Pipe connector

Patent · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:863067

Sullivan, Thomas E ^[1]; Pardini, John A ^[2]

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1. Evergreen Park, IL
2. Brookfield, IL

A safety test facility for testing sodium-cooled nuclear reactor components includes a reactor vessel and a heat exchanger submerged in sodium in the tank. The reactor vessel and heat exchanger are connected by an expansion/deflection pipe coupling comprising a pair of coaxially and slidably engaged tubular elements having radially enlarged opposed end portions of which at least a part is of spherical contour adapted to engage conical sockets in the ends of pipes leading out of the reactor vessel and in to the heat exchanger. A spring surrounding the pipe coupling urges the end portions apart and into engagement with the spherical sockets. Since the pipe coupling is submerged in liquid a limited amount of leakage of sodium from the pipe can be tolerated.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4087323
• OSTI ID: 863067
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

pipe
connector
safety
facility
testing
sodium-cooled
nuclear
reactor
components
vessel
heat
exchanger
submerged
sodium
tank
connected
expansion
deflection
coupling
comprising
pair
coaxially
slidably
engaged
tubular
elements
radially
enlarged
opposed
portions
spherical
contour
adapted
engage
conical
sockets
pipes
leading
spring
surrounding
urges
apart
engagement
liquid
limited
amount
leakage
tolerated
reactor vessel
heat exchange
nuclear reactor
heat exchanger
cooled nuclear
reactor components
slidably engage
reactor component
slidably engaged
sodium-cooled nuclear
spherical sockets
pipes leading
pipe connector
/376/285/976/