Pivotably mounted reactor shroud shield and shielding method
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorMichael F. Hankinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Shielding for technicians working around a nuclear reactor during the refueling process is provided by permanently mounting a shield support around the reactor shroud and temporarily hanging shielding members such as lead panels from the support. The shield support includes a permanent rail encircling the shroud and swingout arms which are pivotably mounted to the permanent rail. During use the shielding members are positioned adjacent the swingout arms by a stud tensioner hoist, and the swingout arms are pivoted outward to receive the shielding members. When installed, the edges of the shielding members overlap.
Claims20
A method for shielding persons working around a nuclear reactor having a reactor head and a shroud extending upward from the reactor head, comprising:
- (a) mounting a plurality of swingout arms around the shroud, each swingout arm being pivotable about a respective axis that is substantially vertical and that is fixed with respect to the shroud;
- (b) positioning a shielding member adjacent a swingout arm with a hoist;
- (c) pivoting the swingout arm horizontally away from the shroud and toward the hoist;
- (d) transferring the shielding member from the hoist to the swingout arm so that the swingout arm supports the shielding member;
- (e) pivoting the swingout arm horizontally back toward the shroud;
- and
- (f) repeating steps (b) through (c) until the shroud is substantially surrounded by shielding members.
A method for installing shielding members around a reactor shroud, said shielding members having edges, comprising:
- (a) mounting around the shroud a plurality of means for supporting said shielding members, each means for supporting being pivotable about a respective axis that is substantially vertical and that is fixed with respect to the shroud;
- (b) positioning a shielding member adjacent a means for supporting;
- (c) mounting the shielding member on the means for supporting so that the shielding member has a first edge positioned further from the shroud than a second edge thereof;
- (d) rotating the shielding member horizontally toward the shroud by moving the first edge toward the shroud;
- and
- (e) repeating steps (b) through (c) until the shroud is substantially surrounded by shielding members.
In a nuclear reactor system having a reactor head and a shroud extending upward from the reactor head, an apparatus for shielding persons working around the reactor head, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingout arms each having a first end and a second end;
- means disposed around the shroud for mounting said swingout arms at the first ends thereof, each swingout arm being pivotable about a respective axis that is substantially vertical and that is fixed with respect to the shroud, the second ends of said swingout arms being horizontally movable between first positions that are spaced apart from the shroud and second positions adjacent the shroud;
- a plurality of shielding members;
- and
- means for hanging at least one shielding member to each swingout arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.