Tubular connector assembly of a nuclear reactor charge machine

Claim 2

A TUBULAR CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY COMPONENT OF A CHARGING MACHINE FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR AND WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED ON AND MOVABLE OVER A PLATFORM OF THE REACTOR TO BE ALIGNMENT WITH AND FOR CONNECTION TO THE ENDS OF INDIVIDUAL STAND PIPES FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXCHANGING FUEL OR MODERATOR COMPONENTS WHICH ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE CORE OF THE REACTOR THROUGH THE STAND PIPES, SAID TUBULAR CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CYLINDER, AN ANNULAR PISTON INCLUDING A CROWN AND A SKIRT ARRANGED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF ONE END OF SAID CYLINDER, A CYLINDRIC OPEN-ENDED BELLOWS UNIT DISPOSED CONCENTRIC WITH AND INTERIORLY OF SAID ANNULAR PISTON, ONE END OF SAID CYLINDRIC BELLOWS UNIT BEING SECURED TO SAID PISTON CROWN AND THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID BELLOWS UNIT BEING SECURED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID CYLINDER THEREBY TO FORM AN ANNUHLAR CHAMBER BETWEEN THE BELLOWS UNIT AND THE SURROUNDING PISTON AND CYLINDER WALL, AND MEANS FOR ADMITTING A PRESSURIZED FLUID MEDIUM INTO SAID ANNULAR CHAMBER TO EXTEND SAID BELLOWS UNIT AND ADVANCE SAID PISTON AND TO SEAT THE ANNULAR CROWN THEREOF ONTO THE END OF A STAND PIPE THEREBY TO ESTABLISH

Claim 3

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor as defined in claim 1 wherein said inlet and outlet ports to and from said cylinder include annular inlet and outlet distribution headers for the fluid medium flowing into and out of the cylinder and an array of circumferentially spaced ports leading through the wall of said cylinder and through the wall of said piston skirt.

Claim 4

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor as defined in claim 1 and which further includes a compensating ring mounted to said piston crown by spring loaded jointing elements, the lower surface of said ring being planar for contact with the end of the stand pipe and the upper surface of said ring having a tapered configuration mating with a complementarily configured seat provided in the base of said piston crown thus to compensate for any deviation in alignment of the respective axes of said stand pipe and piston.

Claim 5

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor as defined in claim 1 and which further includes an annular pressure chamber formed between annular steps on said piston skirt and said cylinder wall, and means for admitting said pressure chamber with a pressurized fluid for actuating said piston in the direction inwardly of said cylinder and away from the end of the stand pipe.

Claim 6

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor as defined in claim 1 and which further includes radially spaced ring seals located on the lower face of said piston crown, and a gas extraction groove located intermediate said ring seals.

Claim 7

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor and which is adapted to be located on and movable over a platform of the reactor into alignment with and for connection to the ends of individual stand pipes for the purpose of exchanging fuel or moderator components which are introduced into the core of the reactor through the stand pipes, said tubular connector assembly comprising a cylinder, an annular piston including a crown and a skirt arranged for sliding movement into and out of one end of said cylinder, a cylindric open-ended bellows unit disposed concentric with and interiorly of said annular piston, one end of said cylindric bellows unit being secured to said piston crown and the opposite end of said bellows unit being secured at the other end of said cylinder thereby to form an annular chamber between the bellows unit and the surrounding piston and cylinder wall, means for admitting a pressurized fluid medium into said annular chamber to extend said bellows unit and advance said piston and to seat the annular crown thereof onto the end of a stand pipe thereby to establish a charging passageway for the stand pipe leading through said open-ended bellows unit and the other end of said cylinder into the interior of said charging machine, and means for equalizing the pressure of the piston actuating fluid medium existing at the outer side of said open-ended bellows unit and the reactor gas pressure existing at the inner side of said open-ended bellows unit.

Claim 8

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor and which is adapted to be located on and movable over a platform of the reactor into alignment with and for connection to the ends of individual stand pipes for the purpose of exchanging fuel or moderator components which are introduced into the core of the reactor through the stand pipes, said tubular connector assembly comprising a cylinder, an annular piston including a crown and a skirt arranged for sliding movement into and out of one end of said cylinder, a cylindric open-ended bellows unit disposed concentric with and interiorly of said annular piston, one end of said cylindric bellows unit being secured to said piston crown and the opposite end of said bellows unit being secured at the other end of said cylinder thereby to form an annular chamber between the bellows unit and the surrounding piston and cylinder wall, means for admitting a pressurized fluid medium into said annular chamber to extend said bellows unit and advance said piston and to seat the annular crown thereof onto the end of a stand pipe thereby to establish a charging passageway for the stand pipe leading through said open-ended bellows unit and the other end of said cylinder into the interior of said charging machine, and means for equalizing the pressure of the piston actuating fluid medium existing at the outer side of said open-ended bellows unit and the reactor gas pressure existing at the inner side of said open-ended bellows unit.

Claim 9

A tubular connector assembly component of a charging machine for a nuclear reactor as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for equalizing the pressure of the piston actuating fluid medium at the outer side of said open-ended bellows unit and the reactor gas pressure existing at the inner side of said open-ended bellows unit comprises a pressure-equalizing vessel having in operation one side subjected to the pressure of the reactor gas within said bellows unit and the other side connected to the intake side of a pump included in a system for circulating the pressurized fluid medium through said annular chamber.