Cavity closure arrangement for high pressure vessels
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorHans H. Amtmann
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Abstract
A closure arrangement for a pressure vessel such as the pressure vessel of a high temperature gas-cooled reactor wherein a liner is disposed within a cavity penetration in the reactor vessel and defines an access opening therein. A closure is adapted for sealing relation with an annular mounting flange formed on the penetration liner and has a plurality of radially movable locking blocks thereon having outer serrations adapted for releasable interlocking engagement with serrations formed internally of the upper end of the penetration liner so as to effect high strength closure hold-down. In one embodiment, ramping surfaces are formed on the locking block serrations to bias the closure into sealed relation with the mounting flange when the locking blocks are actuated to locking positions.
Claims10
In a pressure vessel having at least one pressure cavity therein defining an access opening, the combination therewith comprising,
- mounting ring means fixedly secured to said vessel circumferentially of said access opening, said mounting ring means defining a support surface extending substantially circumferentially of said opening,
- a closure adapted for cooperation with said mounting ring means so as to be supported by said support surface in a manner to close said access opening,
- said mounting ring means defining at least one internal locking groove therein,
- a plurality of locking blocks carried by said closure for pure radial movement between first positions spaced from said mounting ring means when said closure is mounted on said support surface and second positions cooperating with said locking groove, each of said locking blocks having at least one locking projection thereon adapted for releasable interengagement with said locking groove in said mounting ring means when said locking blocks are moved radially to said second positions,
- and discrete actuator means cooperative with each of said locking blocks and operative to effect radial movement thereof between said first and second positions, said locking projections on said locking blocks having ramp surfaces thereon operative to effect biased movement of said closure toward said support surface so as to increase the sealing relation therebetween as said locking blocks are moved to their said second positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.