Spent Fuel Pool Bracket Reinforcement Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing components within a spent fuel pool of a nuclear reactor are at risk of failure due to seismic activity, necessitating reinforcement or replacement.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcement assembly for a bracket constraining a cooling pipe, featuring a base structure with adjustable slots and boss structures, clamps, and a linkage structure with a swing gate to stabilize the pipe and probe, allowing for centroid loading to reduce torsional shear stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing components are used without reinforcement, then device complexity remains low, but reliability deteriorates due to seismic activity risk
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement assembly is divided into multiple modular components including a base structure, adjustable clamps, boss structures, and linkage structures. Each component can be independently manufactured, installed, and adjusted, allowing the system to achieve high reliability through modular redundancy while managing complexity through standardized interfaces and assembly procedures.
2Reliability
If a fixed rigid reinforcement structure is used, then reliability improves, but adaptability deteriorates due to inability to accommodate positional variations
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement assembly incorporates adjustable clamps with slots and boss structures that can move along predefined paths, allowing the structure to adapt to positional variations in pipes and equipment. The linkage structures provide controlled movement capability while maintaining structural integrity, enabling the system to accommodate thermal expansion, settlement, and installation tolerances while preserving reliability through maintained constraint forces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple adjustment mechanisms are added to improve adaptability, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement assembly uses standardized adjustable clamps and boss structures that can accommodate multiple types of pipes and equipment through a universal interface design. The slots and adjustment mechanisms serve multiple functions including positional adjustment, alignment, and securing, reducing the need for separate specialized components for each adjustment task and thereby managing complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforcement assembly may be provided for a bracket configured to constrain a cooling pipe of a spent fuel pool of a nuclear reactor. The reinforcement assembly includes a base structure defining back slots, angled slots, side slots, and/or front slots. Back boss structures may be configured to slidably engage with the back slots of the base structure. Pipe boss structures may be configured to slidably engage with the angled slots of the base structure. Side clamps may be configured to slidably engage with the side slots of the base structure. Each of the side clamps may define a vertical slot. Vertical clamps may be configured to slidably engage with the vertical slot of each of the side clamps. Front clamps may be configured to slidably engage with the front slots of the base structure.