Apparatus for sealing a rotatable shield plug in a liquid metal nuclear reactor

Claim 1

An apparatus for sealing a rotatable shield plug in a liquid metal nuclear reactor, comprising: (a) a rotatable shield plug assembly having a dip-ring seal, said seal providing a fluid/solid barrier between the liquid metal in the reactor and the atmosphere; (b) a static seal for the rotatable shield plug assembly, said static seal being located between the dip-ring seal and the liquid metal in the reactor; (c) a bearing attached to and supporting the plug for rotation with respect to a wall of the reactor; (d) a lifting ring assembly overlying the shield plug assembly and the bearing, said lifting ring assembly being supported for rotation by the bearing; and (e) a plurality of bolts engaging the ring assembly and the shield plug in a first position and in a second position, in the first position said bolts disengage the static seal and transfer the weight of the shield plug assembly onto the bearing for rotation of the shield plug with respect to the wall of the reactor and in the second position said bolts transfer the weight of the shield plug back to the reactor wall for operation at power and cause engagement of the static seal, thereby isolating the dip-ring seal from the liquid metal.

Claim 2

An apparatus for sealing a rotatable shield plug in a liquid metal nuclear reactor, comprising: (a) a rotatable shield plug assembly having a dip-ring seal, said seal providing a fluid/solid barrier between the liquid metal in the reactor and the atmosphere; (b) a static seal for the rotatable shield plug assembly, said static seal being located between the dip-ring seal and the liquid metal in the reactor; (c) a bearing attached to and supporting the plug for rotation with respect to a wall of the reactor; (d) a lifting ring assembly overlying the shield plug assembly and the bearing, said lifting ring assembly being supported for rotation by the bearing; and (e) a plurality of bolts engaging the ring assembly and the shield plug in a first position and in a second position, in the first position said bolts disengage the static seal and transfer the weight of the shield plug assembly onto the bearing for rotation of the shield plug with respect to the wall of the reactor and in the second position said bolts transfer the weight of the shield plug back to the reactor wall for operation at power and cause engagement of the static seal, thereby isolating the dip-ring seal from the liquid metal.

Claim 8

An apparatus for sealing a rotatable shield plug in a liquid nuclear reactor, comprising: (a) a shield plug assembly having a plurality of circular plates, one of said plates operatively secures a shear key to the nuclear reactor, a second of said plates provides a sealing surface for a static seal; (b) a nuclear reactor side wall having a first shoulder for static sealing engagement with the second of said plates, said side wall also having means forming a dip-ring seal with said shield plate assembly, said static seal being located between the dip-ring seal and the liquid metal in the reactor; (c) a bearing operatively attached to the nuclear reactor side wall for supporting the shield plug assembly for rotation with respect to said wall; (d) a lifting ring assembly overlying the shield and the bearing, said lifting ring assembly being supported for rotation by the bearing; (e) a plurality of bolts engaging the ring assembly and the shield plug assembly in a first position and in a second position, in the first position said bolts disengage the static seal and transfer the weight of the shield plug onto the bearing for rotation of the shield plug with respect to the wall of the reactor and in the second position said bolts cause engagement of the static seal thereby isolating the dip-ring seal from the liquid metal and transfer the weight of the shield plug and back to the reactor wall for operation at power; and (f) means forming an abutting seal between the shield plug assembly and the nuclear reactor side wall, said seal formed by the abutting contact of a third circular plate of the shield plug assembly with a second shoulder of a side wall of the nuclear reactor, said abutting seal being located between the liquid metal and the static seal.

Claim 9

An apparatus for sealing a rotatable shield plug in a liquid nuclear reactor, comprising: (a) a shield plug assembly having a plurality of circular plates, one of said plates operatively secures a shear key to the nuclear reactor, a second of said plates provides a sealing surface for a static seal; (b) a nuclear reactor side wall having a first shoulder for static sealing engagement with the second of said plates, said side wall also having means forming a dip-ring seal with said shield plate assembly, said static seal being located between the dip-ring seal and the liquid metal in the reactor; (c) a bearing operatively attached to the nuclear reactor side wall for supporting the shield plug assembly for rotation with respect to said wall; (d) a lifting ring assembly overlying the shield and the bearing, said lifting ring assembly being supported for rotation by the bearing; (e) a plurality of bolts engaging the ring assembly and the shield plug assembly in a first position and in a second position, in the first position said bolts disengage the static seal and transfer the weight of the shield plug onto the bearing for rotation of the shield plug with respect to the wall of the reactor and in the second position said bolts cause engagement of the static seal thereby isolating the dip-ring seal from the liquid metal and transfer the weight of the shield plug and back to the reactor wall for operation at power; and (f) means forming an abutting seal between the shield plug assembly and the nuclear reactor side wall, said seal formed by the abutting contact of a third circular plate of the shield plug assembly with a second shoulder of a side wall of the nuclear reactor, said abutting seal being located between the liquid metal and the static seal.