A tube plug for securely sealing a tube to be plugged. The tube plug has a housing member with a non-cylindrical body and a deformable wall. An insert member having a threaded shank and a ramped ferrule can be threaded into the body to deform the deformable wall outwardly and into engagement with the tube to be sealed. The non-cylindrical body allow the plug to be inserted into and used to plug a tube that is in a difficult to reach location and whose diameter may not be precisely known.

A tube plug for securely sealing a tube to be plugged. The tube plug has a housing member with a non-cylindrical body and a deformable wall. An insert member having a threaded shank and a ramped ferrule can be threaded into the body to deform the deformable wall outwardly and into engagement with the tube to be sealed. The non-cylindrical body allow the plug to be inserted into and used to plug a tube that is in a difficult to reach location and whose diameter may not be precisely known.

A method predicts an amount of wear that is expected to occur on the tubes of a steam generator as a result of vibration against another structure within the steam generator. The method includes determining a volumetric amount of material that has been worn from a location on a tube over a duration of time and employing that volume as a function of time to determine the volume of material of the tube wall that is predicted to be worn from the tube or another tube at a future time. The volumetric-based analysis enables more accurately prediction of the wear depth at a future time. This enables the plugging of only those tubes that are determined from a volumetric analysis to be in risk of breach at the future time, thus slowing the rate at which tubes of a steam generator will be plugged.

A method predicts an amount of wear that is expected to occur on the tubes of a steam generator as a result of vibration against another structure within the steam generator. The method includes determining a volumetric amount of material that has been worn from a location on a tube over a duration of time and employing that volume as a function of time to determine the volume of material of the tube wall that is predicted to be worn from the tube or another tube at a future time. The volumetric-based analysis enables more accurately prediction of the wear depth at a future time. This enables the plugging of only those tubes that are determined from a volumetric analysis to be in risk of breach at the future time, thus slowing the rate at which tubes of a steam generator will be plugged.

A tube plug insertable in one end of a heat exchange tube, the tube plug formed as an shaft having a distal part and an opposite proximal part which terminates in a proximal end with an threaded hole extending axially in the proximal end in the distal direction, and a plug removal tool having a proximal handle part and a distal stem part which has external threads that match threads in the threaded hole in the plug's shaft, the stem part being threadedly insertable into the threaded hole in the proximal end of the tube plug, whereby rotation of the stem will urge the tube plug to rotate relative to the heat exchange tube and break free from being lodged in the bore thereof.

A tube plug insertable in one end of a heat exchange tube, the tube plug formed as an shaft having a distal part and an opposite proximal part which terminates in a proximal end with an threaded hole extending axially in the proximal end in the distal direction, and a plug removal tool having a proximal handle part and a distal stem part which has external threads that match threads in the threaded hole in the plug's shaft, the stem part being threadedly insertable into the threaded hole in the proximal end of the tube plug, whereby rotation of the stem will urge the tube plug to rotate relative to the heat exchange tube and break free from being lodged in the bore thereof.

A replacement tube plug for sealing the threaded junction between a tube plug and a bore in a plugsheet, the tube plug including a body part having proximal and distal ends, an outer threaded surface, a central bore open at the proximal end and at least one branch bore extending from and in fluid communication with the central bore and extending radially to the outer surface of the body part, and a method for delivering fluid sealant via the central and branches to the threaded junction of the tube plug and the plugsheet.

A method predicts an amount of wear that is expected to occur on the tubes of a steam generator as a result of vibration against another structure within the steam generator. The method includes determining a volumetric amount of material that has been worn from a location on a tube over a duration of time and employing that volume as a function of time to determine the volume of material of the tube wall that is predicted to be worn from the tube or another tube at a future time. The volumetric-based analysis enables more accurately prediction of the wear depth at a future time. This enables the plugging of only those tubes that are determined from a volumetric analysis to be in risk of breach at the future time, thus slowing the rate at which tubes of a steam generator will be plugged.

A method predicts an amount of wear that is expected to occur on the tubes of a steam generator as a result of vibration against another structure within the steam generator. The method includes determining a volumetric amount of material that has been worn from a location on a tube over a duration of time and employing that volume as a function of time to determine the volume of material of the tube wall that is predicted to be worn from the tube or another tube at a future time. The volumetric-based analysis enables more accurately prediction of the wear depth at a future time. This enables the plugging of only those tubes that are determined from a volumetric analysis to be in risk of breach at the future time, thus slowing the rate at which tubes of a steam generator will be plugged.

A device and method for plugging a tube that includes setting a tapered plug in a tube with a compression ring that circumscribes the plug. The ring radially expands when axially compressed and wedges the plug in the tube. An anchoring assembly fits over the tapered end of the plug and is coupled to the plug while being pushed against the compressed ring. When coupled to the plug, the anchoring assembly maintains the ring in a compressed state. The anchoring assembly can be made up of legs that fasten to the tapered end of the plug and have shoulders attached on a free end that are positioned against a lateral side of the compressed ring.