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US 7,889,827 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for removing tack welds on reactor vessel components in a nuclear reactor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorFrank Ortega
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical discharge machining (EDM) tool and method for removing tack welds on a component in a reactor pressure vessel are disclosed. The tool may include a motor, a housing which engages the component having tack welds, an electrode, positioned in the housing, a first plate, and a second plate attached to the electrode. The second plate actuates to align the electrode to the tack weld, and the electrode is discharged to remove the tack welds from the component.
Claims15
An electrical discharge machining (EDM) tool configured to remove tack welds from surfaces of components of a reactor pressure vessel, the EDM tool comprising:
- a motor;
- a housing;
- an electrode plate configured to be disposed in a first position and a second position;
- a first plate;
- and
- a second plate;
- wherein the housing is configured to directly contact a retainer bolt having the tack welds,
- wherein in a first position of the electrode plate, the electrode plate is retracted within the housing,
- wherein in a second position of the electrode plate, the electrode plate partially extends from the housing,
- wherein the motor moves the second plate relative to the first plate in order to change the electrode plate from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position, and
- wherein in the second position of the electrode plate, the electrode plate is aligned with the tack welds, such that electrically discharging via the electrode plate removes the tack welds from the retainer bolt.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.