DOUGLAS E EKEROTH
Engineers in Delmont, PA

5268944, Dec 7, 1993

Jun 24, 1992

7/903638

Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA
Richard Orr - Pittsburgh PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1108

376289

A nuclear reactor is provided having a generally cylindrical reactor vessel disposed within an opening in a primary shield. The opening in the primary shield is defined by a plurality of generally planar side walls forming a generally polyhedral-shaped opening. The reactor vessel is supported within the opening in the primary shield by reactor vessel supports which are in communication and aligned with central portions of some of the side walls. The reactor vessel is connected to the central portions of the reactor vessel supports. A thermal insulation polyhedron formed from a plurality of slidably insertable and removable generally planar insulation panels substantially surrounds at least a portion of the reactor vessel and is disposed between the reactor vessel and the side walls of the primary shield. The shape of the insulation polyhedron generally corresponds to the shape of the opening in the primary shield. Reactor monitoring instrumentation may be mounted in the corners of the opening in the primary shield between the side walls and the reactor vessel such that insulation is not disposed between the instrumentation and the reactor vessel.

5263067, Nov 16, 1993

Jun 24, 1992

7/903636

Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA
Michael M. Corletti - New Kensington PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1518

376298

A nuclear reactor steam generator includes a reactor vessel for heating water and a steam generator with a pump casing at the lowest point on the steam generator. A cold-leg pipe extends horizontally between the steam generator and the reactor vessel to return water from the steam generator to the reactor vessel. The bottom of the cold-leg pipe is at a first height above the bottom of the reactor vessel. A hot-leg pipe with one end connected to the steam generator and a second end connected to the reactor vessel has a first pipe region extending downwardly from the steam generator to a location between the steam generator and the reactor vessel at which a bottom of the hot-leg pipe is at a second height above the bottom of the reactor vessel. A second region extends from that location in a horizontal direction at the second height to the point at which the hot-leg pipe connects to the reactor vessel. A pump is attached to the casing at a location below the first and second heights and returns water from the steam generator to the reactor vessel over the cold-leg.

5064603, Nov 12, 1991

Aug 24, 1989

7/397824

Michael J. Hurwitz - Pittsburgh PA
Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA
David Squarer - Pittsburgh PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1700

376246

A hydroball string sensing system for a nuclear reactor that includes stainless tubes positioned to guide hydroball strings into and out of the nuclear reactor core. A sensor such as an ultrasonic transducer transmitter and receiver is positioned outside of the nuclear reactor core and adjacent to the tube. The presence of an object such a bullet member positioned at an end a hydroball string, or any one of the hydroballs interrupts the transmission of ultrasound from the transmitter to the receiver. Alternatively, if the bullet member and hydroballs include a ferritic material, either a Hall effect sensor or other magnetic field sensors such as a magnetic field rate of change sensor can be used to detect the location and position of a hydroball string. Placing two sensors along the tube with a known distance between the sensors enables the velocity of a hydroball string to be determined. This determined velocity can be used to control the flow rate of a fluid within the tube so as to control the velocity of the hydroball string.

5307386, Apr 26, 1994

Jun 24, 1992

7/903633

Rossemary V. Chavez - Monroeville PA
Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA
F. Thomas Johnson - Baldwin Boro PA
John M. Matusz - Plum Boro both of Allegheny County PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1910

376260

Elongated coolant pumps suspended under steam generators within containment in a power plant with limited access space, are removed and replaced by an elongated maintenance cart with an elongated opening along one side in which the motor is received. Rollers support the cart for conveying the elongated motor in an upright position out from under the steam generator and onto an elevator. The elevator is lowered to transfer support of the cart and motor through trunnions to saddles straddling the elevator for rotation of the cart to a generally horizontal position. The elevator then raises the horizontally disposed cart carrying the motor to a higher floor where it is rolled off the elevator and out through the auxiliary equipment hatch.

5267285, Nov 30, 1993

Jun 24, 1992

7/903630

Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA
Daniel C. Garner - Murrysville PA
Ronald J. Hopkins - Pensacola FL
John T. Land - Pensacola FL

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 104

376352

An apparatus and method are provided for suppressing the formation of vortices in circulating coolant fluid of a nuclear reactor. A vortex-suppressing plate having a plurality of openings therein is suspended within the lower plenum of a reactor vessel below and generally parallel to the main core support of the reactor. The plate is positioned so as to intersect vortices which may form in the circulating reactor coolant fluid. The intersection of the plate with such vortices disrupts the rotational flow pattern of the vortices, thereby disrupting the formation thereof.

2012022, Sep 6, 2012

Aug 5, 2011

13/204091

Raman (Rajoo) G. Patel - Pittsburgh PA, US
Daniel L. Walters - Monroeville PA, US
Arthur W. Francis - Cranberry PA, US
Christopher F. Herleman - Coraopolis PA, US
Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA, US
Matthew M. Rohr - Belle Vernon PA, US
Abby L. Stemler - Pittsburgh PA, US

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC. - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 19/00

376260

A nuclear steam generator support and alignment system that supports the entire weight of a nuclear steam generator on the walls of the shielding compartment in which the steam generator is designed to operate within. The support includes hydraulic positioners that can raise, lower, rotate and tilt the steam generator to align the steam generator with reactor coolant piping to which it is to be connected.

5025158, Jun 18, 1991

Jan 5, 1990

7/461576

Luciano Veronesi - O'Hara PA
Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1702

250328

A stepping apparatus uses two gate elements driven by solenoid actuators to block a detector string as it is advanced to a gamma counter so that the string can be advanced at a controlled rate, one ball at a time. The gate elements each have two interconnected passages, one of which permits passage of the entire detector string, while the other permits passage of the cable but not the balls.

5305357, Apr 19, 1994

Apr 28, 1993

8/052843

Douglas E. Ekeroth - Delmont PA

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 1700

376254

Instrumentation for nuclear reactor head-mounted incore instrumentation systems fabricated of low nuclear cross section materials (i. e. , zirconium or titanium). The instrumentation emits less radiation than that fabricated of conventional materials.