Abstract: A strain gauge collar includes at least one strain gauge installed on a base and at least one clamp on the base. The at least one clamp is configured to attach the strain gauge collar to a main steam line (MSL) as a single unit.

Abstract: A slip joint of the jet pump assembly inlet-mixer is the interface between a diffuser and an inlet-mixer. The diffuser is coated with a first hardfacing alloy, and the inlet-mixer is coated with a second hardfacing alloy different from the first hardfacing alloy. The first hardfacing alloy may be a cobalt-based alloy and the second hardfacing alloy may be a cobalt-free alloy, i.e., at least one of an iron-based and nickel-based hardfacing alloy.

Abstract: A component which has a surface crevice or crack and contaminants on at least one face of the opening is welded. The weld is effected by first plastically deforming the surface of the component to close the surface opening to a predetermined depth less than the depth of the opening and contaminated faces defining the opening to form a sealed ligament. The sealed ligament leaves unclosed a portion of the crack below the sealed ligament. The closed surface is hermetically sealed by fusion-welding to a depth of penetration equal to or less than the predetermined depth of the sealed ligament to minimize or eliminate expulsion of contaminants in the sealed ligament.

Abstract: A component which has a surface crevice or crack and contaminants on at least one face of the opening is welded. The weld is effected by first plastically deforming the surface of the component to close the surface opening to a predetermined depth less than the depth of the opening and contaminated faces defining the opening to form a sealed ligament. The sealed ligament leaves unclosed a portion of the crack below the sealed ligament. The closed surface is hermetically sealed by fusion-welding to a depth of penetration equal to or less than the predetermined depth of the sealed ligament to minimize or eliminate expulsion of contaminants in the sealed ligament.

Abstract: Method of welding cladding to a surface of a metal component of a nuclear reactor at a region susceptible to stress corrosion cracking, in which the metal is welded to the surface of the component under conditions of low heat input to achieve reduced thermal sensitization at the edges of and within the newly clad region.

Abstract: Method for fabricating a vessel, comprising the steps of arranging at least two components of the vessel in a generally vertical disposition and welding the components together essentially simultaneously. The method is particularly suitable for fabrication on site of large pressure vessels used in nuclear reactors.

Abstract: A housing for an underwater processing device, for example, welding, includes a welding head movable laterally relative to the housing and the direction of the weld. At opposite ends, gates are provided having arcuate convex surfaces forming edge seals for engaging in the groove of the work surface. In one form, the gates are linearly slidable and biased in a direction away from the housing. In another form, the gates are pivotally mounted for engaging in the grooves. In both cases, the compliant seal about the margin of the housing, together with the arcuate seal of the gates, maintains a substantially water-free area within the housing to enable processing.

Abstract: Method for fabricating a vessel, comprising the steps of arranging at least two components of the vessel in a generally vertical disposition and welding the components together essentially simultaneously. The method is particularly suitable for fabrication on site of large pressure vessels used in nuclear reactors.

Abstract: An underwater exclusion device includes a housing for a welding torch having leading and trailing arrays of pivotal fingers for engaging in grooves along a work surface to exclude water from an exclusion area within the housing containing the welding torch. The fingers are pivotally mounted and independently and individually movable under the bias of springs between retracted and extended positions. The fingers have radiussed distal ends for engaging the work surface. Upon application of the device to the work surface, the leading and trailing arrays of fingers are displaced under spring pressure to engage their distal ends against the work surface, excluding water from within the housing. The side walls of the housing carry seals for seating along the work surface to prevent water incursion in gaps between the side walls and the work surface.

Abstract: The method of fabricating low-cast, high-yield strength weld wire for welding includes displacing the weld wire through a rotary straightener having a pair of dies rotatable in opposite directions. Each die has a slider for introducing a bend in the wire as the wire is fed through entry and exit openings of the die. By rotating the dies in opposite rotational directions with bends introduced in the wire in the dies, the wire is cold work-hardened. The wire exiting the dies is wound on a spool. The weld wire when unwound from the spool has a low-cast and a high-yield strength.

Abstract: A housing for a processing device includes a plurality of independently extendible and retractable fingers for engaging the work surface. Gas pressure supplied within the housing drives the fingers into their extended positions and assists in excluding surrounding water from the work surface within the housing. The fingers may have fixed balls, roller balls or slidable wheels at their distal ends to facilitate movement of the housing along the work surface. Flexible skirts may be provided about the fingers to assist in water exclusion from the work area.

Abstract: A welded bracket for use in repairing a shroud in which one or more shroud girth seam welds have experienced stress corrosion cracking. A plurality of the welded brackets are placed around the outer circumference of the shroud at a plurality of azimuthal positions at the elevation of the top guide support ring. Each bracket is constructed by welding curved plates. Welding productivity is increased by using an extremely thin weld joint design with a non-circular cylindrical, thin welding electrode having an elongated cross-sectional shape. During welding, the elongated dimension is aligned parallel with the length of the weld joint. This combination enables joining of the welded bracket parts with both the initial weld joint preparation and the completed weld having a uniquely thin width and with a high aspect ratio of depth to width. This high aspect ratio reduces the number of weld beads needed to build the weld joint.

Abstract: A welding electrode for providing a significant improvement in the detrimental tensile residual stress condition on the root side of welds, especially on the inside wall of piping welds. The electrode has a tungsten alloy blade. The blade is made from sheets of tungsten alloy by cutting or stamping. The preferred shape of the blade is an isosceles triangle. The base of the flat triangular blade is secured in a slot formed in an electrode holder. The electrode holder is preferably T-shaped, with the shank of the holder being connected to a conventional welding torch. The holder is made of electrically conductive material, whereby the blade is coupled to the torch for producing an electric arc at the blade tip for welding. The blade is optionally covered with a ceramic coating to prevent arcing to the side walls of the groove formed between the parts being welded. A further option is to incorporate insulating stand-offs which protrude from both flat sides of the electrode blade.

Abstract: In a boiling water nuclear reactor having its core, fuel support casting, and control rod guide tubes removed to expose the core plate, a method for the submerged welding repair and replacement of the control rod drive housing at the bottom extremity of the reactor vessel is disclosed. An alignment device registers to a hole in the core plate and its corresponding guide pin. A control rod drive housing mating fixture on the depending extremity of the shaft of the alignment device precisely fits and mates to the top of the control rod drive housing. The alignment device includes cross electronic levels sealed for submersion which levels remotely transfer through attached wiring the precise angularity between the top of the control rod drive housing on one hand and the corresponding and overlying hole in the core plate on the other hand. For the welding repair process herein, a welding cylinder apparatus fits over the depending end of the shaft of the alignment device.

Abstract: In a boiling water nuclear reactor having its core, fuel support casting, and control rod guide tubes removed to expose the core plate, an apparatus and method for the submerged welding repair and replacement of the control rod drive housing at the bottom extremity of the reactor vessel is disclosed. The apparatus registers to a hole in the core plate and its corresponding guide pin. A mating fixture on the depending extremity of the shaft of the apparatus precisely fits and mates to the top of the control rod drive housing. The alignment device includes cross electronic levels sealed for submersion which levels remotely transfer through attached wiring the precise angularity between the top of the control rod drive housing on one hand and the corresponding and overlying hole in the core plate on the other hand. For the welding repair process herein, a welding cylinder apparatus fits over the depending end of the shaft of the alignment device.

Abstract: In a boiling water nuclear reactor having its core, fuel support casting, and control rod guide tubes removed to expose the core plate, an apparatus for the repair and replacement of the control rod drive housing at the bottom extremity of the reactor vessel is disclosed. The apparatus registers to a hole in the core plate and its corresponding guide pin. A mating fixture on the depending extremity of the shaft of the apparatus precisely fits and mates to the top of the control rod drive housing. The alignment device includes cross electronic levels sealed for submersion which levels remotely transfer through attached wiring the precise angularity between the top of the control rod drive housing on one hand and the corresponding and overlying hole in the core plate on the other hand.

Abstract: In a boiling water nuclear reactor having its core, fuel support casting, and control rod guide tubes removed to expose the core plate, an apparatus and method for the repair and replacement of the control rod drive housing at the bottom extremity of the reactor vessel is disclosed. The apparatus registers to a hole in the core plate and its corresponding guide pin. A mating fixture on the depending extremity of the shaft of the apparatus precisely fits and mates to the top of the control rod drive housing. The alignment device includes cross electronic levels sealed for submersion which levels remotely transfer through attached wiring the precise angularity between the top of the control rod drive housing on one hand and the corresponding and overlying hole in the core plate on the other hand.