Spring/dimple instrument tube restraint
Abstract
A nuclear fuel assembly for a pressurized water nuclear reactor has a spring and dimple structure formed in a non-radioactive insert tube placed in the top of a sensor receiving instrumentation tube thimble disposed in the fuel assembly and attached at a top nozzle, a bottom nozzle, and intermediate grids. The instrumentation tube thimble is open at the top, where the sensor or its connection extends through the cooling water for coupling to a sensor signal processor. The spring and dimple insert tube is mounted within the instrumentation tube thimble and extends downwardly adjacent the top. The springs and dimples restrain the sensor and its connections against lateral displacement causing impact with the instrumentation tube thimble due to the strong axial flow of cooling water. The instrumentation tube has a stainless steel outer sleeve and a zirconium alloy inner sleeve below the insert tube adjacent the top. The insert tube is relatively non-radioactivated inconel alloy. The opposed springs and dimples are formed on diametrically opposite inner walls of the insert tube, the springs being formed as spaced axial cuts in the insert tube, with a web of the insert tube between the cuts bowed radially inwardly for forming the spring,more »
- Inventors:
-
- Columbia, SC
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 869032
- Patent Number(s):
- 5265138
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-90SF18495
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- spring; dimple; instrument; tube; restraint; nuclear; fuel; assembly; pressurized; water; reactor; structure; formed; non-radioactive; insert; placed; top; sensor; receiving; instrumentation; thimble; disposed; attached; nozzle; bottom; intermediate; grids; connection; extends; cooling; coupling; signal; processor; mounted; downwardly; adjacent; springs; dimples; restrain; connections; lateral; displacement; causing; impact; due; strong; axial; flow; stainless; steel; outer; sleeve; zirconium; alloy; inner; below; relatively; non-radioactivated; inconel; opposed; diametrically; opposite; walls; spaced; cuts; web; bowed; radially; inwardly; forming; inward; protrusions; steel outer; tube adjacent; outer sleeve; radially inward; radially inwardly; inner sleeve; pressurized water; structure formed; zirconium alloy; signal processor; inner wall; instrumentation tube; cooling water; nuclear fuel; nuclear reactor; stainless steel; fuel assembly; axial flow; water nuclear; inner walls; extends downwardly; diametrically opposite; lateral displacement; signal process; tube placed; inconel alloy; sensor signal; spaced axial; axial cut; /376/
Citation Formats
DeMario, Edmund E, and Lawson, Charles N. Spring/dimple instrument tube restraint. United States: N. p., 1993.
Web.
DeMario, Edmund E, & Lawson, Charles N. Spring/dimple instrument tube restraint. United States.
DeMario, Edmund E, and Lawson, Charles N. Fri .
"Spring/dimple instrument tube restraint". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869032.
@article{osti_869032,
title = {Spring/dimple instrument tube restraint},
author = {DeMario, Edmund E and Lawson, Charles N},
abstractNote = {A nuclear fuel assembly for a pressurized water nuclear reactor has a spring and dimple structure formed in a non-radioactive insert tube placed in the top of a sensor receiving instrumentation tube thimble disposed in the fuel assembly and attached at a top nozzle, a bottom nozzle, and intermediate grids. The instrumentation tube thimble is open at the top, where the sensor or its connection extends through the cooling water for coupling to a sensor signal processor. The spring and dimple insert tube is mounted within the instrumentation tube thimble and extends downwardly adjacent the top. The springs and dimples restrain the sensor and its connections against lateral displacement causing impact with the instrumentation tube thimble due to the strong axial flow of cooling water. The instrumentation tube has a stainless steel outer sleeve and a zirconium alloy inner sleeve below the insert tube adjacent the top. The insert tube is relatively non-radioactivated inconel alloy. The opposed springs and dimples are formed on diametrically opposite inner walls of the insert tube, the springs being formed as spaced axial cuts in the insert tube, with a web of the insert tube between the cuts bowed radially inwardly for forming the spring, and the dimples being formed as radially inward protrusions opposed to the springs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1993},
month = {1}
}