Measuring and testing – Probe or probe mounting
Patent
1992-04-21
1992-12-29
Noland, Tom
Measuring and testing
Probe or probe mounting
324220, 376249, G01M 1900, G21C 17017
Patent
active
051741652
ABSTRACT:
A flexible, hose-like delivery system for positioning and rotatably supporting a probe which may be a pancake-type eddy current probe at a desired position along the longitudinal axis of a small-diametered conduit such as the heat exchanger tube in a nuclear steam generator is disclosed. The system comprises a flexible inner shaft formed from a plurality of short segments of Bowden shafting which is connected to a drive train located remotely from the interior of the heat exchanger tube, a flexible outer housing preferably formed from a plastic conduit concentrically disposed around the inner shaft, and a plurality of ball bearing assemblies which interconnect the short shaft segments for minimizing the frictional engagement between the inner shaft and the interior walls of the flexible outer housing. The frictional losses between the inner shaft and the flexible tubular outer housing are small enough to allow rotational motion to be smoothly and reliably conducted over relatively long lengths and around bends, thus allowing such motion to be transmitted by remotely located, standard-sized drive trains and motors. The system eliminates the need for expensive, miniaturized drive trains, motors and slip ring components which, up to now, have accompanied such eddy current probes within such tubes.
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Noland Tom
Westinghouse Electric Corp.
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