Top guide inspection fixture
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsJohn R. Carbonell, Kristoffer V. Ostrander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixture for performing visual inspections of the underside of the top guide of a boiling water reactor. The inspections are performed in the reactor vessel, under water, and includes a framed structure that rests on top of the top guide and supports a wheel track within a fuel assembly opening in the top guide, that follows the contour of the opening. A camera support, suspended from the frame, is then remotely, manually rotated to follow the contour of the wheel track as the fixture maintains the camera at a fixed angle and known constant distance from the underside of the top guide.
Claims11
An inspection fixture for a top guide of a boiling water reactor comprising:
- a frame sized to rest and be supported on a top edge of a fuel assembly opening within the top guide;
- a wheel track supported from said frame in a manner to extend around a periphery of the fuel assembly opening, substantially proximate a border thereof when the frame is supported on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening;
- a central shaft rotatably supported from the frame extends down below the fuel assembly opening, substantially along an axis of a fuel assembly to be positioned below the opening, when the frame is supported on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening;
- a linkage bracket fixedly connected to the central shaft extends laterally therefrom with a hinged distal link having a hinge line substantially parallel to and spaced from the central shaft;
- a cam follower that rides on the wheel track and is supported from the distal link;
- and
- an inspection device bracket connected at a fixed angle between the central shaft and the distal link.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.