Abstract: A fuel exchange apparatus, comprising: a traveling carriage moving horizontally in one direction; a traversing carriage moving horizontally on the traveling carriage in a direction orthogonal to the one direction in which the traveling carriage moves; and a fuel holding unit attached to the traversing carriage, and including an telescopic tube enabling to extend and contract, a holding tool for holding a fuel assembly and releasing the held fuel assembly, and a lifter for raising and lowering the holding tool by winding and running out linear members for suspending and supporting the holding tool from the traversing carriage, wherein the holding tool is selectively placed in a constrained state in which the holding tool is subject to a constraint by the telescopic tube and in a freely suspended state in which the holding tool is released from the constraint by the telescopic tube and freely suspended by the linear members.

Abstract: The position detection system includes a pressure sensor that detects the vertical position of an underwater vehicle, a range sensor unit that detects the relative distances of the underwater vehicle from its surrounding structures; a measurement image acquisition unit that acquires a measurement image of the horizontal plane, an image storage unit that stores images, an image selector that selects one of the stored images that corresponds to the horizontal plane in which the relative distances have been detected, a corresponding-area identification unit that identifies the area in the selected image that corresponds to the measurement image by performing map matching, and a horizontal position calculator that identifies, the pixel that corresponds to the position at which the relative distances have been detected and calculates the horizontal position of the underwater vehicle.

Abstract: A fuel exchange apparatus, comprising: a traveling carriage moving horizontally in one direction; a traversing carriage moving horizontally on the traveling carriage in a direction orthogonal to the one direction in which the traveling carriage moves; and a fuel holding unit attached to the traversing carriage, and including an telescopic tube enabling to extend and contract, a holding tool for holding a fuel assembly and releasing the held fuel assembly, and a lifter for raising and lowering the holding tool by winding and running out linear members for suspending and supporting the holding tool from the traversing carriage, wherein the holding tool is selectively placed in a constrained state in which the holding tool is subject to a constraint by the telescopic tube and in a freely suspended state in which the holding tool is released from the constraint by the telescopic tube and freely suspended by the linear members.

Abstract: There is provided a position sensing apparatus when a non-orbital movable truck moves over a spherical surface, a cylindrical surface, or a flat surface, which is capable of position sensing even when, e.g., the non-orbital movable truck circumferentially moves over the spherical surface or the cylindrical surface to be hidden from the position sensing apparatus. A second linear encoder is disposed which includes a wire in a main body thereof to output an amount by which the wire is withdrawn as an encoder value. The tip of the wire of the second linear encoder is fixed to a position at the non-orbital movable truck to which the tip of the wire of a linear encoder is fixed. From an amount by which the wire of the linear encoder is withdrawn and the amount by which the wire of the second linear encoder is withdrawn, the position of the non-orbital movable truck is calculated in a calculation device.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a system for detecting the position of an underwater vehicle that enables an improvement in the accuracy of detecting the position of the underwater vehicle.

Abstract: A fuel grasping device in a nuclear reactor has a telescopic tube including a plurality of tubular members combined with each other to enable a telescopic motion, a fuel gripper arranged at a lower end of the telescopic tube to grasp the fuel assembly for the nuclear reactor, and a driver for winding up and down a rope to perform the telescopic motion vertically. Rotatable members are mounted on the tubular members. A pulling-out preventing projection is used at the joint position of the tubular members. A deceleration of the vertical velocity at the joint position of the tubular members is not necessary so that a time period for the vertical movement can be decreased.

Abstract: An automatic refueling apparatus has a travel carriage, a traverse carriage and a fuel assembly grappling apparatus composed of a grapple, an extension pipe and a hoist. The automatic refueling apparatus also includes a system for controlling automatic fuel transferring operations, in which a calculation unit and a control unit are provided. After the positions of a start point and a target terminal point of a fuel assembly transfer are input through an input device, the calculation unit determines the shortest route from the start point to the terminal point in a preset fuel transferring permitted region, and the control unit generates driving command signals for moving the fuel assembly grappling apparatus along the obtained shortest route through a simultaneous control along X, Y, Z (Z: an elevation direction vertical to a X-Y horizontal plane of the grapple) and .theta. (a rotation direction in a X-Y horizontal plane of the grapple) axes.

Abstract: In a traveling inspection robot system, two carriages are each provided with one pair of guide rollers for guiding the travel in the vertical direction and two pairs of side rollers for guiding the travel in the horizontal direction. The two pairs of side rollers are arranged such that one pair locates on each of the front and rear sides of the pair of guide rollers as viewed in the direction of advance. The two carriages are interconnected by a coupling plate through parallel steering shafts, and a sprocket and a motor for driving the sprocket are provided as travel driving device on one carriage for giving a traction force to a transversely central portion of the upper inner surface of the monorail. An antenna and a current collector are provided on the other carriage. A control circuit unit and a span and tilt mechanism are attached to the coupling plate with a sensor unit mounted to the span and tilt mechanism.

Abstract: A fluoroelastomer composition comprising (a) a fluoroelastomer having stabilized end group derived from an isoparaffin selected from the group consisting of isobutane, isopentane and isohexane, (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of bivalent metal oxides, bivalent metal hydroxides and mixtures of bivalent metal oxide or metal hydroxide with metal salt of weak acid, (c) an aromatic polyhydroxy compound and (d) a quaternary ammonium compound of 8-alkyl- (or 8-aralkyl-)1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecenium, provides a fluoro-rubber having low compression set and excellent elastic properties and has excellent processing and storage properties. The fluoroelastomer can be cured with appropriate induction time and fast cure rate by the use of a specific curing agent system mentioned above.

Abstract: An air-pervious sheet predominantly of polytetrafluoroethylene, the sheet being reinforced by being fused to a liquid-pervious reinforcing material layer which is capable of retaining its original form even when heated to a temperature of 270.degree. to 280.degree. C. The sheet preferably consists of a polytetrafluoroethylene fibrous powder having an average fiber length of 100 to 5,000 microns, an average shape factor of not less than 10, and an anisotropic expansion factor of 1.30 to 7.00 adhered by means of molten polytetrafluoroethylene having an average particle diameter of 0.05 to 0.5 microns to a liquid-pervious reinforcing material layer which is capable of retaining its original form even when heated to a temperature of 270.degree. C. to 380.degree. C.

Abstract: A fluoroelastomer composition which contains (a) a fluoroelastomer, (b) at least one metal compound selected from the group consisting of bivalent metal oxide, bivalent metal hydroxide and mixture of bivalent metal oxide or metal hydroxide with metal salt of weak acid, (c) an aromatic polyhydroxy compound, (d) a quaternary ammonium compound of 8-alkyl- or 8-aralkyl-1,8-diaza-bicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecenium, and (e) 1,8-diaza-bicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecene in an amount of not more than 0.07 part by weight per 100 parts by weight of fluoroelaster, provides a fluoro-rubber having a low compression set and an excellent elastic property. The fluoroelastomer composition can be handled and processed with safety, and yet can be cured with an appropriate induction time and a good cure rate, and has excellent storage properties.

Abstract: A fluoroelastomer composition which contains (a) a fluoroelastomer, (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of bivalent metal oxide, bivalent metal hydroxide and mixture of bivalent metal oxide or metal hydroxide with metal salt of weak acid, (c) an aromatic polyhydroxy compound, and (d) a quaternary ammonium compound of imidazole or imidazoline, provides a fluoro-rubber having a low compression set and an excellent elastic property. The fluoroelastomer composition can be handled and processed with safety, and yet can be cured at a good cure rate, and has excellent storage properties. The cure rate of the composition is more accelerated by further addition of (e) water or a metal compound which produces water by reacting it with hydrogen fluoride.

Abstract: A fluoroelastomer composition which contains (a) a fluoroelastomer, (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of bivalent metal oxide, bivalent metal hydroxide and mixture of bivalent metal oxide or metal hydroxide with metal salt of weak acid, (c) an aromatic polyhydroxy compound, and (d) a quaternary ammonium compound of 8-alkyl- or 8-aralkyl-1,8-diaza-bicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecenium, provides a fluoro-rubber having a low compression set and an excellent elastic property. The fluoroelastomer composition can be handled and processed with safety, and yet can be cured with a good cure rate, and has excellent storage properties. The cure rate of the composition is further accelerated by addition of (e) water or a metal compound which produces water by reacting it with hydrogen fluoride.