Apparatuses and methods for repairing a defect in a nuclear reactor are provided. The apparatus includes a body for insertion in a tubular structure, the body includes: an end effector having a weld torch operable to deposit weld material by forming molten weld droplets and depositing the weld droplets the tubular structure. A drive unit includes a brace for selectively anchoring against said tubular structure; at least one linear actuator for moving the apparatus relative to the brace; and a rotational actuator coupled to rotate the weld torch. The method includes inserting a repair apparatus into tubular structure of the nuclear reactor; moving the repair apparatus to a defect location; depositing a protective weld layer over the defect by sequentially depositing weld droplets atop a weld pool on the tubular structure, wherein the protective weld layer bonds to the tubular structure surrounding the defect.

An example welding-type system includes: processing circuitry; and a machine readable storage medium comprising a machine readable instruction, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to: control a first switch to disconnect a motor circuit from a motor power source, the motor circuit comprising a wire feed motor and a second switch; control the second switch to permit current to flow while the first switch disconnects the motor circuit from the motor power source during a test period; and in response to feedback indicative of a current through the motor circuit while the first switch is open and the second switch is closed, detecting a fault condition associated with the motor circuit.

A surface processing equipment using an energy beam including a measuring device, a gas source, an energy beam supply device, a multi-axis platform, and a processing device is provided. The measuring device measures a workpiece to obtain surface form information. The energy beam supply device receives a processing gas to form an energy beam. The energy beam supply device includes a rotating sleeve. Openings are on a bottom surface of the rotating sleeve. The rotating sleeve rotates along a rotation axis and supplies the energy beam from one of the openings to the workpiece. The processing device controls the gas source, the energy beam supply device, and the multi-axis platform according to the surface form information. Distances from each opening to the rotation axis are all different. The energy beam is formed into a beam shape or rings having different radii via a rotation of the energy beam supply device.

A plasma arc cutting system and method is providing which provides a fixed arc start current until separation occurs between the torch nozzle and electrode. After separation the current is dropped to a low current level for a period of time and then current pulses are provided until a work current is detected in a work piece to be cut.

Arc welding equipment for joining the objects at high speed and for reducing the strain of the objects after being joined is provided. The nozzle housing an electrode forming arc plasma is formed from a gas supply part and a gas suction part. The gas supply part has gas supply holes supplying gas outward in a radial direction of the arc plasma. The gas suction part suctions the gas supplied form the gas supply part. A pair of the gas supply holes, which are disposed so that the electrode is disposed therebetween, supply the gas of a first pressure to a position away from the electrode by a first distance. A pair of the gas supply holes, which are disposed so that the electrode is disposed therebetween other than the pair of the gas supply holes, supply the gas of a second pressure to a position away from the electrode by a second distance. The second distance is longer than the first distance. The gas of the second pressure is lower than that of the first pressure. Thereby, the arc plasma is compressed in a direction connecting the gas supply holes, and the arc plasma becomes long in a direction connecting the gas supply holes.

A method and apparatus for providing welding-type power and auxiliary power includes an input circuit, a welding-type output power circuit, an auxiliary power circuit, and a controller. The input circuit receives input power and provides power to a common bus. The welding-type output power circuit receives power from the common bus and provides welding-type output power. The auxiliary power circuit receives power from the common bus and provides non-isolated auxiliary output power. The controller controls the auxiliary power circuit and the welding-type output power circuit.

In some aspects, power supplies for liquid cooled plasma cutting systems configured to support plasma arc generation by a torch head connected to the power supply can include: a set of electrical components for plasma arc generation; and a power supply housing containing the set of electrical components, the power supply housing having a front panel and at least two side panels and defining: a set of inlets for allowing a cooling gas to enter the power supply housing to thermally regulate the set of electrical components, at least one inlet of the set of inlets being positioned at a corner of the housing and oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the front panel and to at least one of the two side panels; and a set of vents for allowing at least a portion of the cooling gas to exit the power supply housing.

A computerized method is provided for selecting a direction of formation of a slag puddle on a workpiece during processing of the workpiece by a thermal processing torch. The method comprises causing the torch to emit a thermal arc to gouge the workpiece at a first location without piercing through the workpiece. The method also includes translating the torch from the first location to a second location along a first direction on the workpiece while the torch is gouging the workpiece, the first direction substantially along the selected direction of slag puddle formation. The gouging and translating cause formation of a trench in a surface of the workpiece in the first direction. The method further includes causing the thermal arc emitted by the torch to pierce through the workpiece at the second location, which causes the formation of the slag puddle along the selected direction as guided by the trench.

The invention features an inner cap for a liquid-cooled plasma arc torch. The inner cap includes a body having a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end. The first end includes an annular portion disposed proximate a torch tip. A liquid passage is formed within the body, is shaped to convey a liquid therethrough, and has a first set of ports formed in the annular portion. A gas passage is formed within the body, is shaped to convey a gas therethrough, and includes a second set of ports formed in the annular portion. The annular portion is configured such that subsets of ports in the first set of ports direct the liquid in a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and alternate, in a rotational direction about the longitudinal axis, with subsets of ports in the second set of ports.

A plasma cutting system includes a plasma torch having a head, and a housing. A power supply is disposed within the housing and is in communication with the plasma torch. The power supply is configured to provide an output current for generating and maintaining a plasma cutting arc by the plasma torch, and includes a control processor in communication with a plurality of autonomous switching circuits via a multi-node communications bus. Each of the autonomous switching circuits includes a microcontroller configured to control the generation of a portion of the output current based on messages received from the control processor, monitor operating parameters of the autonomous switching circuit, and modify a control parameter of the autonomous switching circuit independent of and asynchronous to the other autonomous switching circuits of the plurality of autonomous switching circuits when one or more of the operating parameters exceeds a predetermined threshold.