Enertech, a business unit of Curtiss Wright flow control, has developed an extended mission gas spring actuator model to support nuclear plant cool down during station black conditions. Conventional electro-hydraulic, gas spring actuators are limited to one direction; fail safe positioning of isolation valves. Enertech’s advanced technology permits bi-directional, mid-position cycling of throttling valves and dampers from stored energy for a 72 hour period or longer without dependency on off-site power, emergency diesel generator power or air supply. The space required to facilitate Enertech’s stored energy module is a fraction of that required by traditional air supply tanks and control panels used in early generation nuclear plants. Enertech’s extended mission actuator is qualified for harsh environment to IEEE 382, 344 and 323 for survival in high energy line break as well as severe seismic and other design basis conditions including its position feedback instrumentation for modulating control service.
