Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Daniel C. Abeles
  • Patent number: 4671518
    Abstract: An expandable inflatable circular plug for sealing one of the blind bore holes which are located in a reactor vessel body flange of a nuclear reactor and which are used to fasten the reactor vessel head to the reactor vessel body by means of bolts passing through corresponding bores in a mating flange on the reactor vessel head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Alexander J. Retz
  • Patent number: 4671919
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor power monitor utilizes radiation sensors, and a microprocessor implementing alpha-beta tracker equations. The use of alpha-beta tracker equations results in good noise suppression and fast follow capability. Therefore, alignment of the reactor power monitor is simplified and transients in the power level of a nuclear reactor can be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Louis W. Gaussa, Jr., Lesley Greenberg
  • Patent number: 4670891
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring the time rate of successive events the rate of occurrence of which can vary over a wide range by: detecting the successive events during a succession of consecutive time intervals of equal duration; producing successive counts each representing the number of events occurring during each interval in which at least one event occurs; producing successive counts each representing the number of intervals between the end of a respective interval in which at least one event occurred and the end of the immediately preceding interval in which at least one event occurred; and storing representations of the successive counts produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Seymour Salowe, George T. Mallick, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4668465
    Abstract: A rod position indicating system for a pressurized water reactor generates within containment redundant sets of digital detector signals and applies both sets to each of two communications buses each controlled by a separate bus controller/serial output device located inside of containment. A pair of redundant serial data links transmits the redundant data from each bus controller/serial output device through containment to a dedicated CRT display and the plant computer each of which generates rod position displays from redundant information selected from one of the data links. The data for each rod is selected individually from the redundant signals received on the one data link. Rod position is presented in bargraph form on a multi-page display which includes overall status information along with the detailed presentations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Dirk J. Boomgaard, James D. Fetrow, Charles G. Geis, Fred J. Mills, James A. Neuner
  • Patent number: 4668467
    Abstract: The invention concerns a safety cooling installation for the water reactor of a nuclear power station, the installation notably incorporating a reservoir for storing a cooling liquid, the said reservoir being located outside the containment which encloses the reactor circuit, the installation being provided with aspiration and discharging means arranged to aspirate the liquid from the reservoir and to discharge it into the circuit, there being provided a passive, maintenance free means to recover and conduct the liquid and containment water, the said means being arranged to recover the liquid and the water from the reactor in the lower part of the containment by non gravitational flow in the event of a break in the reactor's circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Rajko Miler, Milan Guina
  • Patent number: 4666658
    Abstract: During unrodded refueling, the drive rods and the control rods and coolant-displacement rods, attached to the drive rods, are removed from a fuel assembly, preliminary to the transfer of the fuel assembly, and are reinserted in the reactor after a replacement fuel assembly has been positioned in the reactor. Prior to the transfer of a fuel assembly, a lifting rig is secured to the upper-internals support. A lift plate is removeably mounted on latches in a lower position of the lifting rig. The latches are released and the lift plate is connected to the drive rods. The lift plate is then raised and removeably mounted on latches in an upper position on the lifting rig. In this position, the control rods and coolant-displacement rods are in the guides in the upper internals of the reactor. During the lift-plate raising operation, the loading on the drive rods is monitored and if the loading exceeds a predetermined magnitude, the excess loading is indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Robert E. Meuschke
  • Patent number: 4666102
    Abstract: An apparatus for automatically dispensing and taking-up a flexible communications cable such as an optical fiber includes a motor-driven reel which is mounted on a movable member, such as a vehicle. The fiber passes through a pivotably mounted tension control arm, whose angular position is detected to control the motor. Depending on the position of the tension control arm, the reel may be rotated in one direction to relieve fiber tension, it may be rotated in the opposite direction to take-up slack, or it may remain quiescent. The reel is mounted on a pipe which channels the inner end of the fiber to a rotary optical coupler, thereby permitting the fiber to be used for optical communication as the vehicle moves. The level-winding mechanism similar to that in a fishing reel may be used to control the windings on the reel, and a pivotably mounted plate may be pressed against the upper layer of fiber on the reel in order to keep it from unraveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Michael E. Colbaugh, Rodney N. Zeigler, Theodore J. Batt
  • Patent number: 4664879
    Abstract: A guide tube flow restrictor for use on an upper guide tube housing support plate of a nuclear reactor, for guiding of a control rod drive shaft through an aperture in the support plate and restriction of flow of coolant therethrough, has an outer ring seatable on the support plate, the outer ring having a flange member from which there depends a plurality of flexible members, the flexible members having inwardly disposed deflectors thereon, and extending through the bore of the outer ring and the aperture of the support plate. An axially insertable sleeve, upon insertion into the outer ring, between the flexible members, contacts the deflectors thereon to radially force the flexible members outwardly to secure the same with the walls of the aperture of the support plate. Baffles are provided on the flexible segments and additional locking members provided between the outer ring and inner sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Ronald M. Blaushild
  • Patent number: 4664870
    Abstract: In a protection system for a complex process control system which generates three independent actuation signals, the power interface circuit includes three pairs of switches arranged in three parallel groups of switches connected in series with the load and a voltage source. Each group of switches includes two switches selected from different pairs of switches and connected in series. Normally closed switches are used with normally energized loads and normally open switches with normally de-energized loads. Logic gates control actuation of each individual switch in response either to an associated actuation signal or a test signal generated by a microprocessor. The microprocessor generates a sequence of patterns of test signals which result in various combinations of switch actuations. The current through each group of switches resulting from each combination of switch actuations is compared by the microprocessor with expected values to evaluate circuit performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Robert E. Hager
  • Patent number: 4664877
    Abstract: A passive depressurization system for use during cold shutdown of a pressurized water reactor receives saturated steam from the reactor's pressurizer, condenses the steam to water, and returns the water to a nozzle within the pressurizer in order to provide a cooling spray which condenses steam within the pressurizer. The depressurization system may include coiled tubing, which is connected to input and output ports of the depressurization system by redundant valves, or a condenser formed by a housing having air vents provided by vent elements through the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Robert D. Magee, Michael J. Asztalos, Vuong D. Trinh
  • Patent number: 4662715
    Abstract: In order to avoid coupling losses, a fiber optic network employs wavelength sensitive devices to couple signals to a bus and split signals from the bus. A terminal device connected to the bus has an optical transmitter which produces signals at a wavelength that is different from the wavelengths employed in optical transmitters of other terminal devices connected to the bus. Furthermore the light is modulated to obtain a frequency channel identifying one or more terminal devices which are to receive messages from the bus. The bus is connected to a repeater which translates between wavelength and frequency channel. Frequency channels may be obtained by amplitude modulating or frequency modulating the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Harold B. Shutterly
  • Patent number: 4662023
    Abstract: An ice removal auger is lowered by a winch into a generally cylindrical ice containment structure from an open upper end of the structure and is controlled remotely from the exterior of the structure, for cutting and removing a body of ice therewithin. The auger comprises a power drive assembly mounted on a carriage for relative translational and nonrotational movement with respect thereto, the carriage including selectively operable engagement means which are remotely controlled from the exterior of the ice containment structure for engaging the interior cylindrical wall surface thereof to stabilize the power drive assembly against rotation relative to the ice containment structure, the power drive assembly including a motor connected through a shaft to a cutter at the lower end of the shaft which drives same in rotation, while the assembly moves axially downwardly in translation relative to the carriage for gradual and continuous cutting and removing of the body of ice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Robert E. Meuschke, Gregory E. Mazza
  • Patent number: 4661306
    Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for introducing a low neutron moderating fluid into the reactor vessel of a spectral shift pressurized water nuclear reactor and for distributing the moderating fluid through the lower core support plate into the fuel assemblies in the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Howard F. Fensterer, William E. Klassen, Luciano Veronesi, David E. Boyle, Robert B. Salton
  • Patent number: 4661310
    Abstract: The dynamic logic of each channel of a multichannel protection system for a nuclear power plant provides a trip logic path and a global bypass logic path by which pulse signals from a clock source may be transmitted to a dc-to-dc power converter which energizes the undervoltage coils for a pair of contactors in the reactor trip switchgear. Each of the logic paths is constructed of basic logic units which in turn, each include a toroidal core of rectangular hysteresis loop magnetic material having a control winding which must be energized by a dc current in order for pulses applied to an input winding to appear at an output winding. Blockage of pulses through any one of the serially connected basic logic units in a logic path terminates the flow of pulses to the converter through that logic path. The control windings of corresponding logic units of the trip logic path in each channel are energized by one of a set of redundant sensors which monitor one of a plurality of reactor trip parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
    Inventors: Bruce M. Cook, Jerzy Gutman
  • Patent number: 4659898
    Abstract: A method of mounting a thermocouple assembly on a surface of a metal member by fusion welding of the thermocouple assembly sheath to the metal surface whereby the welding operation can be entirely carried out from a remote location either in air or in an underwater environment. The method generally comprises: positioning the thermocouple assembly so that the axis of the sheath extends perpendicular to the surface of the metal member, pressing the thermocouple assembly against the surface of the metal member so that the outer end surface of the tip portion of the sheath contacts the surface of the metal member; and fusion welding the tip portion to the surface of the metal member by connecting a source of d.c. potential across the sheath and the metal member and passing a d.c. current through the metal sheath and the metal member for a desired period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Stanley R. Spiegelman, Philip E. Miller, Nathaniel Washington, Vincent J. Grande
  • Patent number: 4659539
    Abstract: To preclude failure of components of control-rod assemblies or of unprotected control rods (WDRC's) a calandria is provided above the upper internals. The calandria includes hollow tubes through which the drive rods for the various control rods pass and which protect the drive rods. The guides for the control rods are closed except at the top so that the coolant flows vertically through the guides into the calandria. In the calandria, the coolant flows transversely to the hollow tubes and out through the outlet nozzle. The tubes have a mass and stiffness and strength such that they resist failure by reason of the transverse flow of the coolant to which they are subjected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: James E. Kimbrell, Charles H. Boyd, David A. Altman, Donald G. Sherwood, Glenn E. Bost
  • Patent number: 4657730
    Abstract: The lower end of a nuclear reactor core barrel (16) is laterally stabilized within the reactor pressure vessel (10) by four auxiliary support structures (100) equiangularly disposed about the periphery of the reactor lower hemispherical shell (12). The core barrel lower support plate (18) has keys (122) secured thereto for disposition within recesses (114) defined within crossbeams (102) of the structures (100) through which horizontal radial and tangential forces, as well as severe vertical loads, are transmitted from the core barrel (16) to the reactor vessel (10). Shock absorbers (120) interconnect the keys (122) and the crossbeams (102), and divergent brackets (104) serve to radially space the crossbeam (102) from the shell wall (12) so as to define a vertical coolant flow channel (108) through each structure (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Ronald M. Blaushild, Luciano Veronesi
  • Patent number: 4657095
    Abstract: A weighing tool and method for determining the weight of ice contained within each of a plurality of ice baskets received within corresponding compartments of a lattice frame, as employed with nuclear power generators. A cylinder body includes lug support frames and corresponding lugs movable to retracted positions for inserting the weighing tool within the upper end of an ice basket, and to extended positions for being engaging in the ice basket and securing the tool thereto. A piston movable in sliding relationship within the body and defining upper and lower compartment therein is secured through a piston rod to a support bar which rests on the lattice frame and spans the compartment. Hydraulic fluid under controlled, increasing pressure is introduced into the upper compartment, driving the cylinder body upwardly relatively to the stationary piston so as to raise the ice basket. The pressure necessary to lift the ice basket provides a measure of the total weight of the ice basket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Roy T. Hardin, Jr., Paul Pomaibo, Charles M. Scrabis
  • Patent number: 4655994
    Abstract: A method of determining the operability of a source range detector located adjacent a nuclear reactor in which the source range detector generates a count corresponding to the neutrons emitted by the reactor when the reactor is operating within the source range and a predetermined voltage is applied across the electrodes of the detector, the detector being subject to destruction when the reactor power level is above the source range and the predetermined voltage is applied across its electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Lesley Greenberg
  • Patent number: 4654188
    Abstract: Shielding for technicians working around a nuclear reactor during the refueling process is provided by permanently mounting a shield support around the reactor shroud and temporarily hanging shielding members such as lead panels from the support. The shield support includes a permanent rail encircling the shroud and swingout arms which are pivotably mounted to the permanent rail. During use the shielding members are positioned adjacent the swingout arms by a stud tensioner hoist, and the swingout arms are pivoted outward to receive the shielding members. When installed, the edges of the shielding members overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Michael F. Hankinson