Eddy current workpiece positioning apparatus
US4526135A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 1984 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF22B37/483
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sludge lance nozzle for removing sludge from between the tubes of a nuclear steam generator includes positioning apparatus mounted on top of the nozzle. The positioning apparatus includes a cylindrical eddy-current sensor mounted inside a cup-shaped non-magnetic electrically insulating spacer, which is in turn mounted in a cup-shaped support member fixedly secured to the nozzle. The tubes are arranged in rows and columns with the axes of the tubes in each column lying in a common column plane. The nozzle is moved perpendicular to the column planes close to one of the rows of tubes. The sensor produces a maximum-amplitude output signal when the sensing axis is coplanar with the column plane of a tube in the closest row of tubes and a minimum-amplitude output signal when the sensing axis is midway between adjacent tubes in the closest row of tubes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.