Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Robert M Wilson

Robert M Wepfer

King W Chan

Daniel E Ford

Robert L Sylvester

Jawahar K Visaria

Howard E Braun

Allen C Smith, Jr

John D Echols

George Bieberbach

Howard L Ott

Willis B Middlebrooks

Min H Hu

Byre V Gowda

Gregory V Smith

James X Jenko

Randall C Johnson

A steam generator tube support plate has passageways with inwardly extending lands. Two or more tubes extend through the passageways and are supported by the lands. The tube support plates are variably spaced to provide additional support near the tubesheet and in the distal bends of U-tube bundles. This design provides reduced clogging, pressure drops and tube vibrations.

Steam generation with tube support

Segmented stayrod for restricting transverse displacement of a nuclear heat exchanger tube support plate. The stayrod includes a first rod segment interposed between the tubesheet and the first support plate, the first rod segment having an externally threaded riser extending through the hole formed in the first support plate. The stayrod also has a second rod segment interposed between the first support plate and the second support plate, the second rod segment having an internally threaded end portion for threadably engaging the threaded riser of the first rod segment. The second rod segment also has an externally threaded riser extending through the hole formed in the second support plate. An internally threaded fastener threadably engages the riser of the second rod segment for fastening the second rod segment to the second support plate. In this manner, the first support plate is captured between the first rod segment and the second rod segment. Moreover, the second support plate is captured between said second rod segment and the fastener, so that transverse displacement of the first support plate is restricted as the first support plate is captured between the first rod segment and the second rod segment and so that transverse displacement of the second support plate is restricted as the second support plate is captured between the second rod segment and the fastener.

Segmented stayrod for restricting transverse displacement of a nuclear

An improved heat exchanger utilizing a primary heated fluid to vaporize a secondary fluid flowing axially therethrough including a preheater assembly located within a cold leg side of the heat exchanger to allow axial flow of the secondary fluid through a preheater assembly to heat the secondary fluid to it boiling point temperature. The heat exchanger generally comprises a vertical shell portion with a tubesheet disposed adjacent a lower end thereof and a tube bundle which includes a plurality of U-shaped tubes through which the primary fluid flows. The preheater assembly is located in the vicinity of the tubesheet wherein the secondary fluid enters the preheater through a fluid inlet nozzle into a lower feedwater inlet box which is disposed around the inlet nozzle for dispersing the secondary fluid from the nozzle over a greater area. Specifically, the feedwater inlet box may include a double-perforated plate assembly whose flow resistance produces a low velocity uniform introduction of feedwater into the tube bundle. This water flows upward providing axial-counter flow and enhances heat transfer. This cold water is introduced near the coldest end of the tubes where it is most effective, while the design prevents thermal shock of the tubesheet with a layer of warm recirculating water providing a cushion between the tubesheet and the cold feedwater.

Steam generator with axial flow preheater

This patent discloses a secondary fluid supply system for a steam generator used in nuclear reactor power plants. The secondary fluid supply system comprises a secondary fluid (feedwater) inlet nozzle near the base of the steam generator shell, a feedwater riser pipe spaced between the shell of the steam generator and the tube bundle wrapper, the upper end of the feedwater riser pipe being connected to a distribution ring having a plurality of spray nozzles positioned in the recirculating pool above the top of the U-shaped heat exchanger tubes.

Steam generator

A steam generator comprises a distribution means, positioned between the shell and the wrapper in the annular downcomer region of the steam generator, for uniformly mixing the colder feedwater with the warmer recirculating water in the downcomer region of the steam generator so that the colder feedwater is not introduced directly into any steam regions of the steam generator and does not contact any pressure boundaries for preventing water hammer and thermal shock to the steam generator. The distribution means has a downwardly directing means for discharging the substantially evenly distributed feedwater from the distribution means into the downcomer region in a descending direction and away from any pressure boundaries for minimizing flow resistance and for preventing thermal shock to the pressure boundaries. The feedwater and the recirculating water are substantially uniformly mixed in the mixing zone of the downcomer region of the steam generator prior to the mixture of feedwater and recirculating water entering the tube bundle or contacting any pressure boundaries, thereby preventing thermal shock and water hammer to the steam generator.

Steam generator feedwater distribution system

Vessel structural support system for laterally and vertically supporting a vessel, such as a nuclear steam generator having an exterior bottom surface and a side surface thereon. The system includes a bracket connected to the bottom surface. A support column is pivotally connected to the bracket for vertically supporting the steam generator. The system also includes a base pad assembly connected pivotally to the support column for supporting the support column and the steam generator. The base pad assembly, which is capable of being brought to a level position by turning leveling nuts, is anchored to a floor. The system further includes a male key member attached to the side surface of the steam generator and a female stop member attached to an adjacent wall. The male key member and the female stop member coact to laterally support the steam generator. Moreover, the system includes a snubber assembly connected to the side surface of the steam generator and also attached to the adjacent wall for dampening lateral movement of the steam generator. In addition, the system includes a restraining member of 'flat' attached to the side surface of the steam generator and a bumper attached to the adjacent wall. The flat and the bumper coact to further laterally support the steam generator.

Vessel structural support system

A system for removing sludge from a sludge-bearing fluid flowing in a vertically oriented nuclear steam generator so that the sludge is not present therein in sufficient quantities to corrode components (e.g., heat transfer tubes) located in the steam generator. The system comprises a tube sheet having a plurality of apertures therethrough for receiving the ends of the heat transfer tubes so that the tubes are supported by the tube sheet. The tube sheet has a top surface thereon and also a recess formed in the top surface for separating and for collecting the sludge from the sludge-bearing fluid. The recess has a substantially frusto-conical wall generally converging at the bottom end of the recess for providing a settling basin for the sludge after the sludge is separated from the sludge-bearing fluid. A pipe extends from adjacent the bottom end of the recess to the exterior of the heat exchanger for transporting the sludge from the recess to the exterior of the heat exchanger. A valve, which is connected to the pipe, is capable of opening to remove the sludge via blowdown through the pipe and into a holding tank for suitable disposal.

Sludge removal system for removing sludge from heat exchangers

A method of forming and installing anti-vibration bars into a tube bundle of a steam generator is disclosed. The tube bundle comprises rows of tubes, each tube carrying a high temperature coolant. Each of the resultant anti-vibration bars has a tubular configuration and is disposed between adjacent rows of the tube bundle for stabilizing the tubes against vibration caused by fluids recirculating at high velocities through the steam generator. The method of this invention comprises the steps of inserting at least one anti-vibration bar between adjacent rows of the tube bundle and applying a pressurized fluid in the anti-vibration, thus expanding the anti-vibration bar to contact the tubes of the adjacent rows and to make a series of indentations therein. Typically, the pressure of the fluid is increased incrementally up to a maximum level set such that the configuration of the steam genrator tubes is not deformed. The resultant anti-vibration bar is a hollow member and has first and second series of indentations disposed on opposing sides thereof and spaced from each other a uniform distance corresponding to the spacing between adjacent tubes of a row. The indentations are configured similarly to the shape of the tubes to provide intimate contact there between and to support the tubes against vibration.

Anti-vibration bars for nuclear steam generators

A tube support plate is disclosed for supporting a plurality of tubes with reduced vibration in a nuclear steam generator. The support plate has a plurality of holes disposed therethrough in a regular array. Each hole has an axis, an interior surface and a plurality of lands supported on the interior surface and extending towards the axis. The support plate has a given thickness as taken along the hole axis, and each of the lands has a tapered surface for facilitating tube insertion. The method of forming the tube support plate comprises a first step of forming each of the holes through the support plate with a first cylindrical portion of a first diameter and a second cylindrical portion of a second diameter less than the first diameter. Next, portions of the second cylindrical portion are removed in a second step to form a plurality of lands having exposed ends supporting a tube within the hole.

Steam generator tube support

A one-piece removable tube lane block includes an L-shaped angle bar, having one end thereof fixed to the closed end of a cylindrical sleeve and extending axially outwardly therefrom. The outer end of the sleeve has a radially outwardly extending annular retaining flange for engagement with the vessel wall at the outer end of the handhole. The blocking portion is dimensioned to be insertable through the handhole and into the tube lane to a use position with the distal leg of the L-shaped bar disposed perpendicular to the tube sheet and with the mounting sleeve disposed in the handhole and held in place therein by set screws extending radially outwardly through the sleeve.

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Plum Boro, PA, United States of America

Robert M Wilson