Patents Assigned to Combustion Engineering
  • Mill exhaust system
    Patent number: 4798344
    Abstract: A pulverizing mill (10) wherein the pulverized material is classified by a vertical separator (38) as the pulverized material exits the pulverizing mill thus permitting the height of the mill to be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: John D. Fishburn
  • Expandable eddy current probe for inspecting the interior of tubular conduits
    Patent number: 4797613
    Abstract: A probe (8) for inspecting the walls of a tubular conduit (40, 42) or the like is provided with a pair of movable arms (20a, 20b) urged outward from a central rod 4 into contact with the tube interior. Eddy current coils (16, 18) carried in the tube engaging ends (32a, 32b) of the arms (20a, 20b) are maintained in a constant, spaced apart relationship with the tube wall interior for increasing inspection accuracy and sensitivity. The movable arms (20a, 20b) can accommodate varying internal tube diameters, expanding and contracting relative to the central rod (4). A sloping nose (2) and tapered arm portions (32a, 32b) assist the probe in traversing the conduit interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1989
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy H. Wentzell
  • Spring retention cap
    Patent number: 4792429
    Abstract: An upper end fitting 14 of a nuclear fuel assembly is provided at two of its opposite corners with spring retention caps 12 having a hook-like structrue defined by an inwardly directed flange 50 engaging a slot 56 in the top nozzle or end fitting 14. The spring packs 20 are retained within the spring retention caps 12 even if one or both spring retention screws 34 break and both the broken screw portions and the springs are maintained in operative position by the cap 12 until reconstitution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen C. Hatfield
  • Pulverizer auxiliary lubrication system
    Patent number: 4792099
    Abstract: A pulverizer auxiliary lubrication system (12) particularly suited for use with a pulverizer bowl mill (10) of the type that is operative for effecting the grinding of material. The subject auxiliary lubrication system (12) is designed to be employed to supplement the pulverizer bowl mill's (10) existing lubrication system (48) whereby the beneficial features of the latter are retained while the disadvantages thereof are eliminated. To this end, the subject auxiliary lubrication system (12) includes an oil pump (72), an electric motor (74) coupled (76) to and operative for driving the oil pump (72), one or more filters (78), a pressure relief valve (80), connecting piping (82, 84, 86, 88), gauges (68, 94, 96) and controls (90, 92, 98, 100, 110), and means to supply oil to (86, 88) and draw oil from (82, 84) the pulverizer bowl mill (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward A. Hatch, Clemens J. Skalka
  • Furnace front wall seals
    Patent number: 4790542
    Abstract: A gland seal for addition to a boiler and furnace structure which has pipes (20) passing through a waterwall (12) and seal box (30). The gland seal includes a packing (40) of ceramic rope of square cross-section wrapped on the pipes (20) adjacent the front plate (34) of the seal box (30) with a hose clamp (41) radially constricting the packing and a pressure plate (42) driven by nuts (46) on threaded studs (44) adjacent the pipes (20) axially constricting the packing to eliminate ash leakage through the waterwall joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Kalinowski
  • Sand vibration and compaction apparatus and method
    Patent number: 4784206
    Abstract: A compaction unit (12) having a frame (14) resiliently mounted to a rigid support (10), the frame rigidly supporting a molding flask (24) therein, and having at least one pair of synchronized motors (A) with eccentric rotors coupled to the frame for vibratory motion therewith. The motor pairs are synchronized in counter rotation so that a given pair produces a net force vector perpendicular to a line joining the motor pair. Preferably, three motor pairs (A, B, C) for driving the frame in three different axis, are controlled by a program which permits sequential specification of the duration and net vector acceleration, over a wide range of values. The motors are maintained in synchronized phase relationship during the changeout of flasks, so that the compaction vectors experienced by each flask begin from the same initial idle condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert G. Sauerman, Russell Shimandle, Jr., Gregory Piontkowski, Matthew A. Baca, Donald L. Southam
  • Solids feeder
    Patent number: 4784533
    Abstract: Solids drained from a fluidized bed 10 pass to a conical transition section 36 and through valve 50 to a pneumatic transport line 46. The flow of solids is controlled by controllably 56 introducing air 58 into the transition section 36.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Bard C. Teigen
  • Non-linear amplifier
    Patent number: 4785256
    Abstract: An amplifier having at least a pair of gain levels for each of the AC and DC components of an input signal. The non-linearity in gain is achieved through the use of feedback which varies, in stepwise fashion, with input sigal magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Khesin, Boris Livshits
  • Debris catching strainer grid
    Patent number: 4781884
    Abstract: A debris catching strainer grid for capturing and retaining deleterious debris carried by reactor coolant before it enters the active region of a fuel assembly and creates fuel rod cladding damage has a plurality of fuel end cap compartments defined by pairs of first and second intersecting and slottedly interlocked grid-forming strips attached to a perimeter member and to each other. The end cap compartments defined by strips including vertical rows of integral leaves on opposite sides of the strip or by pairs of adjacent integral leaves intermediate their intersections. In the latter case, each leaf of the pair of leaves is the mirror image of the other leaf of the pair with an asymmetric shape with the greatest distance of projection out of the plane of the strip remote from the midpoint of the strips between their intersections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew J. Anthony
  • Fuel line orifice
    Patent number: 4779546
    Abstract: An orifice assembly (6) used in a pulverized coal supply line (4) is formed of a plurality of ceramic bull nose inserts (20). Each insert is of truncated pie shape and of sufficient number around the periphery to radially lock the inserts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: William F. Walsh, Jr.
  • Steam generator tube sheet automatic stamping device
    Patent number: 4780009
    Abstract: A stamping device (28) having a stationary base assembly (76), a carriage assembly (52) mounted on the base assembly for stepwise horizontal movement in a first direction relative to the base assembly, and a marker assembly (34) mounted on the carriage assembly for stepwise horizontal movement in a second, perpendicular direction. The marker assembly includes a marking pin (30) vertically actuable by an air cylinder (42) for impacting the tube sheet (14) adjacent a preselected tube (16). A control system (124) sequentially activates stepping motors (60,66) and the air cylinder to produce a dot matrix character (114) on the tube sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: David L. Crick
  • Automatic steam generator feedwater control over full power range
    Patent number: 4777009
    Abstract: A water level control for a steam generator of a pressurized water type of nuclear steam supply system varies the water level demand as a function of power. The control also varies the water feed rate after a reactor trip initially as a function of reactor coolant average temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 11, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurdip Singh, Charles T. French
  • Nuclear fuel assembly hollow flow deflector
    Patent number: 4775510
    Abstract: A hollow flow deflector (10) for use in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly having spaced grids of orthogonal strips (16, 18) mounted for defining square matrices of aligned and supported cylindrical fuel elements (12, 14). The deflector has a central cylindrical opening (20), an upstream end portion (22), a downstream end portion (24) and an intermediate transition portion (26) joining the end portions. The hollow flow deflector (10) has a plurality of concave flow channels (30) regularly spaced about the periphery of the body in its downstream end portion. The flow channels (30) have their inlet portion defined in the transition portion (26) of the body (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Bryan
  • Variable speed, variable motion, electrically operated vibrator for screening machinery
    Patent number: 4774440
    Abstract: A vibration generator (50) with a magnetically attractable mass (98) is loosely disposed within a substantially cylindrical cavity of a housing (54). An array of electromagnets (60-90) is circumferentially spaced around the housing cavity. The electromagnets (60-90) are sequentially energized in a predetermined sequence to magnetically attract the loosely disposed mass (98) toward an energized electromagnet, thereby causing the magnetically attractable mass (98) to orbit around the array of electromagnets, imparting centrifugal force to the housing (54) which in turn generates vibration energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Krishna Bhadra
  • Rotating probe head for tube inspection
    Patent number: 4772849
    Abstract: A probe (10) for longitudinally traversing and circumferentially inspecting the interior of a tube. A rotating sensor containing head (44) is driven by a rotor (40) extending from the end (38) of a cylindrical housing (12) in which it is mounted. The axially fixed rotor (40) surrounds and is driven by a helix drive connection (70) to a piston extension (32). The piston (20) reciprocates in a cylindrical chamber (14) within the housing (12) in response to selectively applied fluid pressure acting against a spring bias (60). A strain gage (62) on the spring (60) controls the fluid pressure by means of valve (2) whereby reciprocation of the piston (20) and its extension (32) rotates the rotor (40) by means of the helical groove (70) and balls (72). The various parts are hollow to accommodate the necessary wire conductors (51 and 64) and H.sub.2 O.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph A. Tedder
  • Automatic indexer assembly
    Patent number: 4770053
    Abstract: An automatic indexer assembly provides a constant axial and rotational movement of a signal-producing-sensor probe through a zone of a tube to be inspected with minimum signal distortion by means of threadedly connected fixed and movable hollow shafts. A probe tail is clamped to move with the movable shaft as it is driven by a constant speed drive motor and gear reducer mounted on a platform and guide plates which move with the movable shaft along a track parallel to the shaft axis. A water swivel and electrical slip ring also move on a platform with the movable shaft. Twisting of a fluid supply line and an electrical supply line is minimized. Constant sensor movement can be accomplished to permit accurate recording of the signal produced on a recording means with a minimum of backlash, acceleration, deceleration, or intermittent variables distorting the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Broderick, Michael T. Luedke
  • Nozzle dam locking pin assembly
    Patent number: 4770235
    Abstract: A nuclear steam generator isolation dam (28) locking pin (36) is slidably mounted and spring (52) biased in an axial bore (42,44) of a body (40) press fit in a dam boss (32). The pin (36) is actuated by a lever (54) in a slot (54,58,62) for selective lock-in, lock-out and spring biased travel for seeking its keeper (27) in the wall (26) of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Rogers, Jr., Lee A. Tade, III
  • Moisture separator reheater tube support
    Patent number: 4768585
    Abstract: A moisture separator reheater (10) tube support where the tubes are resiliently supported on curve-shaped metal spring members (46 or 58-64) in a manner permitting differential thermal radial and axial growth between the tube runs (26) and the support and spacer plate (30). The moisture separator reheater (10) units are used in nuclear pressurized water reactor systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: James K. Hayes, David L. Crick
  • Means of attaching refractory to a furnace wall
    Patent number: 4763584
    Abstract: A furnace water cooled tube wall portion (10) is separated from heated gasses by cast refractory material (12). A metal isolation plate (14) against the tubes (18) separates the tubes from the refractory material (12) and has projecting elongated anchors (30) with shanks (32) attached at spaced locations to mechanically join the refractory material to isolation plate (14). Anchors (30) have conical chamber washers welded to shanks (32) to shield the locations from cast refractory material at the spaced locations. This permits bending of shanks (32) to accommodate thermal expansion force created movement between isolation plate (14) and the refractory material (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Marten L. Zieren
  • Microbiological desulfurization of gases
    Patent number: 4760027
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method for desulfurizing gases by microbiological techniques which involve the use of chemoautotrophic bacteria of the Thiobacillus genus to convert sulfides to sulfates either as a sulfide removal process or as a process for producing biomass. More specifically, the invention involves the use of Thiobacillus denitrificans under aerobic conditions to oxidize sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide to sulfate compounds. The process may be carried out by various techniques such as in a continuous bioreactor system using an immobilization matrix. The method is particularly suited to the disposal of hydrogen sulfide which has been otherwise removed from natural gas and producing a biomass byproduct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Kerry L. Sublette