DAVID A ALTMAN
Engineers in Pittsburgh, PA

5297176, Mar 22, 1994

May 22, 1992

7/887264

David A. Altman - Plum PA
James R. Chrise - Trafford PA
Bruce W. Bevilacqua - Export PA
Gregory L. Calhoun - Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 506

376364

The guide pin aligning a top nozzle of a nuclear fuel assembly to an upper core plate of a nuclear reactor, is replaced working exclusively from below the upper core plate. The replacement guide pin has a shaft portion engaged with the upper core plate and the clamping nut which held the original guide pin, by threadable connection and/or by an expansion fitting. A shoulder on the pin bears against a lower surface of the upper core plate, and a nose of the pin is received in the top nozzle of the fuel assembly. A preferred expansion fitting has a bushing with ridges on its outer surface and a conical inside surface, and is inserted into the bored out original guide pin shaft. A threaded conical plug is pulled axially with rotation of the replacement pin shaft to expand the bushing. The ridges rigidly lock the replacement pin between the shoulder and the clamping nut. By attaching the replacement pin to the stub of the original pin, the invention utilizes existing attachments of the original pin to the upper core plate.

8638900, Jan 28, 2014

Sep 14, 2007

11/855196

David A. Altman - Pittsburgh PA, US
David R. Forsyth - Cheswick PA, US
Richard E. Smith - Harrison City PA, US
Norman R. Singleton - Murrysville PA, US

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 1/04

376353, 376347, 376461

An alignment plate that is attached to a core barrel of a pressurized water reactor and fits within slots within a top plate of a lower core shroud and upper core plate to maintain lateral alignment of the reactor internals. The alignment plate is connected to the core barrel through two vertically-spaced dowel pins that extend from the outside surface of the core barrel through a reinforcement pad and into corresponding holes in the alignment plate. Additionally, threaded fasteners are inserted around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad and into the alignment plate to further secure the alignment plate to the core barrel. A fillet weld also is deposited around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad. To accommodate thermal growth between the alignment plate and the core barrel, a gap is left above, below and at both sides of one of the dowel pins in the alignment plate holes through which the dowel pins pass.

8483347, Jul 9, 2013

Apr 10, 2007

11/733248

Norman R. Singleton - Murrysville PA, US
David A. Altman - Pittsburgh PA, US
Ching Yu - Murrysville PA, US
James A. Rex - Trafford PA, US
David R. Forsyth - Cheswick PA, US

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 1/04

376353, 376245, 376254, 376255

In a pressurized water reactor with all of the in-core instrumentation gaining access to the core through the reactor head, each fuel assembly in which the instrumentation is introduced is aligned with an upper internals instrumentation guide-way. In the elevations above the upper internals upper support assembly, the instrumentation is protected and aligned by upper mounted instrumentation columns that are part of the instrumentation guide-way and extend from the upper support assembly towards the reactor head in hue with a corresponding head penetration. The upper mounted instrumentation columns are supported laterally at one end by an upper guide tube and at the other end by the upper support plate.

7889830, Feb 15, 2011

May 8, 2007

11/745600

Charles B. Gilmore - Greensburg PA, US
David A. Altman - Pittsburgh PA, US
Norman R. Singleton - Murrysville PA, US

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 3/34, G21C 9/00

376439, 376282, 376294

A nuclear reactor having a coolant flow deflector secured to a reactor core barrel in line with a coolant inlet nozzle. The flow deflector redirects incoming coolant down an annulus between the core barrel and the reactor vessel. The deflector has a main body with a front side facing the fluid inlet nozzle and a rear side facing the core barrel. The rear side of the main body has at least one protrusion secured to the core barrel so that a gap exists between the rear side of the main body adjacent the protrusion and the core barrel. Preferably, the protrusion is a relief that circumscribes the rear side of the main body.

7120219, Oct 10, 2006

Nov 5, 2004

10/982068

David R. Forsyth - Cheswick PA, US
David A. Altman - Pittsburgh PA, US
Kevin G. Bethune - Pittsburgh PA, US
Michael F. Hankinson - Monroeville PA, US
Robert H. McFetridge - Level Green PA, US

Westinghouse Electric CO, LLC - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 9/00

376294, 376205, 376263

A reactor pressure vessel supports the flanges of a core barrel assembly and an upper support plate. These flanges have aligned holes for diverting inlet coolant water to the vessel head for cooling the head. The aligned holes have different cross-sectional areas for controlling unexpected backflow of coolant water from the vessel head around the periphery of the upper support plate.

6888909, May 3, 2005

Mar 27, 2003

10/401284

David R. Forsyth - Cheswick PA, US
David A. Altman - Pittsburgh PA, US
Kevin G. Bethune - Pittsburgh PA, US
Michael F. Hankinson - Monroeville PA, US
Robert H. McFetridge - Level Green PA, US

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Pittsburgh PA

G21C009/00

376294, 376205

A reactor pressure vessel supports the flanges of a core barrel assembly and an upper support plate. These flanges have aligned holes for diverting inlet coolant water to the vessel head for cooling the head. The aligned holes have different cross-sectional areas for controlling unexpected backflow of coolant water from the vessel head around the periphery of the upper support plate.