Did You Know...
...that the Slinky toy was the result of a failed attempt by engineer Richard James to produce an antivibration device for ship instruments? His goal was to develop a spring that would instantaneously counterbalance the wave motion that rocks a ship at sea. Instead, he developed the Slinky.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8111802 | Inspection, maintenance, repair, and operating methods for nuclear reactors A method of inspecting, performing maintenance on, or repairing a nuclear reactor may include operatively connecting a fixing device, a first track, an arm including one or more second tracks, and an effector to form an apparatus; inserting the apparatus into the re... | 02/07/2012 |
| 7929656 | Apparatus for ultrasonic inspection of reactor pressure vessel An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection apparatus for inspecting weld zones in a reactor pressure vessel, the inspection apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic probe 6 for emitting an ultrasonic wave; a probe holding unit 60 for hol... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7769123 | Inspection, maintenance, and repair apparatuses and methods for nuclear reactors An apparatus for inspecting a nuclear reactor may include a track, arm, fixing device, and effector. The arm may be operatively connected to the track, the fixing device may be operatively connected to the track, and the effector may be operatively connected to the ... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7769124 | Natural circulation boiling water reactor and handling method thereof A handling method for a natural circulation boiling water reactor having a chimney having cylindrical chimney shell disposed above a core in a reactor pressure vessel, a plurality of square tubes disposed in the chimney shell, and a grid support plate with grid hole... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7760841 | Method and apparatus for executing an operation in a pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor An operation method and apparatus in a pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor is provided. The operation apparatus including a body and a guide inserted from the upper side of the nuclear reactor to an interior of the jet pump. The operation apparatus circulate water ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7720190 | Working device and working method A working apparatus has: a working equipment for doing works on a structure; a folding/unfolding mechanism for conveying the working equipment to the working position in a folded state; a conveyance mechanism (such as a horizontal thruster) for conveying the working... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7512207 | Apparatus for delivering a tool into a submerged bore An apparatus for delivering a tool into a nuclear reactor jet pump submerged in a reactor pool includes a frame, and a propulsion unit for controlling the movement of the tool delivery apparatus within a pool of liquid. A guide assembly provides for delivery and ins... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7366644 | Method of judging practical conditions for use of an ordered alloy under irradiation environments An irradiated state diagram that expresses a relation of a degree of long range order S to a variable R of an irradiated state related to a damage rate and an irradiation temperature is prepared according to an ordered structure of an alloy on basis of an evaluation... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7303360 | Underwater inspecting and repairing system Disclosed is a system that performs inspection and repair of an underwater structure, specifically core internals in a pressure vessel. An underwater vehicle is provided with a drive wheel, a contact force generating unit (e.g., thruster) that presses the drive whee... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7267019 | Method of inspecting or utilizing tools in a nuclear reactor environment A method of inspecting or utilizing tools in the underwater environment of a nuclear reactor vessel, a spent fuel pool or equipment pit includes floating a platform for transporting inspection devices and/or tools over an underwater target site and deploying the dev... | 09/11/2007 |
| 7266421 | System for controlling lifting and remote handling units located in a confined enclosure The control system is used to control manipulation equipment (41) and carrying equipment (43) confined in a containment (40) inaccessible to operators and to perform maintenance operations related to electronic circuits for onboard equipment enc... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7231331 | Method and system to detect stress corrosion cracking in pipeline systems A method for predicting the location of stress corrosion cracking in a steel gas pipeline in which in-line stress corrosion cracking smart tool data, external low level metal loss data and soil characterization data are compiled to predict the location of stress cor... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7218101 | Eddy current method of inspecting a pressure vessel shell A pressure vessel penetration sidewall adjacent a tube installed in the penetration by a clearance fit is inspected by passing an eddy current probe having a pair of circumferential coils through the tube. Eddy currents are induced in the pressure vessel as the prob... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7201055 | Ultrasonic miniature air gap inspection crawler A miniature air gap inspection crawler. The miniature air gap inspection crawler may include a base, a linear drive mechanism and a circumferential drive mechanism such that either the linear drive mechanism or the circumferential drive mechanism may be employed, an... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7191108 | Structured approach for risk-informing deterministic safety analyses A risk-informed method for safety analyses of nuclear power generating systems is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes ordering events by an initiating event frequency, defining an initiating event frequency threshold value, defining acceptance ... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7134352 | Method and apparatus for examining obstructed welds A method and apparatus is provided for inspecting material arranged within an annular recess such as weld beads, particularly weld beads between the shroud, core plate and support structures within a boiling water nuclear reactor (BWR). The apparatus comprises a tra... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7131345 | Device for inspecting plant parts located under water A device for inspecting submersed plant parts is particularly suited for ultrasonic inspection of screws in the core baffle of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The device includes a remote-controlled underwater vehicle that is provided at its end face with a carri... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7092477 | BWR inspection manipulator A reactor service manipulator delivery system supported on a remotely operated trolley that travels on top of a track attached to the steam dam of a BWR shroud. The trolley has a mast and pulley system designed to manipulate a TV camera for inspection of various rea... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7089165 | Method of offering wall-thickness thinning prediction information, and computer-readable recording medium storing wall-thickness thinning prediction program, and method of planning piping work plan A wall-thickness thinning rate at a not-measured position is estimated using information having a small number of measured points. Simulation of behavior of fluid flowing inside a pipe line is performed based on wall-thickness data of pips and three-dimensional layo... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7035777 | Method of offering wall-thickness thinning prediction information, and computer-readable recording medium storing wall-thickness thinning prediction program, and method of planning piping work plan A wall-thickness thinning rate at a not-measured position is estimated using information having a small number of measured points. Simulation of behavior of fluid flowing inside a pipe line is performed based on wall-thickness data of pipes and three-dimensional lay... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7031779 | Method and apparatus for automated crack behavior prediction determination A method of predicting component crack behavior in a nuclear reactor provides access to a crack growth behavior model over a global network. A user inputs water chemistry and material characteristics of a particular nuclear reactor and can perform crack growth rate ... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7013249 | Method for detecting near neutral/low pH stress corrosion cracking in steel gas pipeline systems A method for predicting the location of stress corrosion cracking in a steel gas pipeline in which in-line stress corrosion cracking smart tool data, external low level metal loss data and soil characterization data are compiled to predict the location of stress cor... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6962313 | Camera support assembly and actuator A camera support and actuator including a Z-shape rod, a camera, an actuator and a skid plate. The Z-shape rod includes a handle section at a top, a camera support section at a bottom and a middle section between the handle and camera support sections. The handle an... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6952969 | Ceramic ball bearing fracture test method A mechanical test method prescribes compressing brittle balls in spherical conforming opposing platens producing equatorial bulging, tensile stresses, and resulting indentation crack growth that is imaged for providing direct measurement of the fracture toughness of... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6942384 | Housing for probe used to measure temperature through a container wall In order to decrease thermal interference related to heating or cooling fluid (14) contained in the exterior double envelope of the container, the invention consists of positioning the measurement point away toward the interior of the container by forming a l... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6904817 | Method and apparatus for examining obstructed welds A method and apparatus is provided for inspecting a series of obstructed welds, such as those used in attaching the jet pump diffuser to a baffle plate using a jet pump adapter within a boiling water nuclear reactor (BWR). The apparatus comprises a support, a frame ... | 06/14/2005 |
| 6856662 | Remote examination of reactor nozzle J-groove welds A combined laser and infra red sensing camera is located beneath the reactor head in the vicinity of the closure head tube welds by manipulating known robotic device handling the laser which is used to heat a line along the surface thereby generating a thermal wave ... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6665364 | Inspection method and apparatus for piping Nuclear fuels are taken from a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, a rail for running is mounted under the reactor pressure vessel drain piping in parallel with a horizontal portion of the reactor pressure vessel drain piping inside a pedestal positioned on ... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6639962 | Preventive maintenance method and apparatus of a structural member in a reactor pressure vessel A preventive maintenance method and apparatus for a structural member in a reactor pressure vessel according to the present invention reduce a tensile residual stress on a surface of the structural member by impinging a water jet from a nozzle onto a plan... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6625244 | Inspection apparatus for examining jet pump beams in nuclear reactors An inspection apparatus for inspecting jet pump beams of nuclear reactors is provided. The inspection apparatus includes a base straddlingly mountable on a jet pump beam. The base includes a beam bolt opening sized to receive a jet pump beam bolt. A first... | 09/23/2003 |
| 6536283 | Assemblies and methods for inspecting piping of a nuclear reactor Automated inspection assemblies for scanning pipes of a nuclear reactor are described. In one embodiment, the assembly includes a mounting subassembly and a scanning subassembly. The mounting subassembly includes a clamp configured to be mounted to select... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6525500 | Apparatus for robotically inspecting gas turbine combustion components A robotic inspection system for gas turbine combustion components includes an exterior manipulator for visual inspection of the exterior surface of the impingement sleeve, an interior manipulator for visual inspection of the interior of the transition pie... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6526114 | Remote automated nuclear reactor jet pump diffuser inspection tool An inspection apparatus for inspecting welds in a nuclear reactor jet pump includes a probe subassembly rotatably and linearly movably coupled to a frame structure configured to attach to a top flange of the reactor pressure vessel. The probe subassembly ... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6519991 | Water jet peening apparatus A water jet peening apparatus which can carry out an efficient peening work on a large-diameter cylindrical structure by injecting a jet stream which contains air bubbles caused by cavitation at a low angle of incidence is provided. The apparatus is compr... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6478948 | Method of monitoring and controlling corrosion of furnace boiler tubes A method for monitoring and reducing corrosion in furnace boiler tubes measures electrochemical noise associated with corrosion mechanisms while corrosion is occurring at the surface of the tubes as they are exposed to combustion products. This noise is d... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6459748 | Floating ultrasonic testing end effector for a robotic arm An end effector for supporting an ultrasonic testing probe on a robot arm having a robot mounting bracket for use in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The end effector has a wrist assembly with a rotatable wrist axle. The wrist assembly is coupled to the... | 10/01/2002 |
| 6449326 | Apparatus and method for ultrasonically examining remotely located welds in cast stainless steel nuclear steam supply systems An apparatus for ultrasonically examining a weld in a nuclear steam supply system includes an elongated guide rod for positioning within a pipe of the nuclear steam supply system. An ultrasonic transducer is positioned at an end of the elongated guide rod... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6440297 | System and method for determining noble metal concentrations in reactor coolant streams A system and method for determining a noble metal concentration in a sample that is representative of a noble metal concentration in either a volume of water circulated through a nuclear reactor or a surface of a nuclear reactor component exposed to the v... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6434207 | Inspection method and apparatus for piping Nuclear fuels are taken from a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, a rail for running is mounted under the reactor pressure vessel drain piping in parallel with a horizontal portion of the reactor pressure vessel drain piping inside a pedestal positioned on ... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6425276 | Water jet peening apparatus A water jet peening apparatus which can carry out an efficient peening work on a large-diameter cylindrical structure by injecting a jet stream which contains air bubbles caused by cavitation at a low angle of incidence is provided. The apparatus is compr... | 07/30/2002 |
