Top guide inspection fixture
View Patent ↗A fixture for performing visual inspections of the underside of the top guide of a boiling water reactor. The inspections are performed in the reactor vessel, under water, and includes a framed structure that rests on top of the top guide and supports a wheel track within a fuel assembly opening in the top guide, that follows the contour of the opening. A camera support, suspended from the frame, is then remotely, manually rotated to follow the contour of the wheel track as the fixture maintains the camera at a fixed angle and known constant distance from the underside of the top guide.
1. An inspection fixture for a top guide of a boiling water reactor comprising:
a frame sized to rest and be supported on a top edge of a fuel assembly opening within the top guide;
a wheel track supported from said frame in a manner to extend around a periphery of the fuel assembly opening, substantially proximate a border thereof when the frame is supported on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening;
a central shaft rotatably supported from the frame extends down below the fuel assembly opening, substantially along an axis of a fuel assembly to be positioned below the opening, when the frame is supported on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening;
a linkage bracket fixedly connected to the central shaft extends laterally therefrom with a hinged distal link having a hinge line substantially parallel to and spaced from the central shaft;
a cam follower that rides on the wheel track and is supported from the distal link; and
an inspection device bracket connected at a fixed angle between the central shaft and the distal link.
2. The inspection fixture of claim 1 including a hard stop ring for preventing the central shaft from rotating more than approximately 380 degrees.
3. The inspection fixture of claim 1 wherein the hinged distal link is spring biased in a preselected orientation.
4. The inspection fixture of claim 3 wherein the preselected orientation is at an angle of zero degrees with another portion of the linkage bracket between the hinge line and the central shaft.
5. The inspection fixture of claim 1 including a video camera that sits in the inspection device bracket.
6. The inspection fixture of claim 1 wherein the wheel track is substantially rectangular.
7. The inspection fixture of claim 6 wherein the wheel track is substantially square.
8. The inspection fixture of claim 1 wherein the wheel track is suspended by the frame within the fuel assembly opening within the top guide when the frame rests on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening.
9. The inspection fixture of claim 8 wherein the wheel track sits just below the top surface of the top guide when the frame rests on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening.
10. The inspection fixture of claim 1 including a coupling at an upper end of the central shaft for coupling with a drive means for rotating the central shaft.
11. The inspection fixture of claim 10 including a pole for connecting to the coupling for positioning the inspection fixture on the top edge of the fuel assembly opening and rotating the central shaft.