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US 4,116,766 AGranted
Ultrasonic dip seal maintenance system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy
InventorsAllan M. Poindexter, Herbert E. Ricks
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Abstract
A system for removing impurities from the surfaces of liquid dip seals and or wetting the metal surfaces of liquid dip seals in nuclear components. The system comprises an ultrasonic transducer that transmits ultrasonic vibrations along an ultrasonic probe to the metal and liquid surfaces of the dip seal thereby loosening and removing those impurities.
Claims14
A system for maintaining operability of dip seals located in a vessel designed to contain radioactive material comprising:
- a closure head disposed on said vessel having at least one rotatable plug;
- said rotatable plug having an annulus therearound for enabling rotation of said rotatable plug;
- liquid dip seals disposed in said annulus for preventing the release of said radioactive material;
- an extension probe mounted on said rotatable plug and extending from a first end located above said rotatable plug to a second end located near said dip seal;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer attached to said first end of said extension probe for producing vibrations in said extension probe that propagate from said first end to said second end for removing impurities from the metal surfaces of said dip seal and for wetting said metal surfaces thereby increasing the sealing capability of said liquid dip seal and promoting the rotatability of said rotatable plug.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.