Phillips Electric-News

Featured Project:
Purdue University’s Nuclear Reactor Safety System
"A Custom Control and Safety Amplifier"

Phillips Electric was recently awarded a unique contract for a project at Purdue University’s PUR-I Nuclear Reactor. This unit (built in the 1950's) was in need of an upgrade and the University was unable to find anyone that could meet their quality and budgetary requirements. Once again, Special Projects was able to develop a plan that would satisfy the customer. Working with Purdue’s staff, the design team is currently building the first of 14 units.

This reactor has two safety rods. Each rod has an electromagnet so that the rod may be dropped immediately during what is referred to as a "scram." Channel-4 currently controls both of these electromagnets and is housed in two 19 X 8.5 inch relay type chassis called Control and Safety Amplifiers (CSA).

The current plan at Purdue is to replace every chassis associated with the Reactor and ultimately all electronics will directly and safely interface to a computer based data acquisition system. This application requires the cleanest (i.e., lowest electronic noise) isolated and buffered outputs; with exceptional fault tolerance, and the lowest chance of feedback, or feedthrough

The accompanying photographs show the reactor under operation, the units that will be redesigned and replaced, and the first New Unit.

Featured Project:
Dunham Museum Project
6709 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44103

In May, construction began on the Dunham Museum. Underground work was completed in early March but due to architectural problems, the start of construction was delayed approximately two months. John Margevicus is the foreman on the project and is currently finished with the rough-in. Fixtures and finish trim are scheduled to be completed by late July. All of construction is to be completed by August 24, 2000.
This project is complex in that it is a timber frame structure. The frame of the structure is made from large timbers all joined together by wooden pegs. The structure was then covered by tongue and groove siding, and all electrical and mechanical systems were roughed in on the outside. After all rough-in is complete, the structure will be covered by foam panels and finished with exterior trim.

The existing feed for the main structure was updated from a 200 amp service to a 400 amp service. The feed for the new building was then run underground to the new building.

1. Mather Memorial, Case Western Reserve University
2. Law School, Case Western Reserve University
3. Custom Rubber

1. How is it possible to have a civil war?
2. If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?
3. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
4. Why is it called terrorist season if we can't shoot at them?
5. Where are we going? And what's with this hand basket?
6. If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole darn airplane made out of that stuff?
7. Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
8. If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?