Westinghouse Electric Corporation

William G Cole

Jeffrey E Hydeman

Stephen M Ira

William E Pirl

John J Wilhelm

Gregory L Calhoun

Qui V Le

Rodney A Lutz

Wesley G Pope

James M Gunsallus, Jr

Frank X Ponko

Kenneth D Kolberg

Apparatus and method for removing a wall portion from a wall of a tubular member. The wall portion has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. The wall portion is connected to the wall of the tubular member by a pair of ligatures, which remain after use of a suitable cutting tool. The ligatures are aligned and disposed on either side of the wall portion to define a pivot axis. The apparatus has a probe body insertable into the tubular member, which probe body includes an expandable bladder for pushing the distal end portion of the wall portion in order to pivot the wall portion about the ligatures (i.e., about the pivot axis) as the bladder expands. As the wall portion pivots, the distal end portion of the wall portion rotates outwardly from the wall of the tubular member as the proximal end portion of the wall portion rotates inwardly into the tubular member. After the wall portion pivots, a cup-shaped retainer is moved upwardly to surround the proximal end portion of the wall portion. A movable elongate mandrel engages the proximal end portion of the wall portion. A hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder downwardly moves the mandrel in order to intimately engage the mandrel with the proximal end portion of the wall portion and downwardly displace the wall portion, such that the ligatures are severed. As the wall portion is downwardly displaced, it is drawn into the retainer. As the wall portion is drawn into the retainer, it is gripped between the retainer and the mandrel. The probe body is then removed from the tubular member for removing the severed wall portion from the tubular member. The apparatus may further include an eddy current sensor for locating the wall portion to be removed.

Apparatus and method for removing a wall portion from a wall of a

A laser welding apparatus and method are used to weld the inner surface of small diameter tubes such as nuclear heat exchanger tubes. A weld filler metal carried by a rotatable laser weld head is fed into the weld zone to produce deeply penetrating weldments of low profile. The apparatus and method can effectively be used to repair cracks in heat exchanger tubes to thereby provide extended service life.

Apparatus and method for laser welding the inner surface of a tube

Apparatus and method for removing a wall portion from a wall of a tubular member. The wall portion has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. The wall portion is connected to the wall of the tubular member by a pair of ligatures, which remain after use of a suitable cutting tool. The ligatures are aligned and disposed on either side of the wall portion to define a pivot axis. The apparatus has a probe body insertable into the tubular member, which probe body includes an expandable bladder for pushing the distal end portion of the wall portion in order to pivot the wall portion about the ligatures (i.e., about the pivot axis) as the bladder expands. As the wall portion pivots, the distal end portion of the wall portion rotates outwardly from the wall of the tubular member as the proximal end portion of the wall portion rotates inwardly into the tubular member. A movable elongate mandrel engages the proximal end portion of the wall portion. A hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder downwardly moves the mandrel such that the ligatures are severed. The probe body is then removed from the tubular member for removing the severed wall portion from the tubular member. The apparatus may further include an eddy current sensor for locating the wall portion to be removed.

Electric discharge machining apparatus and method. An electron discharge machining apparatus and method is provided for precisely machining a wall of a tubular member to form a wall portion thereof defined by a slot of predetermined configuration at a predetermined location in a wall of the tubular member. The tubular member may be a nuclear steam generator tube. The apparatus includes a housing sized to be disposed in the tube, the housing having an opening therethrough capable of being aligned with the predetermined location in the tube wall to be electro-machined. An electrode is housed in the housing for generating an electric discharge arc between the electrode and the wall of the tube in order to machine the slot at the predetermined location. A rotator is connected to the housing for precisely rotating the housing, so that the opening formed through the housing is rotated into registry with the predetermined location to be electro-machined. An extender mechanism housed in the housing is connected to the electrode for precisely extending the electrode through the opening of the housing as the electrode machines the tube wall. As the electrode forms the slot in the wall of the tube, the extender mechanism, which includes a worm gear, gear wheel and threaded axle combination connected to the electrode, precisely advances the electrode to precisely electro-machine the slot in the wall of the tube.

Electron discharge machining apparatus and method

Both a method and arrangement for consolidating and storing nozzles removed from nuclear PWR fuel assemblies is disclosed herein. In the method of the invention, top or bottom nozzles that are removed from nuclear fuel assemblies incident to a reconstitution procedure are stacked one upon another. The resulting stack of either top or bottom nozzles is secured together by a combination of plates, rods having threaded ends, and nuts which do not increase the outer dimensions of the nozzles forming the stack. This allows the resulting stack to be loaded into a spent fuel bin where the secured stack of nozzles may be stored in a consolidated manner for ultimate disposal. To implement the method of the invention, a nozzle stacking bin is provided which provides a means for receiving individual nozzles and forming a stacked assembly of such. A securing means for binding the stack assembly together is further provided as well as a nozzle handling tool for manipulating the nozzles into the stacking bin and, in the case of top nozzles, also for bringing the nozzles to and from a nozzle turnover device.

Method and arrangement for consolidating and storing nozzles removed

Disclosed herein is a short stud tensioning apparatus for tensioning and detensioning an externally threaded stud or bolt protruding a short distance above a surface. The apparatus includes an internally threaded sleeve and a gripper having internal and external threads. The gripper surrounds the stud for threadably engaging the stud and the sleeve surrounds the gripper for threadably engaging the gripper. When engaged on the stud, the gripper serves as an extension of the stud. Hydraulic force is applied to a puller bar which is threadably connected to the gripper so that the gripper travels upwardly when hydraulic force is applied to the puller bar. The upwardly travel of the puller bar causes a correspondingly upward translation of the stud thus tensioning the stud. While the stud is in tension, the sleeve is run down the gripper until the sleeve engages the surface from which the stud protrudes. The stud will thus remain in tension even after the hydraulic force acting on the puller bar is removed. After the tensioning operation is completed, only the sleeve and gripper remain about the stud. Hence, the sleeve and gripper combination replaces the traditional nut. Of course, the stud may be detensioned in a manner similar to its tensioning except that the sleeve is disengaged from the surface by running the sleeve and gripper up the stud.

Short stud tensioning apparatus

Both an apparatus and method for plugging a conduit, such as a tube in the tubesheet of a nuclear steam generator, is disclosed herein. The plugging apparatus generally comprises an inelastically expandable plug that contains a fluid-receiving cavity, and an expansion means including both a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid and a pull-rod member having a piston for advantageously applying both a radially expansive force and a compressive force to the plug at the same time in order to inelastically expand it into sealing engagement with the inner wall of a tube. In the apparatus of the invention, the compressive force exerted on the plug by the pull-rod member not only serves to inelastically deform the plug into a radially expanded shape, but is also used to seal the open end of the plug so that the pressurized hydraulic fluid admitted within the cavity of the plug will not escape. Both the apparatus and method of the invention are particularly well suited for installing plugs in tubes surrounded by relatively inelastic structures, such as tubesheets. Additionally, the invention conveniently and reliably plugs small diameter tubes in the peripheral regions of these tubesheets.

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Greensburg, PA, United States of America

William G Cole