Abstract A high-impact force damping device is provided, particularly for the restraint of a pressurized-water reactor steam generator, to absorb and damp its impact force resulting from a break in its live steam output pipe line or reactor main pipe lines. The device is of the type relying on the plastic deformation of metal to absorb the impact force with a damping action preventing excessive rebound. To use this action, a substantially flat metal plate has one side supported by a suitable structure, and its other side provided with a bar having a width that is small as compared to that of the plate, this bar being made of metal that is harder than that of the metal plate, being in contact with the latter, and the bar being positioned to receive the impact force as by being positioned in the expected displacement path of the steam generator suffering a pipe line break accident. The plate and bar surfaces, at right angles to the direction of shock, are all mutually parallel with each other. The plate, its edges being unconfined, absorbs the shock force substantially in simple compression only and is made of metal having substantial resistance to plastic flow while possessing the characteristic of shifting sharply, when stressed, from elastic strain to plastic strain, iron and aluminum being examples.
A high-impact force absorbing and damping device comprising an element for receiving the impact and supported by a metal body which with increasing force strains elastically and then plastically; wherein the improvement comprises said body being in the form of a flat plate having free and unrestrained edges, and said element comprises an elongated bar made of metal harder than said metal body, said plate having a flat pressure-receiving side surface and said bar having a flat pressing side surface engaging said pressure-receiving surface, said bar's pressing surface being of substantially less width than said pressure-receiving surface, said plate being precompressed throughout the area of its said pressure-receiving surface engaged by said pressing surface of said bar.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A high-impact force absorbing and damping device comprising an element for receiving the impact and supported by a metal body which with increasing force strains elastically and then plastically; wherein the improvement comprises said body being in the form of a flat plate having free and unrestrained edges, and said element comprises an elongated bar made of metal harder than said metal body, said plate having a flat pressure-receiving side surface and said bar having a flat pressing side surface engaging said pressure-receiving surface, said bar's pressing surface being of substantially less width than said pressure-receiving surface, said plate being precompressed throughout the area of its said pressure-receiving surface engaged by said pressing surface of said bar.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The device of claim 1 in which said bar longitudinally overhangs said plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 1 in which said bar and plate are rectangular in contour.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device of claim 1 in which said pressure-receiving surface portion of said plate is precompressed to a lesser thickness than the balance of said plate and then reduced to a thickness less than said lesser thickness by removal of its metal.