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AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsRonald J. Hopkins, John T. Land
Estimating the term…
Self-locking alignment pin and method for aligning a nuclear fuel assembly with respect to a core plate disposed in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The fuel assembly has a top nozzle having a first bore formed therein. The core plate has a second bore alignable with the first bore. The second bore has first threads of a first predetermined pitch and second threads of a second predetermined pitch. The alignment pin further includes a shaft that has an end portion having third threads of the first predetermined pitch for threadably engaging the first threads of the second bore. A flange, which has a plurality of recesses in the underside surface thereof, surrounds the shaft and is integrally attached thereto. A locking member surrounds the flange and has exterior fourth threads of the predetermined second pitch for threadably engaging the second threads of the second bore. The locking member also has deformable portions adapted to engage respective ones of the recesses for locking the locking member to the flange. The flange and the shaft are prevented from disengaging the bore in the core plate because the first and third threads have a pitch different than the pitch of the second and fourth threads.
For use in a reactor vessel belonging to a nuclear steam supply system, a self-locking alignment pin for aligning a nuclear fuel assembly with respect to a core plate, the core plate having first threads of a first predetermined pitch and second threads of a second predetermined pitch, said first predetermined pitch being different than said second predetermined pitch, comprising:
For use in a reactor vessel belonging to a nuclear steam supply system, a self-locking alignment pin for aligning a fuel assembly with respect to a core plate disposed above the fuel assembly, the fuel assembly having a first bore formed therein, the core plate having a second bore formed therein having first threads of a first predetermined pitch and second threads of a second predetermined pitch, the alignment pin comprising:
In a reactor vessel belonging to a nuclear steam supply system, a method of aligning a fuel assembly with respect to a core plate disposed above the fuel assembly by means of a self-locking alignment pin, the fuel assembly having a first bore formed therein, the core plate having a second bore formed therein having first threads of a first predetermined pitch and second threads of a second predetermined pitch, the method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.