Reactor pressure vessel including pipe restraint device, and/or a pipe restraint device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10473255-B2
Application number	US-201514982047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2015
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A reactor pressure vessel includes a reactor pressure vessel body, a nozzle structure connected to the reactor pressure vessel body, a conduit structure connected to the nozzle structure, and a restraint device attached around a portion of the conduit structure. The restraint device includes collar parts that have cross sections corresponding to respective segments of a periphery of the portion of the conduit structure, brackets attached to the nozzle structure, and rods connecting the brackets to the collar parts. The collar parts are connected end-to-end to each other such that a cross section of the collar parts connected to each other corresponds to the periphery of the portion of the conduit structure. The collar parts are pinned to each other. The brackets spaced apart from each other around a periphery of the nozzle structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A restraint device, comprising:
a plurality of collar parts connected end-to-end to each other such that a cross-section of the plurality of collar parts connected to each other defines a through hole,
the plurality of collar parts being pinned to each other with pins,
the plurality of collar parts each including a side that defines a threaded hole;
brackets spaced apart from the plurality of collar parts; and
rods connected to the plurality of collar parts and the brackets.

2. The restraint device of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of collar parts each have a curved cross-section,
the plurality of collar parts connected to each other form a tube shape,
the plurality of collar parts each include a protruded portion at one end and a recessed portion at an other end,
two of the plurality of collar parts are different sizes,
the one end of the plurality of collar parts defines an opening that crosses through the protruded portion,
the other end of the plurality of collar parts defines a hole that crosses through the recessed portion,
the pins extend through the openings of the protruded portions and the holes of the recessed portions to mate the protruded portion of each of the plurality of collar parts to the recessed portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of collar parts,
the plurality of collar parts are configured to be unpinned from each other if the pins are removed from through the openings of the protruded portions and the holes of the recessed portions.

3. The restraint device of claim 1 , further comprising:
Belleville washers attached to a surface of at least one of the plurality of collar parts, wherein
the Belleville washers are in the through hole.

4. The restraint device of claim 1 , further comprising:
engineered-crush material attached to a surface of at least one of the plurality of collar parts, wherein
the engineered-crush material is in the through hole.

5. The restraint device of claim 1 , wherein the rods extend to the brackets in a direction that is parallel to an axial direction of the through hole defined by the plurality of collar parts connected to each other.

6. The restraint device of claim 1 , wherein the brackets are clevis brackets.

7. The restraint device of claim 1 , wherein
the brackets are spaced apart in a first direction from a first side of the plurality of collar parts connected to each other,
the side that defines the threaded hole of each of the plurality of collar parts is at the first side of the plurality of collar parts connected to each other,
each of the rods includes a first end that extends into the threaded hole of a corresponding one of the plurality of collar parts,
each of the rods includes a second end that extends into a corresponding one of the brackets, and
the rods each include a middle portion between the first ends and the second ends of the rods, respectively.

8. The restraint device of claim 7 , further comprising:
locking nuts securing the rods to the plurality of collar parts and the brackets.

9. The restraint device of claim 1 , wherein
each of the rods is directly connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of collar parts and a corresponding one of the brackets.

10. The restraint device of claim 1 , wherein
each of the rods includes a first end that extends into the threaded hole of a corresponding one of the plurality of collar parts,
each of the rods includes a second end that extends into a corresponding one of the brackets,
the rods each include a middle portion between the first ends and the second ends of the rods, respectively, and
the middle portions of the rods extend outside of the plurality of collar parts and the brackets.

11. The restraint device of claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of collar parts connected to each define a collar structure,
an interior surface of the collar structure defines the through hole of the plurality of collar parts, and
the Belleville washers are attached directly to the interior surface of the collar structure.

12. A reactor pressure vessel comprising:
a reactor pressure vessel body;
a nozzle structure connected to the reactor pressure vessel body;
a conduit structure connected to the nozzle structure; and
the restraint device of claim 1 , wherein
the restraint device is attached around a portion of the conduit structure the restraint device including,
the through hole defined by the plurality of collar parts corresponds to respective segments of a periphery of the portion of the conduit structure,
the cross section of the plurality of collar parts connected to each other corresponds to the periphery of the portion of the conduit structure,
the brackets of the restraint device are spaced apart from each other around a periphery of the nozzle structure.

13. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein the conduit structure is a pipe.

14. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 13 , wherein
the portion of the conduit structure has an outer diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of a different location of the pipe, and
the portion of the conduit structure is one of integrally formed with the pipe and attached to the pipe.

15. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein
the plurality of collar parts each define threaded holes facing the brackets, and
the rods are threaded rods and fit in the threaded holes.

16. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein
the plurality of collar parts are configured to be pivoted around the portion of the conduit structure when the plurality of collar parts are unpinned from each other and the rods are removed from the threaded holes.

17. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein
the plurality of collar parts include a first collar part and a second collar part, and
a size of the first collar part is different than a size of the second collar part.

18. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein
the restraint device includes Belleville washers between the portion of the conduit structure and at least one of the plurality of collar parts, and
the Belleville washers are configured to absorb loads if the conduit structure breaks.

19. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein
the restraint device includes engineered-crush material between the portion of the conduit structure and at least one of the plurality of collar parts, and
the engineered-crush material are configured to absorb loads if the conduit structure breaks.

20. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein the rods extend parallel to an axial direction of the conduit structure.

21. The reactor pressure vessel of claim 12 , wherein
the plurality of collar parts each include a protruded portion at one end and a recessed portion at an other end,
the one end of each of the plurality of collar parts defines an opening that crosses through the protruded portion,
the other end of each of the plurality of collar parts define a hole that crosses through the recessed portion,
the pins extend through the openings of the protruded portions and the holes of the recessed portions to mate the protruded portion of each of the plurality of collar parts to the recessed portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of collar parts,
the plurality of collar parts are configured to be unpinned from each other if the pins are removed from through the openings of the protruded portions and the holes of the recessed portions.

Assignees

• Ge Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas Llc

Inventors

• Melito Joel Patrick
• Deaver Gerald Alan
• Brown Randy Morris
• Nix Lorne Eugene

Classifications

• G21C13/032

  Joints between tubes and vessel walls, e.g. taking into account thermal stresses · CPC title

• G21C13/02

  Details · CPC title

• G21C13/067

  for tubes, e.g. standpipes; Locking devices for plugs · CPC title

• G21C19/207

  Assembling, maintenance or repair of reactor components (G21C3/334 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G21C17/017

  Inspection or maintenance of pipe-lines or tubes in nuclear installations · CPC title