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Title: Nuclear reactor alignment plate configuration

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1117865

An alignment plate that is attached to a core barrel of a pressurized water reactor and fits within slots within a top plate of a lower core shroud and upper core plate to maintain lateral alignment of the reactor internals. The alignment plate is connected to the core barrel through two vertically-spaced dowel pins that extend from the outside surface of the core barrel through a reinforcement pad and into corresponding holes in the alignment plate. Additionally, threaded fasteners are inserted around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad and into the alignment plate to further secure the alignment plate to the core barrel. A fillet weld also is deposited around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad. To accomodate thermal growth between the alignment plate and the core barrel, a gap is left above, below and at both sides of one of the dowel pins in the alignment plate holes through with the dowel pins pass.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA, USA
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
FC07-05ID14636
Assignee:
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Cranberry Township, PA)
Patent Number(s):
8,638,900
Application Number:
11/855,196
OSTI ID:
1117865
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2007 Sep 14
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

Calandria patent November 1988
Vessel of a nuclear reactor, including means for holding its lower internals and method of adjusting the holding means patent August 1996
Method and apparatus for repairing boiling water reactor shrouds utilizing tie-rods and braces patent February 1997
Apparatus and method for replacing internal components in a nuclear reactor patent January 1999
Core barrel for a reactor pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor plant and method of repairing a core barrel patent November 1999
Reactor core shroud repair using thermally tensioned links to apply compression across shroud vertical seam weld patent May 2000

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