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US 2012/0304466 A1Published application
Anti-vibration bar clamping tool
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorRobert M. Wepfer
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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorRobert M. Wepfer
Estimating the term…
An automated tool and method for spacing a gap between the anti-vibration bars and the flow tubing in the bend region of a tube bundle of a U-tube steam generator, prior to welding, during manufacture. The tool comprises two toggle clamp elements attached to a scissors assembly, which are actuated by a linear drive motor in line with a force gauge, and coupled to a distance measuring device. The tool is operated by first attaching the toggle clamps respectively to two adjacent anti-vibration bars. A linear drive motor on the tool is then cycled and readouts of force and distance are plotted on a curve to determine the point of contact between the anti-vibration bar and the tube. The computer then automatically cycles the drive motor to adjust the gap to a desired range of position coordinates adjacent the point at which the curve markedly changes slope.
A method of installing anti-vibration bars in the U-shaped bend of a tube bundle of a U-tube heat exchanger, wherein the tube bundle has a plurality of rows of tubes, arranged in columns, with tube lanes therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:
A device for applying a load to anti-vibration bar in a tube lane in the U-shaped bend of a tube bundle of a U-tube heat exchanger to position the anti-vibration bar at a preselected distance from an adjacent column of tubes in the tube bundle before the anti-vibration bar is welded to a retaining ring encircling the outside of a portion of the tube bundle comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.