Nuclear reactor sealing system

Patent · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:864686

McEdwards, James A.

A liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor sealing system. The nuclear reactor includes a vessel sealed at its upper end by a closure head. The closure head comprises at least two components, one of which is rotatable; and the two components define an annulus therebetween. The sealing system includes at least a first and second inflatable seal disposed in series in an upper portion of the annulus. The system further includes a dip seal extending into a body of insulation located adjacent a bottom portion of the closure head. The dip seal comprises a trough formed by a lower portion of one of the components, and a seal blade pendently supported from the other component and extending downwardly into the trough. A body of liquid metal is contained in the trough which submerges a portion of the seal blade. The seal blade is provided with at least one aperture located above the body of liquid metal for providing fluid communication between the annulus intermediate the dip seal and the inflatable seals, and a body of cover gas located inside the vessel. There also is provided means for introducing a purge gas into the annulus intermediate the inflatable seals and the seal blade. The purge gas is introduced in an amount sufficient to substantially reduce diffusion of radioactive cover gas or sodium vapor up to the inflatable seals. The purge gas mixes with the cover gas in the reactor vessel where it can be withdrawn from the vessel for treatment and recycle to the vessel.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corporation, El Sequndo, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76SF76026
• Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation (El Sequndo, CA)
• Patent Number(s): 4,401,619
• Application Number: 06/219,560
• OSTI ID: 864686
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/137/220/976/
adjacent
amount
amount sufficient
annulus
aperture
blade
bottom
bottom portion
closure
closure head
communication
component
components
components define
comprises
contained
cooled nuclear
cover
cover gas
define
diffusion
dip
dip seal
disposed
downwardly
extending
extending downwardly
fluid
fluid communication
formed
gas
gas mixes
head
inflatable
inflatable seal
inside
insulation
intermediate
introduced
introducing
liquid
liquid metal
liquid metal-cooled
located
located adjacent
located inside
means
metal
metal-cooled
metal-cooled nuclear
mixes
nuclear
nuclear reactor
pendently
pendently supported
portion
provided
providing
providing fluid
purge
purge gas
radioactive
reactor
reactor sealing
reactor vessel
recycle
reduce
rotatable
seal
seal comprises
sealed
sealing
seals
series
sodium
sodium vapor
submerges
substantially
substantially reduce
sufficient
supported
therebetween
treatment
trough
upper
upper portion
vapor
vessel
withdrawn