Liquid sodium dip seal maintenance system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsRichard L. Briggs, Sterling A. Meacham
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Abstract
A system for spraying liquid sodium onto impurities associated with liquid dip seals of nuclear reactors. The liquid sodium mixing with the impurities dissolves the impurities in the liquid sodium. The liquid sodium having dissolved and diluted the impurities carries the impurities away from the site thereby cleaning the liquid dip seal and surrounding area. The system also allows wetting of the metallic surfaces of the dip seal thereby reducing migration of radioactive particles across the wetted boundary.
Claims10
A system for removing impurities from dip seals including a vessel designed to contain radioactive material and a closure head disposed on said vessel having at least one rotatable plug for positioning refueling equipment, said rotatable plug and vessel defining an annulus to enable the rotation of said rotatable plug, said annulus having a liquid dip seal disposed thereacross for preventing the release of said radioactive material, and liquid sodium means associated with said dip seal for introducing liquid sodium to said dip seal at a temperature of at least 600.degree. F. and for overflowing said liquid sodium from said dip seal and down said annulus thus removing said impurities therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.