General Electric Company

Robert K Williams

William B Gaylord, Jr

Donald F Butzin

William C Peters

Gary S Martin

Jeffrey A Wilson

A tube and end plug assembly include a tube having an inner diameter and an outer diameter; an end plug having a tapered body portion with minimum and maximum diameters and a radial flange adjacent the minimum diameter. The tapered body portion is located within an end portion of the tube which is in substantially continuous engagement with the tapered body portion of the plug. A related process of joining an end plug to a hollow tube having a cylindrical end portion, with inside and outside diameters, and wherein the end plug has a body portion with minimum and maximum diameters connected by a tapered surface and a radial flange adjacent the minimum diameter includes the steps of: a) inserting the end plug into the cylindrical end portion of the tube such that the radial flange engages an edge of the cylindrical end portion of the tube; b) deforming the cylindrical end portion of the tube into conformance with the tapered body portion of the end plug; and c) welding the end plug to the tube circumferentially about a joint between the radial flange and the edge.

Reverse taper end plug

To measure the spring constants of double-acting, fuel rod-centering springs assembled with different pairs of ferrules in a nuclear fuel bundle spacer, a gauge is provided to include an alignment rod and a probe carried by a handle for insertions into the ferrules of a ferrule pair. The alignment rod loads the side of the spring acting in its ferrule, while the other spring side exerts its fuel rod-centering force on a load cell carried by the probe. A micrometer acts against the load cell to produce measured deflections of the other spring side. Spring constants are calculated from electrical readouts of spring force and spring deflection from the load cell and micrometer.

Nuclear fuel bundle spacer spring constant gauge

To measure fuel rod-centering forces exerted by double-acting springs assembled with different pairs of ferrules in a nuclear fuel bundle spacer, a gauge is provided to include an alignment rod and a probe carried by a handle for insertions into the ferrules of a ferrule pair. The alignment rod loads the side of the spring acting in its ferrule, while the other spring side exerts its fuel rod-centering force on a plunger mounted in the probe. The plunger is mechanically linked to a load cell which provides an electrical readout of the spring force.

Growing community of inventors

Wilmington, NC, United States of America

Robert K Williams