Extruded guide frame and manufacturing methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096388-B2
Application number	US-201414215119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A control rod guide frame has a central passage of constant cross-section as a function of position along a central axis that passes through the central passage. The central passage is sized and shaped to guide a traveling assembly including at least one control rod as it moves along the central axis. The control rod guide frame comprises at least two radial guide frame sections secured around and defining the central passage. Each radial guide frame section may comprise an extruded radial guide frame section, which may be made of extruded steel. The central passage may include control rod guidance channels parallel the central axis and machined into the extruded radial guide frame sections. The at least two radial guide frame sections may be interchangeable. In some embodiments the at least two radial guide frame sections consist of between four and eight radial guide frame sections.

First claim

I claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a control rod guide frame having a central passage of constant cross-section as a function of position along a central axis that passes through the central passage, the central passage sized and shaped to guide a traveling assembly including at least one control rod as the traveling assembly moves along the central axis,
wherein the control rod guide frame comprises at least two radial guide frame sections that are secured to each other in alternating up and down orientations and configured to surround and define the central passage.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each radial guide frame section comprises an extruded radial guide frame section.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the central passage includes control rod guidance channels parallel to the central axis and machined into the extruded radial guide frame sections.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the extruded radial guide frame sections are made of extruded steel.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial guide frame sections consist of between four and eight radial guide frame sections.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the central passage includes control rod guidance channels parallel to the central axis.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the control rod guide frame further comprises:
bands wrapped around the outside of the at least two radial guide frame sections to secure the at least two radial guide frame sections together to define a control rod guide frame body of the control rod guide frame.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the control rod guide frame further comprises:
welds at interfaces between the at least two radial guide frame sections that secure the at least two guide frame sections together to define a control rod guide frame body of the control rod guide frame.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial guide frame sections secured around and defining the central passage define a guide frame body, and the control rod guide frame further comprises:
a lower plate connected to a lower end of the guide frame body; and
an upper plate connected to an upper end of the guide frame body.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9 , wherein each radial guide frame section is a single element that extends the entire length along the central axis between the lower and upper plates.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial guide frame sections secured around and defining the central passage define a guide frame body having a constant outer perimeter as a function of position along a center axis.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the at least two radial guide frame sections secured around and defining the central passage define a guide frame body, and the radial guide frame sections include flow slot passages providing fluid communication between the central passage and the exterior of the guide frame body.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the control rod guide frame further comprises:
keys disposed in alignment features of the at least two radial guide frame sections.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a nuclear reactor core comprising a fissile material; and
a control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) arranged to control movement of the traveling assembly as the traveling assembly moves along the central axis.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 14 , further comprising a reactor pressure vessel that contains the nuclear reactor core, the CRDM, and the control rod guide frame.

Assignees

• Babcock & Wilcox Mpower Inc
• Bwxt Mpower Inc

Inventors

• Shargots Scott J

Classifications

• G21C7/12

  Means for moving control elements to desired position (dropping rods in an emergency G21C9/02) · CPC title

• G21C21/18

  Manufacture of control elements covered by group G21C7/00 · CPC title

• G21C7/08 Primary

  by displacement of solid control elements, e.g. control rods · CPC title

• G21C7/117

  Clusters of control rods; Spider construction · CPC title

• G21C3/326 Primary

  comprising fuel elements of different composition; comprising, in addition to the fuel elements, other pin-, rod-, or tube-shaped elements, e.g. control rods, grid support rods, fertile rods, poison rods or dummy rods · CPC title