The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 30, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1998
Jack T Matsumoto, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Alex B Fife, San Jose, CA (US);
Charles A Dalke, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A restraint assembly which is a bolted lattice structure for preventing the in-core guide tubes from experiencing excessive flow induced vibrations is described. In one embodiment, the restraint assembly includes upper and lower restraint brackets secured to an in-core housing and in-core guide tube assembly. The restraint brackets are located approximately equal distance from the end supports of the in-core guide tube and in-core housing assembly. The upper restraint bracket is welded between sections of the in-core guide tube, and the lower restraint bracket is welded between the in-core guide tube and the in-core housing. Each bracket includes four flanges, and each flange has tapped, or threaded, openings therein. Each bracket also includes cylindrical sections extending from the flanges, and in one embodiment, the cylindrical sections have inner and outer diameters which match the inner and outer diameters of the in-core housing and the in-core guide tube. The brackets are interconnected by plates and threaded bolts. More specifically, the brackets of each ICGT and ICH assembly are connected to brackets of adjacent assemblies by plates and bolts. The bolts are sized and torqued to ensure that a sufficient preload is maintained to prevent any slippage. The bolt heads are tack welded to the restraint plates after final assembly. The assembly also includes a shroud attachment plate and a restraint support bracket configured to be welded to a shroud.