Refueling machine with relative positioning capability
Abstract
A refueling machine having relative positioning capability for refueling a nuclear reactor. The refueling machine includes a pair of articulated arms mounted on a refueling bridge. Each arm supports a respective telescoping mast. Each telescoping mast is designed to flex laterally in response to application of a lateral thrust on the end of the mast. A pendant mounted on the end of the mast carries an air-actuated grapple, television cameras, ultrasonic transducers and waterjet thrusters. The ultrasonic transducers are used to detect the gross position of the grapple relative to the bail of a nuclear fuel assembly in the fuel core. The television cameras acquire an image of the bail which is compared to a pre-stored image in computer memory. The pendant can be rotated until the television image and the pre-stored image match within a predetermined tolerance. Similarly, the waterjet thrusters can be used to apply lateral thrust to the end of the flexible mast to place the grapple in a fine position relative to the bail as a function of the discrepancy between the television and pre-stored images.
- Inventors:
-
- Livermore, CA
- Saratoga, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- General Electric Co., Boston, MA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 872048
- Patent Number(s):
- 5850424
- Assignee:
- General Electric Company (Schenectady, NY)
- 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:
- AC03-90SF18494
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- refueling; machine; relative; positioning; capability; nuclear; reactor; pair; articulated; arms; mounted; bridge; arm; supports; respective; telescoping; mast; designed; flex; laterally; response; application; lateral; thrust; pendant; carries; air-actuated; grapple; television; cameras; ultrasonic; transducers; waterjet; thrusters; detect; gross; position; bail; fuel; assembly; core; acquire; image; compared; pre-stored; computer; memory; rotated; match; predetermined; tolerance; similarly; apply; flexible; fine; function; discrepancy; images; relative position; television camera; ultrasonic transducer; nuclear fuel; nuclear reactor; fuel assembly; fuel core; ultrasonic transducers; refueling machine; relative positioning; position relative; predetermined tolerance; television cameras; stored image; positioning capability; /376/
Citation Formats
Challberg, Roy Clifford, and Jones, Cecil Roy. Refueling machine with relative positioning capability. United States: N. p., 1998.
Web.
Challberg, Roy Clifford, & Jones, Cecil Roy. Refueling machine with relative positioning capability. United States.
Challberg, Roy Clifford, and Jones, Cecil Roy. Thu .
"Refueling machine with relative positioning capability". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872048.
@article{osti_872048,
title = {Refueling machine with relative positioning capability},
author = {Challberg, Roy Clifford and Jones, Cecil Roy},
abstractNote = {A refueling machine having relative positioning capability for refueling a nuclear reactor. The refueling machine includes a pair of articulated arms mounted on a refueling bridge. Each arm supports a respective telescoping mast. Each telescoping mast is designed to flex laterally in response to application of a lateral thrust on the end of the mast. A pendant mounted on the end of the mast carries an air-actuated grapple, television cameras, ultrasonic transducers and waterjet thrusters. The ultrasonic transducers are used to detect the gross position of the grapple relative to the bail of a nuclear fuel assembly in the fuel core. The television cameras acquire an image of the bail which is compared to a pre-stored image in computer memory. The pendant can be rotated until the television image and the pre-stored image match within a predetermined tolerance. Similarly, the waterjet thrusters can be used to apply lateral thrust to the end of the flexible mast to place the grapple in a fine position relative to the bail as a function of the discrepancy between the television and pre-stored images.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}