Pressure vessel penetration techniques

Claim 1

In a nuclear reactor, the reactor having a fuel assembly including fissionable fuel elements and neutron absorber elements movable with respect to the fuel elements, the fuel assembly and fluid responsive actuators for positioning the absorber elements being positioned within a pressure vessel, the actuators including piston means coupled to the absorber elements, the pressure vessel having a main portion and a removable head, the improvement comprising: a first plurality of conduits commensurate in number with all of the absorber element actuators present in the reactor, said first plurality of conduits being located externally of the pressure vessel and having fluidic actuator position control signals applied to first ends thereof, the second ends of said conduits of said first plurality being formed into a bundle of tubular members closely positioned to one another; a second plurality of conduits commensurate in number with said first plurality of conduits, said second plurality of conduits being located internally of the pressure vessel and having first ends coupled to respective absorber element actuators, the second ends of said conduits of said second plurality being formed into a bundle of tubular members closely positioned to one another; and means for coupling the second ends of each of said first plurality of conduits to the second ends of respective of said second plurality of conduits, said coupling means passing through the wall of the pressure vessel main portion and defining a liquid-gas separation between the interior and exterior of the pressure vessel whereby absorber element position control signals generated externally of the pressure vessel may be applied to the fluid responsive actuators at one side only of the actuator pistons, said coupling means being associated with an aperture in the pressure vessel main portion wall and comprising: plug means sealed to the pressure vessel main portion wall about the periphery of the aperture therein, said plug means having a plurality of passages therethrough, the second ends of sAid conduits of said first plurality being terminated in respective of said plug means passages adjacent the exterior side thereof; connector means positioned internally of the pressure vessel, said connector means having a plurality of passages therethrough, said second ends of the second plurality of conduits being connected to respective of said connector means passages; and a third plurality of conduits extending between the pressure vessel side of said plug means and said connector means, said third plurality of conduits being terminated at first ends in respective of said plug means passages whereby said plug means provides continuous communication between the individual conduits of said first and third pluralities, the second ends of said conduits of said third plurality being coupled to the second ends of respective of said second plurality of conduits by respective passages in said connector means.