Patents Assigned to STP Nuclear Operating Company
  • Patent number: 8416909
    Abstract: A method of repairing a nuclear fuel cell wall and tools useful for performing that repair are described. A repair tool may be used to align a jack near a region of a bent or distorted structural component of nuclear fuel cell and that jack may be used to apply a force to that structural component. Application of such a force may serve to bend the structural component of a nuclear fuel cell in a way to restore the structural component to its position before damage occurred. The repair tool includes a way of mounting that tool to a fuel cell, positioning elements to align the tool near a structural deformation or bent element and a jack that may be use to apply a force to at least one structural component in a fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: STP Nuclear Operating Company
    Inventors: Walter S. Childers, Terry A. Brewer, Satish K. Dubey, Robert L. Schuck
  • Patent number: 7147427
    Abstract: A steam-driven turbine system for a power plant in which a high pressure and a low pressure turbine are coupled to a common shaft to drive an external generator. Process steam supply is used as gland sealing steam for the low pressure turbine and turbine driven steam pumps. The high pressure turbine has glands that are self sealing at higher generator outputs, and thus the turbine utilizes the process steam supply for gland sealing only during startup or at low generator outputs. The excess or “spillover” steam that is produced by the high pressure turbine at higher generator outputs is diverted away from the main condenser and/or low pressure feed heater. The spillover steam, which is normally waterlogged, is first passed through a separator to remove excess moisture. The spillover steam is next passed through a superheater to raise its temperature. The spillover steam is then directed to the low pressure turbine and/or turbine driven steam pumps so that it may be used as gland sealing steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: STP Nuclear Operating Company
    Inventor: Michael S. Campbell
  • Patent number: 6374506
    Abstract: An RCP pusher tool for use in maintenance of RCP motors wherein the tool utilizes a clamp assembly that fits over the existing bolts and nuts of the motor's lower bearing oil pan flanges, obviating the need for disassembly of the motor. The pusher tool is formed of two plates, each plate having holes disposed to fit externally over the bolt heads of the oil pan flanges. Disposed between the plates is a spacer block that maintains the plates in a spaced apart, parallel relationship. The spacer block also functions to support the pusher block itself. The spacer block has a threaded bore disposed for receipt of a pusher block positioning shaft. The threaded shaft has a motor shaft pusher block mounted to its distal end and is disposed to position the concave surface of the pusher block against the motor shaft. The two plates, when mounted over the bolts of the oil pan flange, are attached to one another by fasteners that can be adjusted with wing nuts to tighten the plates together over the bolt flanges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: STP Nuclear Operating Company
    Inventors: David J. Schutte, Ronald L. Warnock, Terry A. Brewer
  • Patent number: 6269833
    Abstract: A transfer system for transferring liquid from a liquid source to a reservoir which includes a fluid conduit having a coupling attached to an inlet end and an anti-siphon apparatus, having an upper and lower end, attached to an outlet end. The coupling may be a quick-connect coupling. The anti-siphon apparatus is mounted on the inlet end of the fluid conduit such that the lower end is located below the minimum water level of the reservoir and the upper end is located above the maximum water level of the reservoir. In addition, the upper end of the anti-siphon apparatus is located above the liquid outlet of the fluid conduit. The anti-siphon apparatus includes a baffle suitable for maintaining an air gap between water in the reservoir and the liquid outlet. Optionally, the transfer system may have an apparatus for removably mounting the system to an object such as a seal gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: STP Nuclear Operating Company
    Inventors: Herman W. Hein, Rene R. Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 6240153
    Abstract: A reactor stud cleaning apparatus is presented for cleaning studs, nuts, and washers used to secure reactor heads on nuclear reactors. The cleaning apparatus is a self-contained unit having a housing that includes two independent sealable compartments allowing cleaning of two studs simultaneously. Each sealable compartment has a topside covering with a port that allows reactor studs to be lowered into the apparatus keeping the longitudinal axis of the reactor stud maintained in a substantially vertical position. Inside the sealable compartments is a turn table for vertically mounting a reactor stud and for rotating the stud about its longitudinal axis. Brushes, rotatably mounted inside the compartment, are used to clean the reactor stud. The apparatus also has a cleaning fluid circulation system for circulating solvents or other cleaning agents or fluids over the reactor stud during cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: STP Nuclear Operating Company
    Inventors: John S. Griffin, William G. Mikulenka, Alan W. Plunkett