Integrated head package for top mounted nuclear instrumentation
Patent
·
OSTI ID:868842
- McKeesport, PA
- Forest Hills, PA
- Monroeville, PA
A nuclear reactor such as a pressurized water reactor has an integrated head package providing structural support and increasing shielding leading toward the vessel head. A reactor vessel head engages the reactor vessel, and a control rod guide mechanism over the vessel head raises and lowers control rods in certain of the thimble tubes, traversing penetrations in the reactor vessel head, and being coupled to the control rods. An instrumentation tube structure includes instrumentation tubes with sensors movable into certain thimble tubes disposed in the fuel assemblies. Couplings for the sensors also traverse penetrations in the reactor vessel head. A shroud is attached over the reactor vessel head and encloses the control rod guide mechanism and at least a portion of the instrumentation tubes when retracted. The shroud forms a structural element of sufficient strength to support the vessel head, the control rod guide mechanism and the instrumentation tube structure, and includes radiation shielding material for limiting passage of radiation from retracted instrumentation tubes. The shroud is thicker at the bottom adjacent the vessel head, where the more irradiated lower ends of retracted sensors reside. The vessel head, shroud and contents thus can be removed from the reactor as a unit and rested safely and securely on a support.
- Research Organization:
- WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-90SF18495
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5225150
- OSTI ID:
- 868842
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Integrated head package for top mounted nuclear instrumentation
Integrated head package for a nuclear reactor
Reactor vessel head permanent shield
Patent
·
Tue Jul 06 00:00:00 EDT 1993
·
OSTI ID:6282712
Integrated head package for a nuclear reactor
Patent
·
Tue May 16 00:00:00 EDT 1989
·
OSTI ID:5619791
Reactor vessel head permanent shield
Patent
·
Tue May 09 00:00:00 EDT 1989
·
OSTI ID:5913590
Related Subjects
/376/
adjacent
assemblies
attached
bottom
contents
control
control rod
control rods
coupled
couplings
disposed
element
encloses
engages
forms
fuel
fuel assemblies
guide
head
head package
increasing
instrumentation
instrumentation tube
instrumentation tubes
integrated
integrated head
irradiated
leading
limiting
lowers
material
mechanism
mounted
mounted nuclear
movable
nuclear
nuclear instrument
nuclear instrumentation
nuclear reactor
package
passage
penetrations
portion
pressurized
pressurized water
providing
providing structural
radiation
radiation shield
radiation shielding
raises
reactor
reactor vessel
removed
reside
retracted
rod
rod guide
rods
safely
securely
sensors
shielding
shielding material
shroud
strength
structural
structural element
structural support
structure
sufficient
sufficient strength
support
thicker
thimble
top
top mounted
traverse
traversing
tube
tube structure
tubes
unit
vessel
vessel head
water
water reactor
adjacent
assemblies
attached
bottom
contents
control
control rod
control rods
coupled
couplings
disposed
element
encloses
engages
forms
fuel
fuel assemblies
guide
head
head package
increasing
instrumentation
instrumentation tube
instrumentation tubes
integrated
integrated head
irradiated
leading
limiting
lowers
material
mechanism
mounted
mounted nuclear
movable
nuclear
nuclear instrument
nuclear instrumentation
nuclear reactor
package
passage
penetrations
portion
pressurized
pressurized water
providing
providing structural
radiation
radiation shield
radiation shielding
raises
reactor
reactor vessel
removed
reside
retracted
rod
rod guide
rods
safely
securely
sensors
shielding
shielding material
shroud
strength
structural
structural element
structural support
structure
sufficient
sufficient strength
support
thicker
thimble
top
top mounted
traverse
traversing
tube
tube structure
tubes
unit
vessel
vessel head
water
water reactor