Arrangement for interconnecting conduits

Abstract

A large-area cell for reprocessing irradiated nuclear reactor fuel elements ontains racks in which process components and connecting conduits for the latter are arranged. The arrangement of the invention connects the conduits of a rack with a plurality of supply conduits outside of the cell which have end portions that penetrate the interior wall of the cell. When the racks are assembled and disassembled, the conduits leading to the process components contained in the rack have to be disconnected from the supply conduits. The conduits should be connected and disconnected rapidly and surely by means of remotely-controlled manipulating apparatus. For this purpose, the arrangement of the invention for interconnecting conduits includes two terminal blocks each having a plurality of passages formed therein. The two terminal blocks are connected to each other by conduit segments which communicate with corresponding ones of the passages in the blocks. The free ends of the passages in the blocks terminate in a common surface thereof and define a predetermined pattern which corresponds to the pattern of the conduit end portions in the rack on the one hand and, to the conduit end portions at the cell wall on the other hand. The two terminal blocks and the conduit segments conjointly define a portable unit which is removable from and returnable to a rest position whereat the unit connects the wall conduit end portions with respective ones of the rack conduit end portions. The free ends of the terminal blocks, the conduit end portions at the rack, and the conduit end portions at the wall are aligned by centering arrangements.