Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring

Poindexter, Allan M

Title: Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring

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Abstract

An improved liquid-metal dip seal for sealing the annulus between rotating plugs in the reactor vessel head of a liquid-metal fast-breeder nuclear reactor has two legs of differing widths communicating under a seal blade; the wide leg is also in communication with cover gas of the reactor and the narrow leg is also in communication with an isolated plug annulus above the seal. The annulus contains inert gas which acts as a pneumatic spring. Upon increasing cover gas pressure which depresses the level in the wide leg and greatly increases the level in the narrow leg, the pneumatic spring is compressed, and resists further level changes, thus preventing radioactive cover gas from bubbling through the seal.

Inventors:

Poindexter, Allan M ^[1]

Pleasant Hills, PA

Issue Date:: 1977-01-01

OSTI Identifier:: 862840

Patent Number(s):: 4026763

Assignee:: United States Energy Research and Development Administration (Washington, DC)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS

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Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E30/30 - Nuclear fission reactors

G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C13/0735 - {Seals for closures or for rotatable closures}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10T - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
Y10T137/4643 - Liquid valves

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DOE Contract Number:: E(11-1)-2395

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: liquid-metal; dip; seal; pneumatic; spring; improved; sealing; annulus; rotating; plugs; reactor; vessel; head; fast-breeder; nuclear; legs; differing; widths; communicating; blade; wide; leg; communication; cover; gas; narrow; isolated; plug; contains; inert; increasing; pressure; depresses; level; greatly; increases; compressed; resists; changes; preventing; radioactive; bubbling; rotating plugs; vessel head; reactor vessel; nuclear reactor; inert gas; gas pressure; metal fast; cover gas; dip seal; rotating plug; improved liquid; pneumatic spring; fast-breeder nuclear; greatly increase; breeder nuclear; liquid-metal fast-breeder; liquid-metal dip; /376/137/976/

Citation Formats


                    Poindexter, Allan M. Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring.  United States: N. p., 1977. 
        Web.

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                    Poindexter, Allan M. Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring.  United States.

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                    Poindexter, Allan M. Sat .  
        "Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/862840.

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@article{osti_862840,

  title        = {Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring},

  author       = {Poindexter, Allan M},

  abstractNote = {An improved liquid-metal dip seal for sealing the annulus between rotating plugs in the reactor vessel head of a liquid-metal fast-breeder nuclear reactor has two legs of differing widths communicating under a seal blade; the wide leg is also in communication with cover gas of the reactor and the narrow leg is also in communication with an isolated plug annulus above the seal. The annulus contains inert gas which acts as a pneumatic spring. Upon increasing cover gas pressure which depresses the level in the wide leg and greatly increases the level in the narrow leg, the pneumatic spring is compressed, and resists further level changes, thus preventing radioactive cover gas from bubbling through the seal.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1977},

  month        = {1}

}

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