Method for maintenance of ice beds of ice condenser containment

Patent · Tue Jun 09 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6331945

Scrabis, C M; Hardin, Jr, R T

This patent describes a method of maintaining ice baskets associated with a nuclear reactor system and disposed in an array of plural such ice baskets, supported in generally vertically oriented and parallel relationship by a lattice support structure which extends between the individual ice baskets and includes lateral supports adjacent the tops of the comprising: selecting an ice basket of the array requiring replenishment of the ice therewithin due to sublimation voids within the ice charges in the basket; isolating the selected ice basket; drilling a hole downwardly through the ice charges in the ice basket in general parallel axial relationship with respect to the cylindrical sidewall of the ice basket, utilizing a rotary drill bit connected through an auger to a rotary drive means; maintaining the rotary drive means in a fixed axial position and reversing the direction of rotation thereof for driving the auger in reverse rotation; and supplying ice in particulate form to the vicinity of the auger and conveying the particulate ice through the drilled hole by continued, reverse rotation of the auger so as to fill the sublimated voids in communication with the drilled hole, from the lowest and through successively higher such voids in the ice charges within the ice basket, and withdrawing the auger from the drilled hole as the voids are filled.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4671920
• OSTI ID: 6331945
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220200* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
CONDENSERS
CONTAINMENT
DRILLING
DRILLING EQUIPMENT
DRILLS
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
ICE
ICE CONDENSERS
MAINTENANCE
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MOTION
ORIENTATION
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POWER REACTORS
REACTORS
ROTARY DRILLING
ROTARY DRILLS
ROTATION
STEAM CONDENSERS
SUBLIMATION
SUPPORTS
VAPOR CONDENSERS
VOIDS