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: A refueling mast for a reactor complex includes four generally cylindrical tubes. Each inner tube has vertical grooved tracks formed therein. Each outer tube has a guide roller mounted thereon with grooves which mate with track grooves of a respective track on the adjacent inner tube. Track grooves are cold formed moving a roller die tool up and down each inner tube, while increasing pressure on the incorporated die rollers. This process flattens the inner tube where the tracks are being formed. The grooved tracks and the associated flattening provide the torsional rigidity required on the mast tubes for precise positioning and orientation of fuel elements.

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: An apparatus for decoding a received spread spectrum signal having a data signal modulated with a pseudo-noise code and transmitted as an RF spread spectrum signal. A first reference register holds a first pseudo-noise signal, a second reference register holds a second pseudo-noise signal, and a receive-register holds a received spread spectrum signal. A first modulo adder adds each chip of the received spread spectrum signal with each respective chip of the first pseudo-noise signal, thereby generating a first plurality of chip-comparison signals. A first summer adds the first plurality of chip-comparison signals, generating a first correlation signal. The comparator compares the correlation signal to an upper-threshold level and a lower-threshold level, and respectively generates a first data-symbol signal or a second data-symbol signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for decoding a received spread spectrum signal having a data signal modulated with a pseudo-noise code and transmitted as an RF spread spectrum signal. A reference-sequence-storage device holds a reference-pseudo-noise signal, and a receive-sequence storage device holds a received spread spectrum signal. A chip comparator adds each chip of the received spread spectrum signal by each respective chip of the pseudo-noise signal, thereby generating a plurality of chip comparison signals. A summer adds the plurality of chip comparison signals, generating a correlation signal. The comparator compares the correlation signal to a statistically predetermined threshold level, and generates a first data-symbol signal.

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: An apparatus and process for the construction of a cruciformed section control rod is disclosed. The control rod is characterized by having square exterior sectioned tubes with central cylindrical volumes for the containment of neutron absorbing poisons. In the process, these tubes are welded together at the corners of the square sections to form the planar members of the cruciformed shaped rods. An apparatus and process is disclosed in which the rods are all held by a jig in the same configuration as is ultimately fabricated. Thereafter, the jig is drawn through fixtures, which fixtures accurately guide the rods to be joined by welding past paired and opposed laser welding heads. By the expedient of positioning the laser and rapidly drawing the braced together tubes by the laser, control rod fabrication occurs. There results a solid, integral control rod constituting a suitable pressure vessel for neutron absorbers for control of nuclear reactions.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for control rod assembly and construction for a nuclear reactor is disclosed wherein the control rod is of cruciform configuration having a plurality of and preferably four flat planar members. Each planar member is made up with an assembly of square cross sectioned tubular members. Each square cross sectioned tubular member includes a defined cylindrical center and a constant thickness surrounding tubular metallic shell to provide the contained neutron absorbing materials in a cylindrically shaped pressure vessel. The constant thickness surrounding tubular shell constituting the cylindrical shaped pressure vessel has four corner sections added to generate a modified square exterior profile. These added four corner sections comprise an addition to the tubular side wall thickness of the shell. Appropriate chamfers and rounding are provided to the square profile to impart both stress relief and convenient points for automated welding between side-by-side square sections.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for the construction of a cruciformed section control rod is disclosed. The control rod is characterized by having square exterior sectioned tubes with central cylindrical volumes for the containment of neutron absorbing poisons. In the process, these tubes are welded together at the corners of the square sections to form the planar members of the cruciformed shaped rods. An apparatus and process is disclosed in which the rods are all held by a jig in the same configuration as is ultimately fabricated. Thereafter, the jig is drawn through fixtures, which fixtures accurately guide the rods to be joined by welding past paired and opposed laser welding heads. By the expedient of positioning the laser and rapidly drawing the braced together tubes by the laser, control rod fabrication occurs. There results a solid, integral control rod constituting a suitable pressure vessel for neutron absorbers for control of nuclear reactions.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for control rod assembly and construction for a nuclear reactor is disclosed wherein the control rod is of cruciform configuration having a plurality of and preferably four flat planar members. Each planar member is made up with an assembly of square cross sectioned tubular members. Each square cross sectioned tubular member includes a defined cylindrical center and a constant thickness surrounding tubular metallic shell to provide the contained neutron absorbing materials in a cylindrically shaped pressure vessel. The constant thickness surrounding tubular shell constituting the cylindrical shaped pressure vessel has four corner sections added to generate a modified square exterior profile. These added four corner sections comprise an addition to the tubular side wall thickness of the shell. Appropriate chamfers and rounding are provided to the square profile to impart both stress relief and convenient points for automated welding between side-by-side square sections.

Abstract: A restraint to enable temporary bracing and operation of a thermally cracked sparger nozzle mounted from a sparger manifold at the end of a pipe elbow is disclosed. The restraint includes a second and surrounding restraint elbow which is fitted over and captures the sparger elbow. The restraint elbow has a saddle surface baseplate communicated to the lower end which rest on the sparger manifold to form a substantially water tight base for the restraint. The nozzle end of the restraint elbow is fitted with a nozzle aperture plate for surrounding the outside of the sparger nozzle again in substantially water tight relation. The plate is mounted for movement on the end of the restraint elbow for conforming threading of the restraint at the plate over the sparger nozzle. The restraint can be rapidly mounted (in less than a minute), tack welded at the aperture and seat tensioning bold (in less than 4 minutes) and left in the reactor for a complete fuel cycle.

Abstract: In a control rod construction for moderating and controlling a reaction of a nuclear reactor, a control rod structure is disclosed in which hafnium is welded to stainless steel. Typically, the control rod is confined for movement axially along its length into and out of the reactor. The hafnium is surrounded in the control rod structure by a sheath of stainless steel to inhibit movement relative to the control rod structure other than in the axial direction of control rod movement. The hafnium is friction welded to the stainless steel of the control rod so as to stress the weld in either tension or compression due to dynamic loading occurring from control rod movement. The stainless steel to which the hafnium is welded is in turn conventionally welded or mechanically connected to the remaining steel components of the control rod.

Abstract: Repair apparatus and a method of repair utilized for securing pressure sensing lines to jet pump diffusers in boiling water nuclear reactors is disclosed. Conventional access is made to the reactor with removal of the jet pump inlet mixer to expose the upwardly disposed frustum-shaped diffuser. The diffuser includes a pressure sensing line mounted by a stand off block. It has been found that this pressure sensing line becomes separated from the diffuser due to vibration and accompanying metal fatigue. A repair is effected by introduction of an arcuate beam configured for live support at each end. This pressure sensing line and stand off block is bracketed by the upper end of a beam to register the line to the stand off block. The lower end of the beam brackets the line and stands off from the diffuser at a second introduced stand off block. The line is provided with two points of support to prevent further dislodging vibration.

Abstract: A velocity limiting device providing greater resistance to motion through a fluid in one direction than in the opposite direction. The device includes a toroidally shaped control member having a smooth generally conical surface on one side for low resistance movement through the fluid in the one direction. On its opposite side the control member is formed with at least one groove providing a concave surface spaced from which is an arrangement of vanes forming a jet for directing a stream of fluid into the groove upon movement in the opposite direction whereby the resultant increase in fluid turbulence increases resistance to rapid movement in this opposite direction.

Abstract: A jet pump plug for a multi-nozzle jet pump is disclosed wherein the nozzles are accessible through a relatively small opening in the pump structure. The plug comprises a plurality of sections, each including a closure plate and a lever coupled thereto. Each plug section is constructed so as to allow that section to be separately introduced into the opening to the vicinity of the nozzles from a location which may be remote from the pump. The closure plates are manipulated through their attached levers from a remote location to the end of sealing the nozzles with them. The first plug section introduced through the opening includes means for alignment relative to the jet pump structure so as to orient its closure plate with respect to the nozzles. The remaining plug section is supported by the first plug section upon being introduced into the opening.

Abstract: A storage module or rack is disclosed for storage of nuclear fuel assemblies in a water-filled pool comprising an array of storage tubes arranged in a checkerboard pattern and attached to one another along their corners. Each tube thus forms a storage cell for a fuel assembly and the spaces between each four adjacent tubes form intermediate fuel assembly storage cells. The storage tubes are formed with spaced double walls between which is contained a layer of neutron absorbing material to assure that the array of stored fuel assemblies remains subcritical. Provision is made for free circulation of water through the storage cells to extract heat from the stored assemblies. The storage module maximizes the number of fuel assemblies that can be stored in a given space while minimizing the material used in its construction.

Abstract: A device for toasting bread or other toastable food items over a fire or camping stove, particularly over butane type burners, consisting of two hinged plates with a series of various size holes therethrough with the plates designed to rest over the stove or fire in the shape of a triangle, with the plates being provided with grids to support the toasted item near but away from the plates, with each plate also being provided with a flange to support the toasted item at a predetermined distance above the heat. The toaster is also provided with a heat shield on each side of the toaster consisting of a metal plate which is hingably attached to one of the toasting plates and is snapped onto the other toasting plate to maintain the toasting plates in an open position during toasting, with the heating plates diverting the heat from the stove or fire to the inside surfaces of the toasting plates.