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Development of inflatable seals for the rotatable plugs of sodium cooled fast breeder reactors: a review – Part II: R&D necessities and development across the world

  • N. K. Sinha and B. Raj
Published/Copyright: January 8, 2014
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Kerntechnik
From the journal Kerntechnik Volume 78 Issue 6

Abstract

Identification of development areas and their implementation for rotatable plug (RP) inflatable seals of Na cooled, 500 Mw (e) Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and 40 MW (t) Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) are described, largely based on a late 1990s survey of cover gas seal development (1950s–early 1990s) which defined a set of shortlisted design options and developmental strategy to minimize effort, cost and time. Comparative study of top shield sealing and evolving FBR designs suggest suitability of inflatable seal as primary barrier in RPs. International experience identified choice and qualification of seal elastomer under synergistic degrading environment of reactor as the prime element of development. The low pressure, non-reinforced, unbeaded, PFBR inflatable seal (made of 50/50 blend of Viton® GBL 200S/600S) developed for 10 y life provides a unification scheme for nuclear elastomeric sealing based on 5 peroxide cured fluoroelastomer blend formulations, 1 finite element analysis approach, 1 Teflon-like plasma coating technique and 2 manufacturing processes promising significant gains in standardization, economy and safety. Uniqueness was ab initio development in the absence of established industry or readymade supply. R&D necessities for inflatable seals and their development across the world are given closer look in Part II of the review in continuation of Part I.

Kurzfassung

Die Entwicklung von Dichtungen für Drehschieber für die beiden natriumgekühlten schnellen Brutreaktoren PFBR (Prototyp eines Schnellen Brutreaktors, 500 MWe) sowie FBTR (Schneller Brut-Test-Reaktor, 40 MW) wird in diesem Beitrag beschrieben. Basierend auf einer in den späten 1990ern durchgeführten Literaturrecherche zu den weltweiten Erfahrungen in der Entwicklung und Erprobung dieser Drehschieber in den Jahren seit 1950 wurden verschiedene erfolgversprechende Designoptionen und eine Strategie zur Aufwand-, Kosten- und Zeitminimierung definiert für die weiter durchzuführenden Entwicklungsschritte. Vergleichende Untersuchungen führten zur Auswahl aufpumpbarer Dichtungen als Primärbarriere von Drehschiebern. Für den PFBR wurde schließlich eine Dichtung aus Elastomeren entwickelt und getestet. Im zweiten Teil dieses Beitrags werden die weltweiten durchgeführten Forschungsarbeiten und Entwicklungsgebiete der letzten Jahrzehnte dargestellt.

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Received: 2013-6-28
Published Online: 2014-01-08
Published in Print: 2013-12-19

© 2013, Carl Hanser Verlag, München

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents
  3. Summaries/Kurzfassungen
  4. Summaries
  5. Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
  6. Development of inflatable seals for the rotatable plugs of sodium cooled fast breeder reactors: a review – Part II: R&D necessities and development across the world
  7. Analysis of radwaste management alternatives during dismantling of Ignalina NPP systems with low level contamination
  8. Calculation of excitation functions for the production of Cu and Co medical isotopes
  9. Reliability assessment of the passive heat removal system of the VVER-1000 reactor at Kudankulam NPP
  10. Calculation of the neutronic behavior of minor actinides burning in a thermal research reactor using the MCNPX 2.6 code
  11. Steam drum level control studies of a natural circulation multi loop reactor
  12. Analyses in regulatory practice
  13. Technical Notes/Technische Mitteilungen
  14. Installation and measurement capacity of 3 × 592 GBq 241Am–Be neutron irradiation cell
  15. Calculation of the critical thickness for one-speed neutrons in a reflected slab with backward and forward scattering using modified TN method
https://doi.org/10.3139/124.110392

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents/Inhalt
  2. Contents
  3. Summaries/Kurzfassungen
  4. Summaries
  5. Technical Contributions/Fachbeiträge
  6. Development of inflatable seals for the rotatable plugs of sodium cooled fast breeder reactors: a review – Part II: R&D necessities and development across the world
  7. Analysis of radwaste management alternatives during dismantling of Ignalina NPP systems with low level contamination
  8. Calculation of excitation functions for the production of Cu and Co medical isotopes
  9. Reliability assessment of the passive heat removal system of the VVER-1000 reactor at Kudankulam NPP
  10. Calculation of the neutronic behavior of minor actinides burning in a thermal research reactor using the MCNPX 2.6 code
  11. Steam drum level control studies of a natural circulation multi loop reactor
  12. Analyses in regulatory practice
  13. Technical Notes/Technische Mitteilungen
  14. Installation and measurement capacity of 3 × 592 GBq 241Am–Be neutron irradiation cell
  15. Calculation of the critical thickness for one-speed neutrons in a reflected slab with backward and forward scattering using modified TN method
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