Abstract: A direction selective transducer which includes a center mass fixed between two active transducer element stacks and two head masses. The center mass couples the two stacks and allows the ratio of radiation produced by each head mass to be selected as desired by varying the amplitude and phase of drive voltages applied to the stacks. The transducer can also be used as a directional receiver.

Abstract: Process and apparatus are disclosed for removing and replacing the hold down beams of fluid circulating jet pumps mounted in a nuclear reactor. The disclosed process and apparatus are operable from a position such as the refueling bridge remote from the reactor and while the refueling cavity surrounding the reactor is flooded with moderator fluid.

Abstract: A HP/LP seal arrangement is provided for a guide tube and thimble extending outwardly from the core of a nuclear reactor to a seal table where the guide tube is welded to the seal table to provide a high pressure seal relative thereto. A tubular seal fitting is disposed in alignment with the guide tube with the thimble extending therethrough on the low pressure side of the seal table.A first high pressure seal couples one end of the fitting to an end of the guide tube to prevent leakage from within the guide tube. Inwardly facing threading is disposed adjacent the other and outer end of the seal fitting. A nut is disposed about the thimble and it is provided with outwardly facing threading in mating engagement with the fitting threading.The fitting has a seal seat spaced longitudinally inwardly from the threading and facing the fitting outer end and extending annularly about the inner surface of the fitting.

Abstract: The present invention provides a passive superconducting sensor for quench detection in a superconducting coil. The sensor consists of a first circuit electrically connected to two voltage taps of a superconducting coil. The first circuit uses nonsuperconducting components and preferably contains a resistive element. The first circuit is magnetically coupled to a second circuit by a hybrid transformer. The second circuit is superconducting and contains a readout coil and preferably a second hybrid transformer. The second hybrid transformer is magnetically coupled to a sense coil which detects flux changes in the superconducting coil. The readout coil is coupled to a readout device which measures changes in the current through the readout coil. The current in the readout coil can be made a function only of the resistance of the superconducting coil between the voltage turns and thus can be used to detect a quench.

Abstract: Method of, and apparatus for, comparing the location of an extended feature within a field of view with a standard location. The field of view is scanned to obtain a binary video signal representing the feature, the signal is processed to give a single feature position pulse when scanning of the feature has been completed, the scan co-ordinates of the feature position pulse are determined, and the co-ordinates are compared with those corresponding to the standard location. The area of the feature may also be determined. The method is applicable to the checking of printed circuit boards.

Abstract: A high voltage circuit interrupter, having telescopic tubular insulating and conducting casings, contains an expulsion end sealing construction which hermetically seals and controls the expulsion rate of the interrupter. The expulsion end includes a sleeve, a thin, rupturable diaphragm affixed against the sleeve by cyanoacrylate cement, and an end cap. Epoxy cement is applied into the cap so that the space between the diaphragm and the end cap are filled forming a sealant layer therebetween. A main ferrule secures the strain element, and an auxiliary ferrule secures both the main ferrule and the end cap onto the end of the tubular insulating casing.

Abstract: A self-preparing electrode includes a conductive conical disk and a nonconductive plastic abrading brush removably interfitted through an aperture in the disk. The brush extends axially through the disk cavity to an abrading end of the brush disposed beyond the cavity at the large diameter end of the disk. The brush also extends axially through and beyong the aperture of the disk to a fused end of the brush which holds the strands or bristles of the brush together. An apparatus which fabricates the brush and assembles it to an electrode disk uses a pair of pressure roller to feed multiple strands from supply spools mounted in a supply rack, through input and output tubular orifices, to and through the aperture of the disk. A shuttle positions a fusing anvil in contact with the leading ends of the strands extending through the disk aperture for fusing them into a connecting bead.

Abstract: A method of inspecting the quality of both ends of nuclear fuel rods and which includes a housing with longitudinally separated slots for receiving X-rays downwardly therethrough to define first and second operating positions so that the forward ends of nuclear fuel rods can be aligned below the first operating position and the rear ends of nuclear fuel rods can be aligned below the second operating position. An endless conveyor belt system, having at least three longitudinally spaced apart cleats mounted thereon to define first and second film cartridge receptacles, is adapted to advance X-ray film cartridges longitudinally through the housing. A table is included for selectively lifting the film cartridges from the belt system to maintain the film cartridges stationary while the conveyor belt system is advanced.

Abstract: An electromagnetic launcher having spaced-apart rails for launching a projectile by means of a current-carrying armature between the rails includes a breech end loop connected to a current commutating firing switch. A low resistance shorted loop is positioned in proximity to the breech loop and generates a current in a direction counter to the commutated breech current. The arrangement reduces the equivalent breech inductance which in turn reduces communication arcing energy as well as the duration of arcing, thereby prolonging firing switch life.

Abstract: A nuclear fuel rod has an elongated hollow cladding tube with a pair of end plugs and fuel pellets contained in the tube and extending between the end plugs. All pellets are composed of fissile material having a single enrichment. The pellets are provided in an axial stack having a length slightly less than the distance between the end plugs such that when the tube is disposed in a vertical orientation the stack of pellets at a lower end rests on the lower end plug and at an upper end is spaced from upper end plug by a gap. The gap is devoid of any structure restraining the stack from movement toward the upper end plug. The pellets in the stack are provided in an arrangement of axial regions which includes a pair of first opposite end axial regions and second and third tandemly-disposed middle axial regions between the first axial regions. The pellets in the first opposite end axial regions are identical in number and have annular configurations with an annulus of a first void size.

Abstract: A reconstitutable control assembly has a spider structure which supports control rods by detachable attachment joints. Each attachment joint includes a hollow connecting finger on the spider structure and an elongated detachable split upper end plug on each control rod. The split upper end plug includes a pair of separate upper and lower plug portions. The upper plug portion has upper, middle and lower sections, whereas the lower plug portion has upper, middle and lower segments. The upper section of the upper plug portion is rigidly attached to the connecting finger on the spider structure, whereas the lower segment of the lower plug portion is rigidly connected to the control rod. Also, the lower section of the upper plug portion and the middle segment of the lower plug portion have complementary threads defined thereon for rigidly threadably attaching the upper and lower plug portions to one another.

Abstract: A scraper for an axial seal on a rotary combustor of a municipal solid waste incinerator comprising a plurality of short scraper blades having a tapered leading cutting edge attached to alternating radially disposed seal support bars attached to combustor tubes to remove aluminum and other built up material from axial seal shoes to extend the effective life of the axial seals.

Abstract: The invention is a fine line electrical cable with two ends having a plurality of first conductor lines in a plane. The lines of the cable are embedded in an insulating laminate material, are closely spaced at one end to be compatible with the closely spaced contacts from IC chips and are fanned out along the length of the cable to the other end where the lines are spaced somewhat apart and compatible with conventional electrical connectors. Contact posts extent from each line end so that external connections may be made with the IC chips and the conventional connectors. At least one second conductor line may be embedded within the other side of the laminate material and appropriate contact posts extend from the line ends so that external connections may also be made at these locations. A method for fabricating the fine line elecrical cable is also disclosed.

Abstract: A gas turbine is provided in which the quantity of cooling air required to cool the turbine is reduced by the evaporative cooling of air bled from the compressor discharge for cooling purposes. The evaporative cooling is accomplished by spraying pressurized water into a bleed pipe which diverts the cooling air from the compressor discharge to the turbine.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for remotely inspecting the interior walls of a cavity having a circular cross section that varies in diameter, such as the interior of a hollow tube plug. The apparatus has an eddy current probe head having a distal and proximal end, wherein the distal end engages the cavity walls, an elongated support assembly connected to the proximal end of the probe that is insertable within the cavity, a radial extender mechanism for radially extending and withdrawing the distal end of the probe with respect to the longitudinal axis of the support assembly, and a probe driving and delivery system for inserting the support assembly into the cavity and helically moving the probe head to inspect the cavity walls for discontinuities.

Abstract: A steam generator has a bundle of U-shaped tubes arranged in spaced rows and columns with a pair of spaced rows of elongated primary antivibration bars installed between U-shaped portions of the tubes in the spaced columns and a pair of spaced retainer members disposed about the exterior of U-shaped portions of the tubes with opposite ends of the primary bars being rigidly attached to the respective retainer members. An antivibration apparatus is provided for substantially closing gaps between the U-shaped tube portions in the columns and the primary bars. The apparatus includes a row of elongated supplementary antivibration bars disposed between the rows of the primary bars. The supplementary bars extend between the U-shaped portions of the tubes through the space between, at the most, every other one of the spaced columns thereof.

Abstract: The present invention includes a bore mapping system that includes one or more high resolution ultrasonic mapping transducers that are used to measure the diameter of a bore. The travel time for a normally incident pulse to reach the bore surface and return for each transducer is used with a reference reflection time measured in a calibration bore to determine the measured diameter from a mechanically measured reference diameter using a known velocity of the ultrasonic pulse in an immersion fluid. The diameter measured by each of the transducers is averaged to obtain an average measured diameter which is produced for plural axial rotor positions. The present invention also includes a surface time measurement system that uses at least one ranging transducer measuring the ranging time required for a ranging beam to reach and return from the bore surface.

Abstract: An immersion base ultrasonic inspection system for interrogating the bore and near bore material of turbine and generator rotors by passing ultrasonic search units through the rotor bore. This system utilizes variable focus array inspection transducers in a shear mode inspection of the near bore material. The system includes a positioning assembly for a transducer which includes carriage means for supporting the transducer and a first positioning means for tilting one end of the carriage means in a radial axial plane whereby the transducer may be positioned at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the system. A second positioning means is provided for circumferentially rotating the transducer to a known and repeatable angular position. Position resolver means are coupled to the first and second positioning means.

Abstract: A coextruded zirconium tube and tube liner are monitored along their lengths by well known ultrasonic measurement techniques that are modified by the blocking out of extraneous signals at opposite sides of a timing gate that varies in width according to variations in the width and shape characteristics of successive points along the length of such coextruded tube and liner. The blocking of such extraneous signals enables a normally very weak signal representing the interface between tube and tube liner to be identified and used, together with a group of stronger signals representing the inner surface of the tube liner, in monitoring tube liner thickness and characteristics by a sonic wave traversing the distance across the timing gate.

Abstract: A torque angle and peak current detector for a three-phase synchronous motor utilizes a phase-locked loop to generate a digital stator field position signal phase locked to the stator current. The phases of digital -sine and cosine reference signals generated from the field position signal are compared with x and y stator current component signals in multiplying digital to analog converters to generate a phase error signal which is driven to zero with the reference signals in quadrature with the current component signals at phase lock. The reference signals are also multiplied by in-phase current component signals and the products are summed to generate the peak current signal. A digital rotor angle position generated by a resolver and an analog to digital converter is subtracted from the digital field position signal to generate the torque angle signal.