General Electric Company

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Robert B Weissinger

Eugene E Olich

Jack N Fox

Alan J Chertock, Deceased

A reactor refueling method utilizing a vibrating fuel grapple for removing spent fuel assemblies from a reactor core which incorporates a pneumatic vibrator in the grapple head, enabling additional withdrawal capability without exceeding the allowable axial force limit. The only moving part in the vibrator is a steel ball, pneumatically driven by a gas, such as argon, around a track, with centrifugal force created by the ball being transmitted through the grapple to the assembly handling socket.

Vibrating fuel grapple

An electromagnetic pump for molten metals wherein a rotating magnetic field causes rotation of the molten metal about the axis of the pump structure. A swirl inducer at the inlet end of the pump has inlet passageways radially spaced from the axis of the pump so as to induce rotational flow in the molten metal passing therethrough. A dual-conical shaped inductor supported within and axially aligned with a molten metal passageway forms in combination with said passageway a conically tapered flow path for the molten metal. Angularly oriented flutes are provided in the region of the inductor periphery within the vicinity of the largest diameter portion thereof in order to convert the rotational flow of the molten metal back into axial flow for discharge from the pump.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Robert B Weissinger