SUPPORT STRUCTURE LOCATION AND LOAD MEASUREMENT

摘要

A tool may be inserted into the pressure tube inside a calandria tube of a fuel channel of a nuclear reactor. Once in position, the tool may act to generate information useful for determining a location for an annulus spacer. Once the annulus spacer has been located, the tool may act to generate information useful for determining a compressive load on the annulus spacer due to the annulus spacer being pinched between the two tubes. In both the locating and the load determining, the tool may act to isolate a section of the pressure tube, excite the isolated section of the pressure tube with vibrations and measure resultant tube vibrations. Tube vibration characteristics, determined from the vibrations, may then be analyzed to determine an axial location along the pressure tube for the annulus spacer and/or determine a load on the annulus spacer.

主权项

1. A tool adapted to be positioned within a tube, the tool comprising:
a tool body; a first clamping block assembly located at a first end of the tool body, the first clamping block assembly including first clamping members that, when actuated, apply pressure against an inside surface of the tube; a second clamping block assembly located at a second end of the tool body, the first clamping block assembly including second clamping members that, when actuated, apply pressure against the inside surface of the tube; a bearing pad mounted so as to contact the inside surface of the tube when the tool has been positioned within the tube; an actuator adapted to apply, via the bearing pad, a vibratory force to the inside surface of the tube when the tool has been positioned within the tube; a first accelerometer mounted to the tool body, the first accelerometer adapted to contact the inside surface of the tube at a first circumferential position when the tool has been positioned within the tube; a second accelerometer mounted to the tool body, the second accelerometer adapted to contact the inside surface of the tube at a second circumferential position when the tool has been positioned within the tube, the second circumferential position approximately diametrically opposed to the first circumferential position; and a cable adapted to transfer instructions from a control system to the tool and adapted to transfer output from the accelerometers to the control system.