General Electric Company

Terry Lynn Chapman

Vernon Walter Pence

Michael Jamie Baron

Robert David Geier

Dennis Colditz

Henry Peter Offer

Frank Ortega

Balasubramanian S Kowdley

Trevor James Davis

James F Kasik

John Edward Maslakowski

David T Morris

A method of inspecting or utilizing tools in the underwater environment of a nuclear reactor vessel, a spent fuel pool or equipment pit includes floating a platform for transporting inspection devices and/or tools over an underwater target site and deploying the devices or tools to the underwater target site. The platform may be coupled to a boom whose opposite end is carried by a cart movable about a floor area surrounding the pool. Alternatively, the platform may be independently movable along the water surface by thrusters.

Method of inspecting or utilizing tools in a nuclear reactor environment

A method of servicing a nuclear reactor during a reactor outage is provided. The reactor includes a primary containment vessel and a reactor pressure vessel positioned in the primary containment vessel. The method includes positioning a servicing platform above the reactor pressure vessel and performing predetermined servicing operations on the reactor. The servicing platform includes a frame having a plurality of interconnected beams, a support structure attached to the frame, and a floor attached to a top of the frame. The floor includes a reactor access opening sized to permit access to the reactor pressure vessel. The servicing platform also includes at least one auxiliary platform movably coupled to the frame and extending into the access opening. The at least one auxiliary platform is movable along a perimeter of the access opening of the floor.

Reactor servicing platform

A reactor servicing platform for a nuclear reactor is provided. The nuclear reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel positioned in a primary containment and at least one refuel bridge. The primary containment includes a refueling floor. The servicing platform, in an exemplary embodiment, includes a frame, a support structure, and a floor covering the frame. The floor includes a reactor access opening sized to permit access to the reactor pressure vessel.

A modular reactor servicing platform for a nuclear reactor is provided. The modular servicing platform includes a plurality of modular sections coupled together, a support structure coupled to the coupled together modular sections, a center access opening, and a refuel access channel extending from the center access opening to an outer edge of the platform forming a substantially C-shaped servicing platform. Each modular section includes a plurality of interconnecting beams, and at least one floor panel attached to and covering the beams.

An electric discharge machining sampling apparatus for obtaining samples from a surface of metal components provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the sampling apparatus is operable underwater and includes a base plate and an electrode assembly movably coupled to the base plate. The electrode assembly includes an electric discharge electrode and an electrode holder with the electrode including at least one bore extending therethrough. The sampling apparatus also includes a particle collection assembly operatively coupled to the electrode. Each electrode bore is in flow communication with the particle collection assembly.

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Terry Lynn Chapman