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Title: Liquid-metal dip seal with pneumatic spring

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:
 [1]
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  1. Pleasant Hills, PA
Issue Date:
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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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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