Abstract: An in-core monitor protector intended for use during in-vessel services while work is being performed in the reactor core region of a BWR. The purpose of the protector is to prevent damage to or displacement of the in-core monitors, which could be caused by the installation or removal of various types of equipment through the top guide of the core during an outage. This protection is accomplished by partly surrounding the in-core monitor with the protector. The primary component is an aluminum channel of such size as to surround the monitor on three sides and of such length as to extend from the bottom of the top guide to the top of the fuel support castings. The closed sides of the channel prevent direct contact between servicing tools and the monitor. A top subassembly is used to secure the protector to the top guide. A bottom subassembly is used to secure the protector to the fuel support castings.

Abstract: In a fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor and a process for the production of a screen plate for a foot of the fuel assembly, a particle trap is disposed in the foot of the fuel assembly in order to protect fuel rods of the fuel assembly from damage by foreign bodies. The particle trap is formed of a one-piece screen plate into which holes in the screen plate are worked by electrochemical material erosion. It is thereby possible to produce holes with geometrical dimensions and shapes which can only be achieved with difficulty in a casting process or by mechanical machining.

Abstract: Soft body armour has a ballistic panel having an interleaved construction of a generally vertically oriented plurality of layers of interleaved sheets of aramid fibre cloth and sheets of high molecular weight polyethylene filaments in a flexible resin matrix adjacently interleaved in an interleave ratio of plies of high molecular weight polyethylene filaments in a flexible resin matrix to plies of aramid fibre cloth within each layer of the plurality of layers, the plurality of layers forming a non-quilted array between a front face of the ballistic panel and a back face of the ballistic panel, wherein the interleave ratio of plies of high molecular weight polyethylene filaments in a flexible resin matrix to plies of aramid fibre cloth within each layer of the plurality of layers is between 1:1 and 4:4, and wherein the total number of the plies of high molecular weight polyethylene filaments in a flexible resin matrix is equal to or greater than the total number of the plies of aramid fibre cloth within the p

Abstract: A device for carrying out a surveillance program to monitor the environmental effect of radiation and high-temperature oxygenated water on the shroud material in an operating reactor. The device is a holder containing shroud material specimens and encapsulated neutron flux monitors. The holder is installed on the shroud wall and left in place for a predetermined period of reactor operation time for the purpose of monitoring the neutron fluence effect on the shroud material specimens housed in the holder. The specimen holder is later removed from the reactor. The specimens are removed from the holder and examined in a laboratory to determine any changes in material properties. The specimen holder comprises a bolt-like device having a hollow head and a threaded shaft. The hollow head provides space for material specimens and neutron flux monitors. The specimen holder is attached to the shroud wall by screwing the threaded shaft into a threaded hole in shroud wall.

Abstract: The invention provides a hydrogen nucleus storage method and a hydrogen nucleus storage unit wherein occlusion of hydrogen nuclei and transition into a storage condition after the occlusion can be performed simply and the utilization efficiency of a material which causes cold nuclear fusion to occur is high. A hydrogen occlusion member coated in advance with an insulation layer capable of preventing penetration of hydrogen nuclei therethrough is inserted, only at a portion thereof which is not coated with the insulation layer, into a reactor vessel so that hydrogen nuclei are occluded into the hydrogen occlusion member, and then the portion of the hydrogen occlusion member is removed from the reactor vessel. Thereafter, also the portion which is not coated with the insulation layer is coated with an insulation layer, and the hydrogen occlusion member is accommodated into and kept in a protective case in accordance with the necessity.

Abstract: A method for mitigating crack initiation and propagation on the surface of metal components in a water-cooled nuclear reactor. A metal coating having an electrically insulating outer layer is applied on the surfaces of IGSCC-susceptible reactor components. The preferred metal coating is a zirconium alloy with a zirconia outer layer. The presence of an electrically insulating layer on the surface of the metal components shifts the corrosion potential in the negative direction without the addition of hydrogen and in the absence of a noble metal catalyst. Corrosion potentials.ltoreq.-0.5 V.sub.SHE can be achieved even at high oxidant concentrations and in the absence of hydrogen.

Abstract: A laser sighting apparatus for firearms having a laser module disposed in a cartridge-shaped housing with the same bore as the firearm. The laser module is adjustable so as to consistently produce a red dot on a target from a laser beam running through the bore of the firearm. The crosshairs of a conventional scope mounted on the firearm can be aligned with the red dot, and the laser module and housing removed from the firearm. A live round of ammunition, when discharged from the firearm, will now strike a target exactly at the point defined by the intersection of the crosshairs of the firearm's scope. A safety spring is provided which prevents destruction of the aperture if the firearm is accidently discharged with the laser module and housing still in the bore of the firearm.

Abstract: A high strength cladding tube for nuclear fuel for a nuclear reactor having an inner tubular layer of a zirconium alloy with alloying components of molybdenum and 3 to 6 weight percent bismuth, the balance zirconium.

Abstract: A drain system for a shutdown cooling system of a pressurized water reactor type of a nuclear power plant (10) has an increased flow rate in the drain pipe (28) and drain pump (33). The hot leg (18) connected drain pipe has a vaned vortex breaker (30) mounted therein between its connection with the hot leg (18) lower region and the drain pump (33). This minimizes vortex-created cavitation in the drain pump thereby permitting the increased flow rate.

Abstract: The present invention, in one aspect, is a method for identifying an optimum control blade positioning arrangement. The method generally has an initialization phase and a running, or search, phase. In the initialization phase, an initial control blade positioning arrangement is identified. Once the initial control blade positioning arrangement is identified, such arrangement is then optimized, within the defined constraints, in the running phase. More specifically, in the running phase, each control blade position is analyzed to determine whether the control blade position can be changed from the initial position to either satisfy a constraint or optimize cycle energy, or both.

Abstract: An unmanned undersea vehicle system comprises a remote-controlled, unmanned ndersea vehicle and a mother vehicle interconnected by a communication link. The unmanned undersea vehicle includes a weapon compartment and a control element. Within the weapon compartment are a weapon and buoyancy chamber positioned axi-symmetrically therein. The buoyancy chamber is initially empty and has sufficient capacity so that it can be loaded with seawater whose mass approximates mass of the weapon. The weapon compartment further includes a controllable valve for enabling seawater surrounding the vehicle to fill the buoyancy chamber. The control element controls the deployment of the weapon by expelling the weapon from the weapon compartment and thereafter controls the firing of the weapon. The control element further controls the valves during weapon deployment to enable filling of the buoyancy chamber to maintain a predetermined distribution of mass as the weapon is deployed.

Abstract: In an initial core of the present invention, a low enrichment fuel assembly having the lowest average enrichment factor and three fuel assemblies having a higher average enrichment factor than that of the low enrichment fuel assembly are arranged in a square shape, control rods of a cross shape are arranged at each of four corners of the square shape to constitute a unit loading pattern, and a plurality of the unit loading patterns are provided in the central region of the core, the fuel assemblies having the higher average enrichment factor are divided by a diagonal line into a first region of the side of the control rods and a second region of the side opposite to the control rods, and the number of the gadolinia-containing fuel rods is greater in the second region by at least two than in the first region.

Abstract: In order to support a shroud against bending, shear, stress and torsion, straps which are preferably formed of the same material as the shroud, are placed in strategic positions with respect to cracks or the like type of weaknesses which have been detected, and fastened in place using a suitable fastening technique. In the preferred embodiments of the invention holes are formed using an EDM technique and bolt units which have an expanding portion are inserted into the holes, torqued and expanded in a manner which fastens the strap to the shroud. Welding and the like type of fastening techniques are not excluded and may used alternatively or in combination with the bolting technique as required.

Abstract: An improved collapsible sectional rod for cleaning firearms is provided. The cleaning rod includes a plurality of hollow tubular elongated sections which are preferably metallic and of substantially equal lengths. Each section includes a tapered end and a socket end configured so as to selectively receive a corresponding tapered end of an adjacently disposed elongated section. The collapsible rod further includes an elongated tubular handle having an internal volume and a plurality of internal threads. Preferably, the handle has a knurled outer surface. The collapsible rod further includes an elongated tubular tensioner having a substantially hollow internal volume. The tensioner includes an end that is substantially slidably disposed within the internal volume of the tubular handle. This slidably disposed end includes a threaded portion that is capable of selectively engaging the internal threads of the tubular handle.

Abstract: A nuclear fuel core in a pressurized-water reactor including fuel assemblies, each of which comprise a top tie plate; a bottom tie plate, the top tie plate and the bottom tie plate having through-openings for passing coolant flowing from beneath upwards through each of the fuel assemblies; elongated elements, arranged between the top tie plate and the bottom tie plate; a mixing cross section having a mixing center, the mixing cross section extending through four orthogonally arranged fuel assemblies and having a size corresponding to at least that of two fuel assemblies; and a plurality of spacers for retaining and mutually fixing the elongated elements, the plurality of spacers having flow control members for controlling coolant flow around the mixing center. A nuclear fuel core in a boiling water reactor is also disclosed.

Abstract: This control rod drive limiter removes the need for piping for extraction drive, increases the reliability of linkage with respect to the control rod, and removes the need of a speed limiter for the control rod, since there is no need to assume that the linkage might be released, thus reducing the building costs.A stop piston 112 is disposed so as to cover a buffer piston 110 and a buffer spring 111 from above, rollers 113 are disposed above this stop piston 112, and the lower end of a piston tube 107 is fixed to a flange 103a in such a manner that the piston tube 107 does not move in the axial and peripheral directions. A collet piston 115, collet fingers 116, and a return spring 117 are disposed between an outer tube 104 and a cylinder tube 105. A guide cap 120 is disposed at the upper end of the outer tube 104. Guide grooves 106c that engage with the rollers 113 are provided in the index tube 106.

Abstract: A neutron particle measuring apparatus includes a neutron converter to generate alpha rays in response to incidence of neutron, a scintillator to receive as input the alpha rays generated from the neutron converter so as to emit and transmit scintillation, two photoreceptive portions to receive the scintillation through different transmitting paths, and a signal processing portion to measure a neutron distribution depending upon times at which the scintillation can reach the photoreceptive portions according to a time-of-flight method. The single particle measuring apparatus can be used to measure the neutron distribution in the vicinity of a nuclear reactor in a nuclear power plant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generation of electricity from packages of spent-fuel rods either on a remote site or in a permanent underground waste repository. It can also be applied to abandoned deep mines with high temperatures. Also many low-temperature geothermal reservoirs can generate electricity economically. Each individual fuel rod assembly is estimated to produce about 8 kilowatts and the total assemblies in the United States can generate about 63 megawatts of heat. Although this energy cannot be used to generate steam, it is harnessed in the invention by inducing ventilation in shafts constructed as part of an underground mined facility or by installation of ventilation chimneys at reactor sites. Natural ventilation phenomena has been observed and historically used to supply air in mines. It is also the same process that makes chimneys work in fire places and industrial furnaces.

Abstract: A gun handle grip including a first grip member and a second grip member. The first grip member has a first shell and a first reinforcing member bonded to an inner surface of the first shell and the second grip member has a second shell and a second reinforcing member bonded to an inner surface of the second shell. The inner surface of the first shell includes a first recess shaped to receive the first reinforcing member and the first reinforcing member is bonded to the first shell within the first recess. Similarly, the inner surface of the second shell includes a second recess shaped to receive the second reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member is bonded to the second shell within the second recess. The grip is further provided with structure for releasably securing the first grip member and the second grip member to opposite sides of the handle of a firearm.

Abstract: An improved method for removing scale, sludge, corrosion and other debris and deposits from the interior of a heat exchanger vessel such as a nuclear steam generator, includes generating pressure pulses in a non-corrosive, strongly basic, amine-containing chemical cleaning agent in aqueous solution after the agent has been introduced into the interior of the vessel to create shock waves in the liquid for dislodging, dissolving and fluidizing sludge and corrosion products. The chemical cleaning agent is an aqueous solution containing at least one of the group of lower alkyl amines, e.g., dimethylamine, ethylamine, 1,2-diaminoethane, or diaminopropane, lower alkanol amines, e.g., ethanolamine, 2-methyl-2-amino-1-propanol, and 5-aminopentanol, lower alkoxy alkyl amines, e.g., 3-methoxypropylamine, and cyclic diimines, e.g., 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2'-bipyridine, and 4,4'-bipyridine, and terpyridine, or combinations thereof.