General Electric Company

Thomas R Eckmann

Frank Ortega

Edward W Saxon

Bettadapur N Sridhar

Balasubramanian S Kowdley

Robert S Tsukida

Thomas W White

Thomas A Lewis

Christopher J Miller

Andrew S Wong

An uncoupling tool has a two-module design: one module being a driver assembly for developing the uncoupling movement and the other module being a probe assembly for verifying the uncoupled condition. The probe assembly attaches to the threaded end of the piston tube with its probe extending inside the piston tube. The driver assembly attaches to the CRD ring flange. The probe assembly detects the ring magnet in the drive piston using analog position sensors which operate on the principle of the Hall effect and solid state circuitry. A top sensor provides a signal indicating that the control rod is in its 'full out' position; a bottom sensor provides a signal indicating that the control rod is uncoupled; and an intermediate sensor provides a signal indicating that the control rod is in a transition position between the 'full out' and uncoupled positions. The probe incorporates spacers which focus the magnetic flux onto the sensors. To uncouple the control rod, the probe assembly is lifted using a separate driver assembly.

Multistage control rod drive uncoupling tool

A tool for checking the length of a control rod drive measured from the top of the control rod drive flange to the end of the uncoupling rod. The tool is a GO--NO--GO gauge with tight tolerance. The top of the tool supports a gage which has an arm that pivots about an axis parallel to the tool axis. The arm has a stepped notch with a predetermined height equal to the length tolerance range (e.g., 0.0625 inch). The length is considered acceptable when the gage is rotated and the first edge of the stepped notch on the arm just clears the end of the uncoupling rod but the second edge stops the gage from pivoting any further. The length is not acceptable if the first edge of the stepped notch on the arm abuts the uncoupling rod, preventing the gage from pivoting any further, or if the gage misses the uncoupling rod entirely.

Control rod drive length measurement tool

Growing community of inventors

Killen, AL, United States of America

Thomas R Eckmann