housing through the vent. The probe guide member is mounted to a cross bar that spans the vent in a first direction. The probe guide member can be moved to a selected position in the first direction along a slot in the cross bar and can rotate in the slot so as to angularly position an end of the probe guide interior the housing. The cross bar is adjustably positioned in a second direction across the vent by fastening the ends of the cross bar to different points along a pair of mounting bars extending in the second direction on opposite sides of the vent.

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Monroeville, PA, United States of America

Richard E Salnick