Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Roland Gottfried

Franz Dirauf

Herbert Schramm

Erich Haas

An apparatus and a method for inspecting an outer jacket of a core containment in the region of a heat shield surrounding the core containment, include a plate mounted rotatably on a bottom of a storage basin. The core containment is deposited on the bottom. A mast is deposited on the bottom next to the core containment. A vertical carriage is disposed on the mast for movement in the longitudinal direction of the mast. An outrigger which is disposed on the vertical carriage can be introduced into a region between the outer jacket of the core containment and a heat shield and has a free end which carries an inspection device.

Apparatus and method for inspecting an outer jacket of a core

An apparatus and a method for inspecting an outer jacket of a core containment in the vicinity of a heat shield surrounding the core containment, include an annular rail to be fixed to the core containment. A carriage is disposed on the annular rail for circumferential movement. A mast is supported on the carriage for axial displacement. A vertical carriage is movable along the mast in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the mast. An outrigger is disposed on the vertical carriage. An inspection device is carried by the free end of the outrigger for movement into a region between the outer jacket and the heat shield.

A nuclear power plant includes a primary loop having a vessel with a connection piece. A manipulator for working in the vicinity of the connection piece, especially for non-destructive testing, includes two trolleys being moveable circumferentially of the connection piece. A jointed-shank arm disposed on the trolleys has two shanks each having first and second ends. Hinged supports are each disposed on a respective one of the trolleys and each support the first end of a respective one of the shanks. A crown hinge joins the second ends of the shanks together. A support for a tool or a test head is mounted on the crown hinge. A process for carrying out work in the connection-piece region with a maneuvering unit includes adjusting a position of each of the trolleys with a respective drive motor, pressing the tool or test head against a wall of the vessel with spring means acting upon the shanks, such as pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, and maneuvering the crown hinge into a predetermined position and/or over a predetermined path by varying the position of at least one of the trolleys with a control device acting upon the drive motors.

Manipulator and process for carrying out work in the connection-piece

A manipulator for handling operations for non-destructive testing in the vicinity of the nozzle of a vessel in the primary loop of a nuclear power plant includes a carriage being movable in circumferential direction of the nozzle of the vessel. A sled is disposed on the carriage and displaceable in the axial direction of the nozzle. A shoulder joint is disposed on the sled. A scissors half has an upper arm with one end supported in the shoulder joint and another end, a lower arm with a free end, another joint connecting the other end of the upper arm to the lower arm, a holder, and a further joint connecting the holder to the free end of the lower arm. A tool or a probe is disposed on the holder. A method for handling a device, especially a probe, in the vicinity of the nozzle of a vessel, especially in the primary loop of a nuclear power plant, with a manipulator, includes controlling the holder and the other joint along a predetermined path with a control device acting upon at least one drive motor, and varying a pivoting angle of at least one of the arms with at least one drive motor. The position of the sled may also be varied with a drive motor operatively connected to the sled.

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Langensendelbach, Germany

Roland Gottfried