Patent Number: 055132278
Section: description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 2 to 5 show details of a first embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment features a basic combination of a modified GRAYLOC hub 100, a seal carrier 102, a retaining nut 104, a belleville washer 106, a loading ring 108 and a column assembly 110. The modified GRAYLOC hub 100 forms a pressure boundary at the top of the nozzle. It has a clearance fit with the column assembly 110 and includes a stepped bore the upper larger diameter portion of which is threaded to react to the loading of the retaining nut 104. It should be noted that with the present invention disassembly of the GRAYLOC flange is not required for removal of the reactor head. In this arrangement the column assembly 110 serves to allow the penetration of a plurality of ICIs (In-Core-Instruments) into the interior of the reactor core. The instant embodiment is such as to support six ICIs and provides guidance for the guide tube clusters which are associated with the ICIs. The ICI column assembly 110 includes six 1/2" SWAGELOC fittings 112 and bolts to the guide tube cluster. The SWAGELOC are not loosened unless the ICI are to be discarded and replaced with new units. The seal carrier 102 supports grafoil seals 102a and protects the same from damage during installation. A special T-handle tool is used to engage J-slots (see FIG. 4) which are formed in a vertical web of the seal carrier 102 during installation and removal. As shown, the seal carrier 102 is disposed in the lower portion of a stepped bore formed in the modified GRAYLOC hub 100. The retaining nut 104, which is threadedly received in the upper portion of the stepped bore of the GRAYLOC hub 100, is such as to react against the uplift of the column 110 and compress the grafoil seals 102a. The retaining nut 104 is formed with spanner holes in the upper surface thereof and does not require the application of large amounts of torque in order to thread the same into and out of place. The belleville washer 106 is provided to ensure that a load is maintained on the grafoil seals 102a under all thermal conditions and further prevents loosening of the load ring 108. As will be appreciated, load ring 108 is provided to apply a load to the grafoil seals 102a. In this embodiment it threads onto a threaded portion of the column assembly and is provided with six 5/8" bolts 108a which can be screwed down onto the upper surface of the belleville washer 106 in order to apply the required compressive force to the grafoil seals 102a. In this instance the ICI connectors 116 are staggered at three different elevations and are mounted on an integral bullet nose locking rod 118. During routine disassembly of the flange, there is no need to remove the connectors. FIG. 5 shows the nozzle covered with a bullet nose 120 such as during refueling when the reactor head is lifted. As will be noted, in this instance a nylon thread protector 122 is inserted into the upper section of the stepped bore to ensure that insertion of the lower open end of the bullet nose 120 does not damage the threads and reduce the integrity of the sealing effect which is provided thereby. FIG. 6A is a partially sectional view of a detector seal plug which forms part of the instant embodiment. FIG. 6B is an end view of the seal plug of FIG. 6A. As shown, this device includes a support tube 124 which is welded to a swaged detector 126 and includes a plurality of leads which are brazed to a header in the manner illustrated. As this element is not directly connected with the invention, no further disclosure will be given for brevity. FIGS. 9 through 13B, 15 and 16 show details of a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is shown in conjunction with a GRAYLOC flange assembly, such as that shown in FIG. 8, with like reference numerals used to refer to like elements in FIGS. 8 through 16. However, it should be understood that with minimal modifications the second embodiment could also be adapted for use with a bolted flange assembly, such as that shown in FIG. 7. The benefits of the quick locking mechanism of the present invention are substantially the same for either the bolted or the GRAYLOC flange assemblies. As shown in FIG. 9, the second embodiment includes a GRAYLOC hub 210' positioned over the opening of the closure head nozzle 211. The closure head nozzle 211 includes a GRAYLOC flange 212 which is clamped securely to the hub 210' by a GRAYLOC clamp 213. A metal GRAYLOC seal ring 214 is positioned between the GRAYLOC flange 212 and the hub 210'. The GRAYLOC clamp 213 includes a pair of large matching clamshell clamps secured together with four stud and nut sets inserted through holes 215. The GRAYLOC hub 210' has an open center geometry. A seal plug assembly 220 is received within the open center of the hub 210' and includes passages therethrough for receiving ICI guide tubes 221 of the ICI assemblies 216'. The seal plug assembly 220 fits on top and is secured to the guide tube cluster 222 which extends into the reactor vessel. In effect, the seal plug assembly extends the individual ICI guide tubes 221 up through one large permanent seal plug, rather than individual seal plugs for each guide tube, as in the prior art. At the top of the seal plug assembly, there is a group of SWAGELOC-type fittings 223 which restrain and form a seal with each ICI. These fittings 223 are disconnected only if the individual ICIs are scheduled for replacement. The SWAGELOC-type fittings 223 form fluid and radiation tight seals between the ICI tubes and the seal plug assembly 220 while enabling the ICI tubes to be a constant diameter throughout their full length. During normal outages, the fittings 223 are not disturbed, but rather, are left intact as shown in FIG. 10A. A bullet nose 250 (shown in FIG. 10B) is temporarily positioned over the ICI assemblies 216' to seal and protect the individual ICIs when the closure head (not shown) is removed from the pressure vessel. After the bullet nose 250 is sealingly secured to the seal plug assembly 220, the closure head (not shown) and the nozzle assembly 211 can be lifted from the pressure vessel and slid up over the top of the ICI assembly 216' and bullet nose 250 Thus, the entire ICI assembly 216' along with the seal plug 220, remains in place while the closure head (not shown) and nozzle 211 are removed from the pressure vessel. No individual seal plugs for the guide tubes 221 are necessary with the present invention because the ICI tubes all extend through the single seal plug 220 which remains in position during refueling. The bullet nose 250 protects the ICI assembly within a sealed chamber created by an O-ring fluid seal 251 between the bullet nose and the seal plug 220. The sealed chamber within the bullet nose is important to protect the ICIs from water and mechanical damage during refueling when the entire reactor is covered in water to reduce radiation exposure. A tapered top 252 of the bullet nose 250 facilitates positioning the closure head and nozzle 211 over the ICI assembly after refueling. A seal carrier assembly 224 (FIGS. 9, 11A and 11B) includes a seal carrier 225 and GRAFOIL seal rings 226. The GRAFOIL rings 226 fill and seal the annulus between the column assembly 220 and the GRAYLOC hub 210'. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the seal carrier 225 has an inverted T-shaped cross-section with a lower portion 225a and an upper vertical web portion 225b. The upper portion 225b of the seal carrier 225 is equipped with J-slots 225c which are engaged by a special installation/removal tool (not shown). The carrier 225 allows the seal rings 226 to be easily installed without damage. The carrier 225 also facilitates removal of the seal rings 226 during disassembly. An open-centered compression collar 227 (FIG. 9) is fitted about the seal plug assembly 220 above the seal carrier assembly 224. The compression collar 227 is secured in position by a threaded hold down nut 228. A special hydraulic loading tool 230 (shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B and discussed below) is used to drive the compression collar 227 into the GRAFOIL seal rings 226. While the loading tool is pressurized, the nut 228 is spun down hand tight to retain the compression of the GRAFOIL seal rings 226. There are virtually no torque requirements on the nut 228 since the nut 228 need only be hand tight before the loading tool is removed. FIGS. 12A and 12B show the top end components of the nozzle assembly of the second embodiment. FIGS. 13A and 13B show the same view of the nozzle assembly as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, respectively, with the special hydraulic loading tool 230 in an operating position for compressing the compression collar 227. The loading tool 230 includes a tool block 231 and three load arms 232. Six hydraulic pistons 233 are spaced about the circumference of the tool block 231, each piston 233 having a recess 234 in an upper surface thereof. Each of the loading arms 232 includes a pair of protrusions 235 received in respective recesses 234 of the pistons 233 when the tool is installed. Each of the loading arms also includes bottom flanges 236 at a lower end thereof for engaging a flange 237 of the GRAYLOC hub 210'. The loading tool 230 is powered by a source of hydraulic pressure (not shown) for actuating the hydraulic pistons 233. The pressure source is connected to the tool through a fluid port 238. To install the hydraulic loading tool 230, the tool block 231 is placed on the compression collar 227 of the nozzle assembly. Next, the three load arms 232 are inserted into the recesses 235 of the pistons, ensuring that the bottom flanges 236 of the load arms are located under the flange 237 of the GRAYLOC hub. Lastly, the fluid pressure source is connected to the fluid port 238 of the tool. Operation of the tool 230 only involves pressurizing the pistons 233 to a predetermined pressure. As the pistons 233 rise due to the pressure, the bottom flanges 236 of the load arms 232 engage the flange 237 of the GRAYLOC hub 210'. As the pressure in the pistons 233 is increased, the load is transmitted through the compression collar 227 into the seals 226 of the seal carrier 224. While the tool 230 is pressurized, the drive nut 228 is turned down by hand to retain the compression collar 227, which in turn retains the load on the seals 226. The tool 230 is then depressurized, the load arms 232 removed, and the tool block 231 removed. The initial installation of the quick locking mechanism of the present invention is relatively simple. The hubs 210' can be assembled to the closure head nozzles 211 when the head is in the storage area (i.e., off the critical path). As opposed to current plant procedures, once the GRAYLOC hub 210' is installed, the GRAYLOC clamps 213 and their corresponding large studs and nuts are not disassembled in subsequent outages. Similarly, the seal plug assemblies 220 are attached to the ICI guide tubes 221 and clusters 222 with fittings that remain connected during subsequent outages, unless the ICI is scheduled for replacement. The seal carrier assembly 224, compression collar 227, and hold down nut 228 can be easily assembled into proper position by sliding down over the ICI assemblies after the other components are attached as shown in FIG. 10A. FIG. 14 shows a portion of a conventional ICI guide tube cluster 130 disposed within a pressure vessel. The guide tube cluster includes a plurality of guide tubes 131 (e.g., six) held in a bundle by support plates 132 and 133 at upper and lower ends of the cluster, respectively. The cluster 130 is connected at its lower end to extensions 134 of the ICI guide tubes which continue on into the pressure vessel and are supported by a thimble support plate 135. FIGS. 15 and 16 show the ICI guide tube cluster 222 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The cluster 222 includes a new column assembly 240 that bolts onto the existing guide tube cluster 130. The connection between the existing cluster 130 and the new column assembly 240, as shown in FIG. 16, includes a threaded member 241 connecting the two portions for relatively easy retrofitting to the existing configuration. The new guide tube cluster 222 includes a spring section 242 adjacent an upper end of the cluster to accommodate differential thermal growth between the reactor head and the internal components. The differential thermal growth often occurs because the reactor head is typically made of carbon steel while the internal components are typically made of stainless steel. The spring section 242 includes a compression spring 243 within the column assembly 240 between the seal plug assembly 220, which is connected directly to the column assembly 240, and a plate 244 secured within the column assembly 240. The preferred embodiment uses Stainless and Nitronic 60 as the material combination for mating threaded parts, such as the nut 228 and the hub 210' to minimize the possibility of galling. As the reactor primary system is pressurized, the load on the GRAFOIL seal rings 226 actually increases causing a slight further compression of the seal rings 226. Therefore, the design has a self-sealing tendency. Furthermore, since all of the components of the present invention are relatively lightweight and there are virtually no torque requirements during assembly, one person can easily perform the assembly/disassembly operations. Tables 1 through 4 provide a summary of the estimated time savings resulting from the use of the quick locking mechanism of the second embodiment of the present invention, as compared to the existing GRAYLOC flange design. The Tables use a typical nuclear power plant having only six flanges as an example. Since most power plants have either eight or ten flanges, the Tables present the most conservative time savings. In addition, a further benefit not shown in the Tables is that with the present invention it is possible for a single person to assemble and disassemble the flange assemblies. The existing flange design requires two or more people to perform the same job. Therefore, the radiation exposure time savings directly incurred by the time savings of the present invention may be multiplied by two or more. TABLE 1 __________________________________________________________________________ Assembly Operations - ICIs NOT Being Replaced OPERATION* EXISTING METHOD QUICKLOC __________________________________________________________________________ 1 Install GRAYLOC seal 6 .times. 5 min. = 30 min. 0 2 Install GRAYLOC clamps 6 .times. 10 min. = 60 min. 0 3 Install GRAYLOC bolts 6 .times. 4 .times. 5 min. = 120 min. 0 4 Install GRAFOIL ICI seals 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. 0 5 Install drive nuts 28 .times. 10 min. = 280 min. 0 6 Install Seal Carrier 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 7 Install Compression Collar 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 8 Install Hold Down Nut 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 9 Compress Seals 0 6 .times. 2 min. = 12 min. 10 Make electrical connections 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. TOTAL TIME REQUIRED 770 min. or 12.8 hrs. 170 min. or 2.8 hrs. TIME SAVED 10.0 hrs. __________________________________________________________________________ *All estimated installation times include the installation time and quality control verification time where applicable. TABLE 2 __________________________________________________________________________ Assembly operations - ICIs BEING Replaced OPERATION* EXISTING METHOD QUICKLOC __________________________________________________________________________ 1 Install GRAYLOC seal 6 .times. 5 min. = 30 min. 0 2 Install GRAYLOC clamps 6 .times. 10 min. = 60 min. 0 3 Install GRAYLOC bolts 6 .times. 4 .times. 5 min. = 120 min. 0 4 Install GRAFOIL ICI seals 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. 0 5 Install drive nuts 28 .times. 10 min. = 280 min. 0 6 Install Seal Carrier 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 7 Install Compression Collar 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 8 Install Hold Down Nut 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 9 Compress Seals 0 6 .times. 2 min. = 12 min. 10 Make SWAGELOC ICI 0 28 .times. 2 min. = 56 min. Seals 11 Make electrical connections 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. TOTAL TIME REQUIRED 770 min. or 12.8 hrs. 226 min. or 3.8 hrs. TIME SAVED 9.0 hrs. __________________________________________________________________________ *All estimated installation times include the installation time and quality control verification time where applicable. TABLE 3 __________________________________________________________________________ Disassembly Operations - ICIs NOT Being Replaced OPERATION EXISTING METHOD QUICKLOC __________________________________________________________________________ 1 Disconnect hose clamp 6 .times. 5 min. = 30 min. 0 2 Disconnect ICI Connectors 28 .times. 1 min. = 28 min. 28 .times. 1 min. = 28 min. 3 Remove drive nuts 28 .times. 2 min. = 56 min. 0 4 Remove GRAFOIL ICI 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. 0 seals 5 Remove GRAYLOC bolts 6 .times. 4 .times. 2 min. = 48 min. 0 6 Remove GRAYLOC clamps 6 .times. 10 min. = 60 min. 0 7 Remove Crayloc seal 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 0 8 Compress seals 0 6 .times. 2 min. = 12 min. 9 Remove Hold Down Nut 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 10 Remove Compression Collar 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 11 Remove Seal Carrier 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. TOTAL TIME REQUIRED 368 min. or 6.1 hrs. 58 min. or 1.0 hrs. TIME SAVED 5.1 hrs. __________________________________________________________________________ TABLE 4 __________________________________________________________________________ Disassembly Operations - ICIs Being Replaced OPERATION EXISTING METHOD QUICKLOC __________________________________________________________________________ 1 Disconnect hose clamp 6 .times. 5 min. = 30 min. 6 .times. 5 min. = 30 min. 2 Disconnect ICI Connectors 28 .times. 1 min. = 28 min. 28 .times. 1 min. = 28 min. 3 Remove drive nuts 28 .times. 2 min. = 56 min. 0 4 Remove GRAFOIL ICI 28 .times. 5 min. = 140 min. 0 seals 5 Remove GRAYLOC bolts 6 .times. 4 .times. 2 min. = 48 min. 0 6 Remove GRAYLOC clamps 6 .times. 10 min. = 60 min. 0 7 Remove GRAYLOC seal 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 0 8 Loosen SWAGELOC 0 28 .times. 1 min. = 28 min. fittings 9 Compress seals 0 6 .times. 2 min. = 12 min. 10 Remove Hold Down Nut 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 11 Remove Compression Collar 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. 12 Remove Seal Carrier 0 6 .times. 1 min. = 6 min. TOTAL TIME REQUIRED 368 min. or 6.1 hrs. 116 min. or 1.9 hrs. TIME SAVED 4.2 hrs. __________________________________________________________________________ It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the exact construction which has been described above and which is illustrated in the accompanying FIGS. 2 to 5, 9 to 13B, 15 and 16, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention only be limited by the appended claims.