Westinghouse Electric Corporation

John D Sutherland

John A George

Joseph F Meier

George E Rudd

Ashok V Pradhan

Hugh W Lippincott

A shock absorber system was designed to absorb the energy imparted to doors in a nuclear reactor ice condenser compartment as they swing rapidly to an open position. Each shock absorber which is installed on a wall adjacent each door is large and must absorb up to about 40,000 foot pounds of energy. The basic shock absorber component comprises foam enclosed in a synthetic fabric bag having a volume about twice the foam volume. A stainless steel knitted mesh bag of the same volume as the fabric bag, contains the fabric bag and its enclosed foam. To protect the foam and bags during construction activities at the reactor site and from the shearing action of the doors, a protective sheet metal cover is installed over the shock absorber ends and the surface to be contacted by the moving door. With the above shock absorber mounted on a wall behind each door, as the door is forcibly opened by steam pressure and air resulting from a pipe break in the reactor compartment, it swings at a high velocity into contact with the shock absorber, crushes the foam and forces it into the fabric bag excess material thus containing the foam fragmented particles, and minimizes build-up of pressure in the bag as a result of the applied compressive force.

Shock absorber system for nuclear reactor ice condenser compartment

A support structure for the lattice supporting a fusible material in the annular condenser region of a nuclear reactor containment, the flexibility of which structure can be selectively adjusted in accordance with seismic or other loading requirements. The lattice is affixed to a flexible member in a manner which allows relative movement between the two components. The flexible member is affixed to a rigid support member in a manner which selectively adjusts the resiliency of the flexible member. The support member is rigidly affixed to a wall of the containment annulus, and can also be utilized to support cooling ducts.

Growing community of inventors

Monroeville, PA, United States of America

John D Sutherland