Ge-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC

Tyler B Hull

Colin F Kelemen

Brandon Novak

Systems and methods position tools about a flooded nuclear reactor during maintenance outages without support structures connected above the systems or reactor. Systems may include annular clamps for support from a reactor steam dam, a telescoping mast, a motor or other drive to extend or retract the mast, and/or an articulator to hold the payload and move the same about any degree of freedom. The telescoping mast may include several nested sections joined to a drive motor. Several different articulators are useable, including those with separate gearings for rotation about perpendicular axes and self-leveling wrists to orient tools in verifiable positions. Systems can be locally or remotely powered and controlled through powered and communicative connections to move about any position in a reactor annulus or core.

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WILMINGTON, NC, United States of America

Tyler B Hull