Alex Blair Fife, 8416715 Aileen Way, Grass Valley, CA 95949

6389094, May 14, 2002

Feb 2, 1998

09/016905

Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA
Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1902

376294, 376260, 376287, 376293, 376302, 376461

A forged upper shroud section which may be machined from a single piece rectangular cross-section ring forging and includes a circular flange and a cylindrical shell is described. Openings and slots are machined into the flange to align and support the shroud head. A groove is machined along an inside surface of the cylinder section, and the groove may be used to support top guide grid (not shown). An end of the cylinder section is machined with a weld prep for attachment to the core section of the shroud.

6426986, Jul 30, 2002

Aug 23, 2000

09/644378

Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA
Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1302

376294, 376293, 220669, 220674

A forged nozzle shell course for a pressure vessel includes shell course comprising at least one reinforcement portion extending radially outward from an outer surface of the shell course with each reinforcing portion including a nozzle having a radius. The nozzle includes a bore extending from an outside surface of the reinforcing portion to an inside surface of the shell course, and at least one extension attachment surface located adjacent to and coaxial to the bore. The reinforcing portion having a longitudinal dimension equal to about 2. 0 times the radius of the nozzle, and a circumferential dimension equal to about 1. 5 times the radius of the nozzle, measured from the centerline of the nozzle bore.

6504888, Jan 7, 2003

Oct 17, 2000

09/690623

Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA
Hwang Choe - Saratoga CA
Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 17032

376246, 376203, 376204, 376245, 376247, 376294, 376372, 376392, 376407, 7386152, 415109, 415110, 277361, 277366, 277516, 277580, 277599, 277318

A reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for a nuclear reactor that permits measurement of the flow through each reactor internal pump (RIP) is described. The reactor pressure vessel also includes at least one reactor internal pump that includes an impeller and a pump diffuser. At least two seal rings extend circumferentially around an outer surface of the diffuser housing outer wall and are located in circumferential grooves in the housing outer wall. At least one lateral bore extends through the housing outer wall into a diffuser housing longitudinal flow passage. Each lateral bore is located in an area between two adjacent seal rings, with each inter-seal ring area containing one lateral bore. At least one pressure tap bore extends from the outer surface of the RPV bottom head petal, through the pump deck to an inner surface of a pump deck opening. Each pressure tap bore is aligned with an area in the RIP containing a corresponding lateral bore.

6091791, Jul 18, 2000

Feb 2, 1998

9/017032

Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA
Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 900

376287

A shroud attachment assembly which provides both structural support for the shroud and a seal between the shroud and shroud support is described. In one specific embodiment, the shroud attachment assembly includes a shroud flange formed integral with the shroud, and a pump deck flange formed integral with the pump deck. The shroud flange extends over the pump deck flange, and a plurality of studs extend through aligned openings in the flanges. In addition, a plurality of wedges are secured to the shroud flange by studs, and the wedges extend between the shroud flange and the pump deck flange. Generally, the studs which extend through aligned openings in the shroud and pump deck flanges transfer vertical loads from the shroud to the pump deck, and the wedges transfer horizontal loads from the shroud to the pump deck.

6240156, May 29, 2001

Jun 12, 1998

9/096675

Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA
Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1900

376462

A top guide assembly for securing a top guide to a shroud which enables the top guide to be remotely removed without removing any other parts of the shroud or the core support structure is described. In one embodiment, the top guide assembly includes a hanger for being secured in a groove formed in an inner surface of the shroud, and the hanger includes a ledge having a plurality of openings therein. The top guide rests on an upper surface of the ledge. The assembly also includes wedges for being positioned in pockets formed in the top guide and tightly fit between the hanger and the top guide, and threaded studs for extend through respective aligned bores in the wedges and openings in the ledge. A nut and a keeper are engaged to one end of each stud to retain the wedge between the hanger and the top guide grid.

6009137, Dec 28, 1999

Feb 2, 1998

9/017431

Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA
Alex Fife - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1300

376302

A mid-shroud joint which improves the replaceability of the shroud is described. In one embodiment, the shroud includes a core shroud and a lower shroud. A core plate support flange is clamped between the core shroud and the lower shroud, and the core plate support flange supports a core plate. The mid-shroud joint is formed by a flange of the core shroud and a flange of the lower shroud. The core plate support flange is positioned between core shroud and lower shroud flanges, and openings in these flanges align so that bolts can be inserted through such aligned openings.

6188741, Feb 13, 2001

Aug 7, 1998

9/130751

Gary J. Ballas - Bellevue WA
Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA
Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1300
G21C 13028
G21C 13036

376203

An integral stub tube which simplifies the reactor pressure vessel fabrication process, provides a structural transition between the penetration and head, and facilitates future remote inspection of the attachment weld is described. In one embodiment, a stub tube is machined into the bottom head dome. Specifically, a penetration is formed in the bottom head dome by a bore having a stub tube portion. The stub tube portion has a cylindrical shape and a length of the stub tube portion is selected to provide a transition between a penetration housing and an adjacent portion of bottom head dome. The penetration housing extends through the penetration, in the dome. A weld attaches the stub tube portion to the penetration housing.

5995574, Nov 30, 1999

Feb 2, 1998

9/016906

Jack T. Matsumoto - Sunnyvale CA
Alex B. Fife - San Jose CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

G21C 1100

376287

A shroud including an integral track for mounting inspection and cleaning tooling is described. In one embodiment, the shroud includes substantially cylindrical first and second shroud sections having a main body with a first end and a second end. One shroud first end has a weld prepared surface. Each shroud section includes a ledge in an exterior surface adjacent the first end. A weld is formed between the weld prepared surface and the first end of the second shroud section. At the weld, the shroud is substantially geometrically balanced with equal material on both sides of the weld. A geometrically balanced weld provides the same heat sink characteristics on both sides of the weld, and allows for a more uniform distribution of weld residual stresses.