GERALD A DEAVER
Engineers in San Jose, CA

5912936, Jun 15, 1999

Aug 11, 1997

8/909283

James Edward Charnley - Nevada City CA
Gerald Alan Deaver - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1500

376282

Pipe connector assembly for replacing a core spray line in a nuclear reactor without field cutting, measuring, or welding such line. In one embodiment, the pipe connector assembly includes a first coupling member, a second coupling member, and at least one locking element. The first coupling member includes a flange, a pipe engaging portion, a spherical convex seat portion, a bore and a stud bore. The second coupling member includes a flange having a spherical concave seat portion for receiving the convex seat portion of the first coupling member, a pipe engaging portion, a bore, and a stud bore. The locking element includes at least one spherical washer and a crimp mechanism and couples the first coupling member and the second coupling member by extending through the flange stud bores. The spherical seat portions allow the coupling members to be rotationally misaligned while remaining to be substantially coaxially aligned thus accommodating additional core spray line length while maintaining a leak tight connection.

5059384, Oct 22, 1991

Nov 26, 1990

7/617828

Robert C. Dixon - Morgan Hill CA
Gerald A. Deaver - San Jose CA
James R. Punches - San Jose CA
Guy E. Singleton - Fremont CA
John G. Erbes - San Jose CA
Henry P. Offer - Los Gatos CA

General Electric Company - San Jose CA

G21C 1900

376260

In a boiling water nuclear reactor having its core, fuel support casting, and control rod guide tubes removed to expose the core plate, an apparatus and method for the submerged welding repair and replacement of the control rod drive housing at the bottom extremity of the reactor vessel is disclosed. The apparatus registers to a hole in the core plate and its corresponding guide pin. A mating fixture on the depending extremity of the shaft of the apparatus precisely fits and mates to the top of the control rod drive housing. The alignment device includes cross electronic levels sealed for submersion which levels remotely transfer through attached wiring the precise angularity between the top of the control rod drive housing on one hand and the corresponding and overlying hole in the core plate on the other hand. For the welding repair process herein, a welding cylinder apparatus fits over the depending end of the shaft of the alignment device. This welding cylinder protrudes downwardly and around the control rod drive housing mating to the stub tube through which the control rod drive housing is inserted.

5615239, Mar 25, 1997

Nov 17, 1995

8/560100

Gerald A. Deaver - San Jose CA
James W. Pyron - Redding CA
Anh N. Nguyen - Milpitas CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1700

376247

A core differential pressure and liquid control line apparatus for a nuclear reactor is described. The apparatus includes a first portion configured to be positioned within and extend through an opening in the pressure vessel wall. At least the first tube portion has a diameter less than the diameter of the opening in the pressure vessel wall. An annulus is formed between the exterior surface of the first tube portion and the pressure vessel wall so that a neutron absorbent can be injected into the pressure vessel at the location of the annulus. The apparatus further includes a second L-shaped tube portion configured to be coupled to the first tube portion, and a third tube portion configured to be coupled to the second tube portion. The open end of the third tube portion extends to an elevation above the core plate.

5785361, Jul 28, 1998

Mar 21, 1996

8/620109

Siamak Bourbour - San Jose CA
Gerald Alan Deaver - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 13032

285382

A thermal sleeve for insertion into a feedwater nozzle bore of a reactor pressure vessel for a nuclear reactor is described. In one embodiment, the sleeve includes a substantially cylindrical main body and a substantially cylindrical interference ring. The interference ring has a first secured end and a second free end. The interference ring is connected at the first secured end to an exterior surface of the substantially cylindrical main body. An interference surface is located at the second free end of the ring. The second free end of the cylindrical interference ring is biased so that when the sleeve is positioned in the nozzle bore, the second free end is biased towards the nozzle bore wall. In one embodiment, the second free end is biased into contact with a surface of an outer sleeve which also is positioned in the nozzle bore. The connector, a nozzle safe end wall, the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve cooperate to define a stagnant water area.

5876146, Mar 2, 1999

Oct 27, 1995

8/549132

Gerald Alan Deaver - San Jose CA
James Walton Pyron - Redding CA
Anh Ngoc Nguyen - Milpitas CA

General Electric Company - Schnectady NY

G21C 1525

403 11

Repair assemblies and methods for a jet pump diffuser in a nuclear reactor are described. In one particular embodiment, the diffuser has a substantially conical shape, and the larger diameter end of the diffuser is engaged to a shroud support plate of the reactor. The diffuser further has at least a first portion and a second portion welded together at a weld joint. The assembly, in one embodiment, includes a first c-ring having a first frusto-conical portion and a second substantially planar portion, and a second c-ring having a first frusto-conical portion and a second substantially planar portion. The first and second c-rings are configured, in the one embodiment, so that when the first and second c-rings are operatively positioned, first and second openings in the first c-ring are substantially aligned with first and second openings in the second c-ring, respectively.

5377237, Dec 27, 1994

Apr 5, 1993

8/043053

David L. Richardson - Los Gatos CA
James C. S. Tung - San Jose CA
James H. Terhune - San Jose CA
Gerald A. Deaver - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - San Jose CA

G21C 1700

376252

An ultrasonic method of inspecting repaired stub tubes in a boiling water reactor. The top and bottom ends of each stub tube are respectively welded to the corresponding control rod drive housing and to the bottom head of the reactor pressure vessel. Under certain conditions, a crack can form in the heat-affected zone of the stub tube adjacent to the upper weld, necessitating repair by installing a mechanical seal. A probe inserted in the control rod drive housing has transducers which transmit pulsed ultrasonic energy toward a machined surface-air gap interface disposed to reflect the pulse trains generally axially through the stub tube. The radial and azimuthal dimensions of a radial crack in the stub tube are determined in dependence on which pulsed trains are reflected back to the probe by the crack via the interface.

5809098, Sep 15, 1998

Mar 10, 1997

8/814528

Gerald Alan Deaver - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1328

376203

Methods for sealing cracks adjacent stub tube attachment welds in a reactor pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor are described. The reactor pressure vessel includes at least one stub tube through which a control rod housing extends. The control rod housing is attached to one end of the stub tube with an upper stub tube attachment weld. In one embodiment, a sidewall of a control rod drive housing is cut at a location below the upper stub tube attachment weld to form a weld passage in the control rod drive housing between the control rod drive housing and the stub tube. A weld is then formed in the weld passage so that it is in physical contact with both the stub tube and the control rod housing, and thus seals the control rod drive housing against the stub tube.

5001840, Mar 26, 1991

May 22, 1990

7/526880

Robert C. Dixon - Morgan Hill CA
Gerald A. Deaver - San Jose CA
James R. Punches - San Jose CA
Guy E. Singleton - Fremont CA
John G. Erbes - San Jose CA
Henry P. Offer - Los Gatos CA

General Electric Company - San Jose CA

G21C 1700

33502

In a boiling water nuclear reactor having its core, fuel support casting, and control rod guide tubes removed to expose the core plate, an apparatus for the repair and replacement of the control rod drive housing at the bottom extremity of the reactor vessel is disclosed. The apparatus registers to a hole in the core plate and its corresponding guide pin. A mating fixture on the depending extremity of the shaft of the apparatus precisely fits and mates to the top of the control rod drive housing. The alignment device includes cross electronic levels sealed for submersion which levels remotely transfer through attached wiring the precise angularity between the top of the control rod drive housing on one hand and the corresponding and overlying hole in the core plate on the other hand.

5978433, Nov 2, 1999

Dec 21, 1998

9/217980

John Geddes Erbes - Mt. View CA
Gerald Alan Deaver - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1525

376372

A wedge locking support apparatus that applies a downward preload force to a jet pump inlet mixer gravity wedge and is remotely installable without disassembly of the jet pumps is described. The downward force supplied by the wedge locking support apparatus supplements the force supplied by the weight of the gravity wedge and improves the lateral support provided to the inlet mixer by the gravity wedge. The wedge locking support apparatus includes an upper leaf spring assembly configured to engage the gravity wedge bracket, a lower leaf spring assembly slidably coupled to the upper leaf spring assembly and configured to engage the top of the wedge, and a jack bolt coupled to the upper and lower assemblies.

6053652, Apr 25, 2000

Apr 15, 1997

8/834315

Gerald A. Deaver - San Jose CA
Siamak Bourbour - San Jose CA
Don Schrein - San Jose CA
John G. Erbes - Mt. View CA

General Electric Company - Schnectady NY

F16D 100

403 24

Apparatus for supporting the lower riser assembly of a jet pump in a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of a nuclear reactor. In one embodiment of the apparatus, the clamp assembly provides structural rigidity to the lower rise assembly. The clamp assembly includes a lower thermal sleeve clamp and a riser clamp. The lower thermal sleeve clamp is positioned adjacent an interface between the elbow and the thermal sleeve of the jet pump riser pipe assembly. The riser clamp is secured to the riser pipe of the jet pump riser pipe assembly at a location adjacent an interface between the riser pipe and the elbow. The lower thermal sleeve clamp and the riser clamp also are coupled to each other so that as the respective clamps are secured to the lower riser assembly.