Electronically Controlled Mechanical Seal for Aerospace Applications -- Part 1: Design, Analysis, and Steady State Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Salant, Richard F.; Wolff, Paul; Navon, Samuel

1994-01-01

An electronically-controlled mechanial seal, for use as the purge gas seal in a liquid oxygen turbopump, has been designed, analyzed, and built. The thickness of the lubricating film between the faces is controlled by adjusting the coning of the carbon face. This is done by applying a voltage across a piezoelectric element to which the carbon face is bound. Steady state tests have shown that the leakage rate (and film thickness) can be adjusted over a substantial range, utilizing the available range of voltage.

Electronically controled mechanical seal for aerospace applications -- Part 1: Design, analysis, and steady state tests

Science.gov (United States)

Salant, Richard F.; Wolff, Paul; Navon, Samuel

1994-01-01

An electronically-controlled mechanial seal, for use as the purge gas seal in a liquid oxygen turbopump, has been designed, analyzed, and built. The thickness of the lubricating film between the faces is controlled by adjusting the coning of the carbon face. This is done by applying a voltage across a piezoelectric element to which the carbon face is bound. Steady state tests have shown that the leakage rate (and film thickness) can be adjusted over a substantial range, utilizing the available range of voltage.

Cover gas seals: FFTF-LMFBR seal test program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurzeka, W.; Oliva, R.; Welch, T.S.; Shimazaki, T.

1974-01-01

The objectives of this program are to: (1) conduct static and dynamic tests to demonstrate or determine the mechanical performance of full-size (cross section) FFTF fuel transfer machine and reactor vessel head seals intended for use in a sodium vapor-inert gas environment, (2) demonstrate that these FFTF seals or new seal configurations provide acceptable fission product and cover gas retention capabilities at Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) operating environmental conditions other than radiation, and (3) develop improved seals and seal technology for the CRBRP to support the national objective to reduce all atmospheric contaminations to low levels

Techniques of preoxygenation in patients with ineffective face mask seal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pankaj Kundra

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Ineffective face mask seal is the most common cause for suboptimal pre-oxygenation. Room air entrainment can be more with vital capacity (VC breaths when the mask is not a tight fit. Aims: This study was designed to compare 5 min tidal volume (TV breathing and eight VC breaths in patients with ineffective face mask seal. Methods: Twenty eight ASA I adults with ineffective face mask seal were randomized to breathe 100% oxygen at normal TV for 5 min (Group TV and eight VC breaths (Group VC in a cross over manner through circle system at 10 L/min. End tidal oxygen concentration (EtO 2 and arterial blood gas analysis was performed to evaluate oxygenation with each technique. Statistical Analysis: Data were analysed using SPSS statistical software, version 16. Friedman′s two-way analysis of variance by ranks was used for non-parametric data. Results: Significant increase in EtO 2 (median 90 and PaO 2 (228.85 was seen in group TV when compared to group VC (EtO 2 median 85, PaO 2 147.65, P<0.05. Mean total ventilation volume in 1 min in group VC was 9.4±3.3 L/min and more than fresh gas flow (10 L/min in seven patients. In group TV, the fresh gas flow (50 L/5 min was sufficient at normal TV (mean total ventilation in 5 min 36.7±6.3 L/min. Conclusions: TV breathing for 5 min provides better pre-oxygenation in patients with ineffective mask seal with fresh gas flow of 10 L/min delivered through a circle system.

A hybrid floating brush seal (HFBS) for improved sealing and wear performance in turbomachinery applications

Science.gov (United States)

Lattime, Scott Byran

A conceptually new type of seal has been developed for gas turbine applications which dramatically reduces wear and leakage associated with current labyrinth and brush seal technologies. The Hybrid Floating Brush Seal (HFBS) combines brush seal and film riding face seal technologies to create a hybrid seal that allows both axial and radial excursions of the sealed shaft, while simultaneously eliminating interface surface speeds (friction and heat) between the rotor and the brush material that characterize standard brush seal technology. A simple test rig was designed to evaluate feasibility of the HFBS under relatively low pressures and rotational speeds (50psig, 5krpm). A second test stand was created to study the effects of centrifugal force on bristle deflection. A third test facility was constructed for prototype development and extensive room temperature testing at moderate pressures and fairly high rotational speeds (100psig, 40krpm). This test rig also allowed the evaluation of the HFBS during axial movement of a rotating shaft. An analytical model to predict the effects of centrifugal force on the bristles of a rotating brush seal was developed. Room temperature analysis of the HFBS proved successful for relatively high operating rotational velocities at moderate pressures with very acceptable leakage rates for gas turbine engines. Brush seals were able to track rotor speeds up to 24krpm while maintaining sealing integrity. The HFBS's ability to function under axial shaft displacement and synchronous dynamic radial loading was also proven successful. Hydrodynamic performance of the face seal was proven to provide adequate stiffness and load carrying capacity to keep the brush seal from contacting the face seal at pressure drops across the brush of up to 100psi. Leakage performance over standard brush seal and labyrinth technology was quite dramatic. The HFBS showed its sealing advantage using much higher radial interference between the rotor and the bristle

The Contact State Monitoring for Seal End Faces Based on Acoustic Emission Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohui Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Monitoring the contact state of seal end faces would help the early warning of the seal failure. In the acoustic emission (AE detection for mechanical seal, the main difficulty is to reduce the background noise and to classify the dispersed features. To solve these problems and achieve higher detection rates, a new approach based on genetic particle filter with autoregression (AR-GPF and hypersphere support vector machine (HSSVM is presented. First, AR model is used to build the dynamic state space (DSS of the AE signal, and GPF is used for signal filtering. Then, multiple features are extracted, and a classification model based on HSSVM is constructed for state recognition. In this approach, AR-GPF is an excellent time-domain method for noise reduction, and HSSVM has advantage on those dispersed features. Finally experimental data shows that the proposed method can effectively detect the contact state of the seal end faces and has higher accuracy rates than some other existing methods.

Reactor coolant pump shaft seal behavior during station blackout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kittmer, C.A.; Wensel, R.G.; Rhodes, D.B.; Metcalfe, R.; Cotnam, B.M.; Gentili, H.; Mings, W.J.

1985-04-01

A testing program designed to provide fundamental information pertaining to the behavior of reactor coolant pump (RCP) shaft seals during a postulated nuclear power plant station blackout has been completed. One seal assembly, utilizing both hydrodynamic and hydrostatic types of seals, was modeled and tested. Extrusion tests were conducted to determine if seal materials could withstand predicted temperatures and pressures. A taper-face seal model was tested for seal stability under conditions when leaking water flashes to steam across the seal face. Test information was then used as the basis for a station blackout analysis. Test results indicate a potential problem with an elastomer material used for O-rings by a pump vendor; that vendor is considering a change in material specification. Test results also indicate a need for further research on the generic issue of RCP seal integrity and its possible consideration for designation as an unresolved safety issue

Actively controlled shaft seals for aerospace applications

Science.gov (United States)

Salant, Richard F.

1995-07-01

This study experimentally investigates an actively controlled mechanical seal for aerospace applications. The seal of interest is a gas seal, which is considerably more compact than previous actively controlled mechanical seals that were developed for industrial use. In a mechanical seal, the radial convergence of the seal interface has a primary effect on the film thickness. Active control of the film thickness is established by controlling the radial convergence of the seal interface with a piezoelectric actuator. An actively controlled mechanical seal was initially designed and evaluated using a mathematical model. Based on these results, a seal was fabricated and tested under laboratory conditions. The seal was tested with both helium and air, at rotational speeds up to 3770 rad/sec, and at sealed pressures as high as 1.48 x 10(exp 6) Pa. The seal was operated with both manual control and with a closed-loop control system that used either the leakage rate or face temperature as the feedback. The output of the controller was the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator. The seal operated successfully for both short term tests (less than one hour) and for longer term tests (four hours) with a closed-loop control system. The leakage rates were typically 5-15 slm (standard liters per minute), and the face temperatures were generally maintained below 100C. When leakage rate was used as the feedback signal, the setpoint leakage rate was typically maintained within 1 slm. However, larger deviations occurred during sudden changes in sealed pressure. When face temperature was used as the feedback signal, the setpoint face temperature was generally maintained within 3 C, with larger deviations occurring when the sealed pressure changes suddenly. the experimental results were compared to the predictions from the mathematical model. The model was successful in predicting the trends in leakage rate that occurred as the balance ratio and sealed pressure changed

Inboard seal mounting

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, John R. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A regenerator assembly for a gas turbine engine has a hot side seal assembly formed in part by a cast metal engine block having a seal recess formed therein that is configured to supportingly receive ceramic support blocks including an inboard face thereon having a regenerator seal face bonded thereto. A pressurized leaf seal is interposed between the ceramic support block and the cast metal engine block to bias the seal wear face into sealing engagement with a hot side surface of a rotary regenerator matrix.

Initial field testing definition of subsurface sealing and backfilling tests in unsaturated tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, J.A.; Case, J.B.; Tyburski, J.R.

1993-05-01

This report contains an initial definition of the field tests proposed for the Yucca Mountain Project repository sealing program. The tests are intended to resolve various performance and emplacement concerns. Examples of concerns to be addressed include achieving selected hydrologic and structural requirements for seals, removing portions of the shaft liner, excavating keyways, emplacing cementitious and earthen seals, reducing the impact of fines on the hydraulic conductivity of fractures, efficient grouting of fracture zones, sealing of exploratory boreholes, and controlling the flow of water by using engineered designs. Ten discrete tests are proposed to address these and other concerns. These tests are divided into two groups: Seal component tests and performance confirmation tests. The seal component tests are thorough small-scale in situ tests, the intermediate-scale borehole seal tests, the fracture grouting tests, the surface backfill tests, and the grouted rock mass tests. The seal system tests are the seepage control tests, the backfill tests, the bulkhead test in the Calico Hills unit, the large-scale shaft seal and shaft fill tests, and the remote borehole sealing tests. The tests are proposed to be performed in six discrete areas, including welded and non-welded environments, primarily located outside the potential repository area. The final selection of sealing tests will depend on the nature of the geologic and hydrologic conditions encountered during the development of the Exploratory Studies Facility and detailed numerical analyses. Tests are likely to be performed both before and after License Application

Seal arrangement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dempsey, J.D.

1978-01-01

A hydraulically balanced face type shaft seal is provided in which the opening and closing seal face areas retain concentricity with each other in the event of lateral shaft displacement. The seal arrangement is for a vertical high pressure pump, indented for use in the cooling system of a nuclear reactor. (Auth.)

Study and Development of Face-Contact, Bellows Mechanical Seal for Liquid Hydrogen Turbopump

OpenAIRE

NOSAKA, Masataka; SUZUKI, Mineo; MIYAKAWA, Yukio; KAMIJO, Kenjiro; KIKUCHI, Masataka; MORI, Masahiro; 野坂, 正隆; 鈴木, 峰男; 宮川, 行雄; 上絛, 謙二郎; 菊池, 正孝; 森, 雅裕

1981-01-01

The development of a 10-ton thrust liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen (LOX and LH2) rocket engine is under way at the National Space Development Agency. In advance of the development of a liquid hydrogen turbopump, the National Aerospace Laboratory carried out study and development of a face-contact, bellows mechanical seal for a liquid hydrogen turbopump in co-operation with the National Space Development Agency. The present report describes the fundamental experiments of the mechanical seal ...

Self-acting shaft seals

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, L. P.

1978-01-01

Self-acting seals are described in detail. The mathematical models for obtaining a seal force balance and the equilibrium operating film thickness are outlined. Particular attention is given to primary ring response (seal vibration) to rotating seat face runout. This response analysis reveals three different vibration models with secondary seal friction being an important parameter. Leakage flow inlet pressure drop and affects of axisymmetric sealing face deformations are discussed. Experimental data on self-acting face seals operating under simulated gas turbine conditions are given. Also a spiral groove seal design operated to 244 m/sec (800 ft/sec) is described.

Addendum to ''Test Plan: Small-Scale Seal Performance Tests (SSSPT)''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finley, R.E.

1992-01-01

This document describes activities that are intended to update the data base of fluid flow measurements made on expansive salt concrete (ESC) seals as part of the Small-Scale Seal Performance Tests (SSSPT). The original plans for the SSSPT experiments are described by Stormont (1985a and 1985b). These seals have previously been tested with brine and gas during the early stages (less than 450 days) after emplacement. The purpose of this Test Plan Addendum is to detail the activities necessary to, update the gas and brine measurements previously performed on the SSSPT Series A and Series B seals and to identify the key personnel responsible for implementing these activities. This addendum describes a limited undertaking and does NOT change the scope of the original test plan

Tamper-indicating devices and safeguards seals evaluation test report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horton, P.R.V.; Waddoups, I.G.

1993-12-01

Sandia National Laboratories was asked to evaluate the seals used as tamper-indicating devices (TIDs) at DOE facilities. Initially, a survey determined what seal manufacturers were being used and what similar seal types were available. Once the required specifications for TIDs were defined, a test plan measured the currently available seals against the requirements. Environmental and physical type tests stressed the seals under two broad categories: (1) handling durability and (2) tamper resistance. Results of the testing provide comparative ratings for the various seals, recommendations for using currently available seals, and a new tamper-indicating technology

Cover gas seals. 11 - FFTF-LMFBR seal-test program, January-March 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurzeka, W.; Oliva, R.; Welch, F.

1974-01-01

The objectives of this program are to: (1) conduct static and dynamic tests to demonstrate or determine the mechanical performance of full-size (cross section) FFTF fuel transfer machine and reactor vessel head seals intended for use in a sodium vapor - inert gas environment, (2) demonstrate that these FFTF seals or new seal configuration provide acceptable fission product and cover gas retention capabilities at LMFBR Clinch River Plant operating environmental conditions other than radiation, and (3) develop improved seals and seal technology for the LMFBR Clinch River Plant to support the national objective to reduce all atmospheric contaminations to low levels

Process and device for in situ replacing sealing faces in large valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francois, M.; Garit, J.; Mantes, G.

1995-01-01

A milling machine is fitted in the interior of the valve and first machines the sealing face of the opposite seat of the seat to be replaced so that this face can act as a reference for the tool and then machines out the seat ending up by machining a new recess for the replacement seat which is then inserted in position and fixed to the body of the valve by a circular welded joint. 23 figs

Seals Research at AlliedSignal

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, M. Rifat

1996-01-01

A consortium has been formed to address seal problems in the Aerospace sector of Allied Signal, Inc. The consortium is represented by makers of Propulsion Engines, Auxiliary Power Units, Gas Turbine Starters, etc. The goal is to improve Face Seal reliability, since Face Seals have become reliability drivers in many of our product lines. Several research programs are being implemented simultaneously this year. They include: Face Seal Modeling and Analysis Methodology; Oil Cooling of Seals; Seal Tracking Dynamics; Coking Formation & Prevention; and Seal Reliability Methods.

UPTF loop seal tests and their RELAP simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuomainen, M.; Tuunanen, J.

1997-01-01

In a pressurized water reactor the loop seals have an effect on the natural circulation. If a loop seal is filled with water it can cause a flow stagnation in the loop during two-phase natural circulation. Also the pressure loss over a filled loop seal is high, which lowers the water level in the core. Tests to investigate the loop seal behaviour were performed on a German Upper Plenum Test Facility (UPTF). The purpose of the tests was to study the amount of water in the loop seal under different steam flow rates. The tests were simulated with RELAP5/MOD3.2. With high steam flow rates the code had problems in simulating the amount of the water remaining in the pump elbow, but in general the agreement between the calculated results and the experimental data was good. (orig.)

Testing of elastomer seals using small-size rigs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leeks, C.W.E.; Dunford, B.; Barnfield, J.H.; Gray, I.L.S.

1997-01-01

This paper looks at the use of small size seal leakage test rigs to demonstrate the compliance of full size container seals against the IAEA Transport Regulation's limits for activity release for normal transport and accident conditions. The detailed requirements of the regulations are discussed and it is concluded that an appropriate test programme to meet these requirements using only small size test rigs, can normally be set up and carried out on a relatively short time scale. It is important that any small test rigs should be designed to represent the relevant features of the seal arrangement and the overall test programme should cover all of the conditions, specified by the regulations, for the type, classification and contents of the container under consideration. The parameters of elastomer O-rings, which affect their sealing ability, are considered and those which are amenable to small scale testing or have to be modelled at full size are identified. Generally, the seals used in leakage tests have to be modelled with a full size cross-section but can have a reduced peripheral length. (Author)

MWTF jumper connector integral seal block development and leak testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruff, E.S.; Jordan, S.R.

1995-01-01

In fiscal year 1993, tests of an o-ring/tetraseal retainer designed to replace a gasket-type seal used in PUREX-type process jumper connectors encouraged the design of an improved seal block. This new seal block combines several parts into one unitized component called an integral seal block. This report summarizes development and leak testing of the new integral seal block. The integral seal block uses a standard o-ring nested in a groove to accomplish leak tightness. This seal block eliminates the need to machine acme threads into the lower skirt casting and seal retainers, eliminates tolerance stack-up, reduces parts inventory, and eliminates an unnecessary leak path in the jumper connector assembly. This report also includes test data on various types of o-ring materials subjected to heat and pressure. Materials tested included Viton, Kalrez, and fluorosilicone, with some incidental data on teflon coated silicone o-rings. Test experience clearly demonstrates the need to test each seal material for temperature and pressure in its intended application. Some materials advertised as being open-quotes betterclose quotes at higher temperatures did not perform up to expectations. Inspection of the fluorosilicone and Kalrez seals after thermal testing indicates that they are much more susceptible to heat softening than Viton

Aspects related to the testing of sealed radioactive sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olteanu, C. M.; Nistor, V.; Valeca, S. C.

2016-01-01

Sealed radioactive sources are commonly used in a wide range of applications, such as: medical, industrial, agricultural and scientific research. The radioactive material is contained within the sealed source and the device allows the radiation to be used in a controlled way. Accidents can result if the control over a small fraction of those sources is lost. Sealed nuclear sources fall under the category of special form radioactive material, therefore they must meet safety requirements during transport according to regulations. Testing sealed radioactive sources is an important step in the conformity assessment process in order to obtain the design approval. In ICN Pitesti, the Reliability and Testing Laboratory is notified by CNCAN to perform tests on sealed radioactive sources. This paper wants to present aspects of the verifying tests on sealed capsules for Iridium-192 sources in order to demonstrate the compliance with the regulatory requirements and the program of quality assurance of the tests performed. (authors)

Subscale hood seal test topical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Versteeg, J.L.; Herold, B.A.; McClintic, J.K.; Schmall, R.A.; Hoetzl, M.

1991-09-06

To maximize the transfer of heat from the recirculated gases to the scrap, it is essential to percolate as much of the gases as possible through the scrap. To accomplish this flow path and avoid the bypassing of hot gas around the scrap, the seal between the preheater hood and the scrap bucket must be relatively tight. These tests which are described in this report were designed to measure the performance of several possible seal designs under simulated operating conditions. At the conclusion of the tests, one design was recommended as the primary arrangement with another design considered as an alternate. Both designs met the criteria of low leakage but one design was preferred due an expected greater resistance to wear. The test results also provided valuable information for estimating seal leakage in the full scale installation.

Severe service sealing solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalfe, R.; Wensel, R.

1994-09-01

Successful sealing usually requires much more than initial leak-tightness. Friction and wear must also be acceptable, requiring a good understanding of tribology at the sealing interface. This paper describes various sealing solutions for severe service conditions. The CAN2A and CAN8 rotary face seals use tungsten carbide against carbon-graphite to achieve low leakage and long lifetime in nuclear main coolant pumps. The smaller CAN6 seal successfully uses tungsten carbide against silicon carbide in reactor water cleanup pump service. Where friction in CANDU fuelling machine rams must be essentially zero, a hydrostatic seal using two silicon carbide faces is the solution. In the NRU reactor moderator pumps, where pressure is much lower, eccentric seals that prevent boiling at the seal faces are giving excellent service. All these rotary face seals rely on supplementary elastomer seals between their parts. An integrated engineering approach to high performance sealing with O-rings is described. This is epitomized in critical Space Shuttle applications, but is increasingly being applied in CANDU plants. It includes gland design, selection and qualification of material, quality assurance, detection of defects and the effects of lubrication, surface finish, squeeze, stretch and volume constraints. In conclusion, for the severe service applications described, customized solutions have more than paid for themselves by higher reliability, lower maintenance requirements and reduced outage time. (author)

11-FFTF-LMFBR seal-test program, January-March 1976

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steele, O.P. III; Horton, P.; Shimazaki, T.

1976-01-01

Current activities include providing CRBRP design information based on tests of the IVHM Inflatable Seal to CRBRP conditions, testing the CRBRP dip seal configuration to determine its performance characteristics, and delineating the effects of sodium and radiation environments on the efficiencies of various seal materials

Cask systems development program seal technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, M.M.; Humphreys, D.L.; Edwards, K.R.

1991-01-01

General design or test performance requirements for radioactive materials (RAM) packages are specified in Title 10 of the US Code of Federal Regulations Part 71 (10 CFR 71). Seals that provide the containment system interface between the packaging body and the closure must function in both high- and low-temperature environments under dynamic and static conditions. Experiments were performed to characterize the performance of several seal materials at low temperatures. Helium leak tests on face seals were used to compare the materials. Materials tested include butyl, neoprene, ethylene propylene, fluorosilicone, silicone, Eypel, Kalrez, Teflon, fluorocarbon, and Teflon/silicone composites. Results show that the seal materials tested, with the exception of silicone S613-60, are not leak tight (1 x 10 -7 std cm 3 /s) at manufacturer low-temperature ratings

Test of Seal System for Flexible Pipe End Fitting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banke, Lars; Jensen, Thomas Gregers

1999-01-01

The purpose of the end fitting seal system is to ensure leak proof termination of flexible pipes. The seal system of an NKT end fitting normally consists of a number of ring joint gaskets mounted in a steel sleeve on the outside of the polymeric inner liner of the pipe. The seal system is activated...... by compression of the gaskets, thus using the geometry to establish a seal towards the inner liner of the pipe and the steel sleeve of the end fitting. This paper describes how the seal system of an end fitting can be tested using an autoclave. By regulating temperature and pressure, the seal system can...... be tested up to 130oC and 51.7 MPa. Pressure, temperature and the mechanical behaviours of the pipe are measured for use in further research. The set-up is used to test the efficiency of the seal system as function of parameters such as cross sectional shapes of the gaskets, tolerances between gaskets...

EG and G and NASA face seal codes comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Prit

1994-01-01

This viewgraph presentation presents the following results for the example comparison: EG&G code with face deformations suppressed and SPIRALG agree well with each other as well as with the experimental data; 0 rpm stiffness data calculated by EG&G code are about 70-100 percent lower than that by SPIRALG; there is no appreciable difference between 0 rpm and 16,000 rpm stiffness and damping coefficients calculated by SPIRALG; and the film damping above 500 psig calculated by SPIRALG is much higher than the O-Ring secondary seal damping (e.g. 50 lbf.s/in).

Rotatable seal assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garibaldi, J.L.; Logan, C.M.

1982-01-01

An assembly is provided for rotatably supporting a rotor on a stator so that vacuum chambers in the rotor and stator remain in communication while the chambers are sealed from ambient air, which enables the use of a ball bearing or the like to support most of the weight of the rotor. The apparatus includes a seal device mounted on the rotor to rotate therewith, but shiftable in position on the rotor while being sealed to the rotor as by an oring. The seal device has a flat face that is biased towards a flat face on the stator, and pressurized air is pumped between the faces to prevent contact between them while spacing them a small distance apart to avoid the inflow of large amounts of air between the faces and into the vacuum chambers

Development and application of test apparatus for classification of sealed source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dong Hak; Seo, Ki Seog; Bang, Kyoung Sik; Lee, Ju Chan; Son, Kwang Je

2007-01-01

Sealed sources have to conducted the tests be done according to the classification requirements for their typical usages in accordance with the relevant domestic notice standard and ISO 2919. After each test, the source shall be examined visually for loss of integrity and pass an appropriate leakage test. Tests to class a sealed source are temperature, external pressure, impact, vibration and puncture test. The environmental test conditions for tests with class numbers are arranged in increasing order of severity. In this study, the apparatus of tests, except the vibration test, were developed and applied to three kinds of sealed source. The conditions of the tests to class a sealed source were stated and the difference between the domestic notice standard and ISO 2919 were considered. And apparatus of the tests were made. Using developed apparatus we conducted the test for 192 Ir brachytherapy sealed source and two kinds of sealed source for industrial radiography. 192 Ir brachytherapy sealed source is classified by temperature class 5, external pressure class 3, impact class 2 and vibration and puncture class 1. Two kinds of sealed source for industrial radiography are classified by temperature class 4, external pressure class 2, impact and puncture class 5 and vibration class 1. After the tests, Liquid nitrogen bubble test and vacuum bubble test were done to evaluate the safety of the sealed sources

SSME Seal Test Program: Test results for sawtooth pattern damper seal

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, D. W.

1986-01-01

Direct and transverse force coefficients for 11, sawtooth-pattern, and damper-seal configurations were examined. The designation damper seal uses a deliberately roughened stator and smooth rotor to increase the net damping force developed by a seal. The designation sawtooth-pattern refers to a stator roughness pattern. The sawtooth pattern yields axial grooves in the stator which are interrupted by spacer elements which act as flow constrictions or dams. All seals use the same smooth rotor and have the same, constant, minimum clearance. The stators examined the consequences of changes in the following design parameters: (1) axial-groove depth; (2) number of teeth: (3) number of sawtooth sections; (4) number of spacer elements; (5) dam width; (6) axially aligned sawtooth sections versus axially-staggered sawtooth sections; and (7) groove geometry. It is found that none of the sawtooth-pattern seal performs as well as the best round-hole-pattern seal. Maximum damping configurations for the sawtooth and round-hole-pattern stators have comparable stiffness performance. Several of the sawtooth pattern stators outperformed the best round-hole pattern seal.

Cover-gas seals: 11-LMFBR seal-test program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steele, O.P. III; Horton, P.H.

1977-01-01

The objective of the Cover Gas Seal Material Development Program is to perform the engineering development required to provide reliable seals for LMFBR application. Specific objectives are to verify the performance of commercial solid cross-section and inflatable seals under reactor environments including radiation, to develop advanced materials and configurations capable of achieving significant improvement in radioactive gas containment and seal temperature capabilities, and to optimize seal geometry for maximum reliability and minimal gas permeation

Metal and elastomer seal tests for accelerator applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welch, K.M.; McIntyre, G.T.; Tuozzolo, J.E.; Skelton, R.; Pate, D.J.; Gill, S.M.

1989-01-01

The vacuum system of the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory has more than a thousand metal vacuum seals. Also, numerous elastomer seals are used throughout the AGS to seal large beam component chambers. An accelerator upgrade program is being implemented to reduce the AGS operating pressure by x100 and improve the reliability of the vacuum system. This paper describes work in progress on metal and elastomer vacuum seals to help meet those two objectives. Tests are reported on the sealing properties of a variety of metal seals used on different sealing surfaces. Results are also given on reversible sorption properties of certain elastomers. 16 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs

Coupling analysis of frictional heat of fluid film and thermal deformation of mechanical seal end faces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jianfeng; Gu Boqin

2007-01-01

The heat transfer model of the rotating ring and the stationary ring of mechanical seal was built. The method to calculate the frictional heat that transferred by the rings was given. the coupling analysis of the frictional heat of fluid film and thermal deformation of end faces was carried out by using FEA and BP ANN, and the relationship among the rotational speed ω, the fluid film thickness h i on the inner diameter of sealing face and the radial separation angle β of deformed end faces was obtained. Corresponding to a given ω, h i and β can be obtained by the equilibrium condition between the closing force and the bearing force of fluid film. The relationship between the leakage rate and the closing force was analyzed, and the fundamental of controlling the leakage rate by regulating the closing force was also discussed. (authors)

Seals for sealing a pressure vessel such as a nuclear reactor vessel or the like

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruns, H.J.; Huelsermann, K.H.

1975-01-01

A description is given of seals for sealing a pressure vessel such as a nuclear reactor vessel, steam boiler vessel, or any other vessel which is desirably sealed against pressure of the type including a housing and a housing closure that present opposed vertical sealing surfaces which define the sides of a channel. The seals of the present invention comprise at least one sealing member disposed in the channel, having at least one stop face, a base portion and two shank portions extending from the base portion to form a groove-like recess. The shank portions are provided with sealing surfaces arranged to mate with the opposed vertical pressure vessel sealing surfaces. A shank-spreading wedge element also disposed in the channel has at least one stop face and is engaged in the groove-like recess with the sealing member and wedge element stop face adjacent to each other

The Caledonian face test: A new test of face discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Andrew J; Wilkinson, Frances; Wilson, Hugh R; Gordon, Gael E; Loffler, Gunter

2016-02-01

This study aimed to develop a clinical test of face perception which is applicable to a wide range of patients and can capture normal variability. The Caledonian face test utilises synthetic faces which combine simplicity with sufficient realism to permit individual identification. Face discrimination thresholds (i.e. minimum difference between faces required for accurate discrimination) were determined in an "odd-one-out" task. The difference between faces was controlled by an adaptive QUEST procedure. A broad range of face discrimination sensitivity was determined from a group (N=52) of young adults (mean 5.75%; SD 1.18; range 3.33-8.84%). The test is fast (3-4 min), repeatable (test-re-test r(2)=0.795) and demonstrates a significant inversion effect. The potential to identify impairments of face discrimination was evaluated by testing LM who reported a lifelong difficulty with face perception. While LM's impairment for two established face tests was close to the criterion for significance (Z-scores of -2.20 and -2.27) for the Caledonian face test, her Z-score was -7.26, implying a more than threefold higher sensitivity. The new face test provides a quantifiable and repeatable assessment of face discrimination ability. The enhanced sensitivity suggests that the Caledonian face test may be capable of detecting more subtle impairments of face perception than available tests. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hermetic Seal Leak Detection Apparatus with Variable Size Test Chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

The present invention is a versatile hermetic seal leak detection apparatus for testing hermetically sealed containers and devices for leaks without the need to create a custom or specially manufactured testing chamber conforming to the dimensions of the specific object under test. The size of the testing chamber may be mechanically adjusted by the novel use of bellows to reduce and optimize the amount of gas space in a test chamber which surrounds the hermetically sealed object under test. The present invention allows the size of the test chamber to be selectively adjusted during testing to provide an optimum test chamber gas space. The present invention may be further adapted to isolate and test specific portions of the hermetically sealed object under test for leaks.

Testing of neutron-irradiated ceramic-to-metal seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, R.D.; Clinard, F.W. Jr.; Lopez, M.R.; Martinez, H.; Romero, T.J.; Cook, J.H.; Barr, H.N.; Hittman, F.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on ceramic-to-metal seals prepared by sputtering a titanium metallizing layer onto ceramic disks and then brazing to metal tubes. The ceramics used were alumina, MACOR, spinel, AlON, and a mixture of Al 2 O 3 and Si 3 N 4 . Except for the MACOR, which was brazed to a titanium tube, the ceramics were brazed to niobium tubes. The seals were leak tested and then sent to Los Alamos National Laboratory, where they were irradiated using the spallation neutron source at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility. Following irradiation for ∼ 90 days to a fluence of 2.8 x 10 23 n/m 2 , the samples were moved to hot cells and again leak tested. Only the MACOR samples showed any measurable leaks. One set of samples was then pressurized to 6.9 MPa (1000 psi) and subsequently leak tested. No leaks were found. Bursting the seals required hydrostatic pressures of at least 34 MPa (5000 psi). The high seal strength and few leaks indicate that ceramic-to-metal seals can resist radiation-induced degradation

A seal analyzer for testing container integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniel, P.; Jenkins, C.

1988-01-01

This paper reports on the development of laboratory and production seal analyzer that offers a rapid, nondestructive method of assuring the seal integrity of virtually any type of single or double sealed container. The system can test a broad range of metal cans, drums and trays, membrane-lidded vessels, flexible pouches, aerosol containers, and glass or metal containers with twist-top lids that are used in the chemical/pesticide (hazardous materials/waste), beverage, food, medical and pharmaceutical industries

Rock sealing - large scale field test and accessory investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.

1988-03-01

The experience from the pilot field test and the basic knowledge extracted from the lab experiments have formed the basis of the planning of a Large Scale Field Test. The intention is to find out how the 'instrument of rock sealing' can be applied to a number of practical cases, where cutting-off and redirection of groundwater flow in repositories are called for. Five field subtests, which are integrated mutually or with other Stripa projects (3D), are proposed. One of them concerns 'near-field' sealing, i.e. sealing of tunnel floors hosting deposition holes, while two involve sealing of 'disturbed' rock around tunnels. The fourth concerns sealing of a natural fracture zone in the 3D area, and this latter test has the expected spin-off effect of obtaining additional information on the general flow pattern around the northeastern wing of the 3D cross. The fifth test is an option of sealing structures in the Validation Drift. The longevity of major grout types is focussed on as the most important part of the 'Accessory Investigations', and detailed plans have been worked out for that purpose. It is foreseen that the continuation of the project, as outlined in this report, will yield suitable methods and grouts for effective and long-lasting sealing of rock for use at stategic points in repositories. (author)

Mechanical Seal Opening Condition Monitoring Based on Acoustic Emission Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erqing Zhang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Since the measurement of mechanical sealing film thickness and just-lift-off time is very difficult, the sealing film condition monitoring method based on acoustic emission signal is proposed. The mechanical seal acoustic emission signal present obvious characteristics of time-varying nonlinear and pulsating. In this paper, the acoustic emission signal is used to monitor the seal end faces just-lift-off time and friction condition. The acoustic emission signal is decomposed by empirical mode decomposition into a series of intrinsic mode function with independent characteristics of different time scales and different frequency band. The acoustic emission signal only generated by end faces friction is obtained by eliminating the false intrinsic mode function components. The correlation coefficient of acoustic emission signal and Multi-scale Laplace Wavelet is calculated. It is proved that the maximum frequency (8000 Hz of the correlation coefficient is appeared at the spindle speed of 300 rpm. And at this time (300 rpm the end faces have just lifted off. By a set of mechanical oil seal running test, it is demonstrated that this method could accurately identify mechanical seal end faces just-lift-off time and friction condition.

10 CFR 39.35 - Leak testing of sealed sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Leak testing of sealed sources. 39.35 Section 39.35 Energy....35 Leak testing of sealed sources. (a) Testing and recordkeeping requirements. Each licensee who uses... record of leak test results in units of microcuries and retain the record for inspection by the...

Initial field testing definition of subsurface sealing and backfilling tests in unsaturated tuff; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez, J.A. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Case, J.B.; Tyburski, J.R. [I. T. Corp., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1993-05-01

This report contains an initial definition of the field tests proposed for the Yucca Mountain Project repository sealing program. The tests are intended to resolve various performance and emplacement concerns. Examples of concerns to be addressed include achieving selected hydrologic and structural requirements for seals, removing portions of the shaft liner, excavating keyways, emplacing cementitious and earthen seals, reducing the impact of fines on the hydraulic conductivity of fractures, efficient grouting of fracture zones, sealing of exploratory boreholes, and controlling the flow of water by using engineered designs. Ten discrete tests are proposed to address these and other concerns. These tests are divided into two groups: Seal component tests and performance confirmation tests. The seal component tests are thorough small-scale in situ tests, the intermediate-scale borehole seal tests, the fracture grouting tests, the surface backfill tests, and the grouted rock mass tests. The seal system tests are the seepage control tests, the backfill tests, the bulkhead test in the Calico Hills unit, the large-scale shaft seal and shaft fill tests, and the remote borehole sealing tests. The tests are proposed to be performed in six discrete areas, including welded and non-welded environments, primarily located outside the potential repository area. The final selection of sealing tests will depend on the nature of the geologic and hydrologic conditions encountered during the development of the Exploratory Studies Facility and detailed numerical analyses. Tests are likely to be performed both before and after License Application.

Fluid flow measurements of Test Series A and B for the Small Scale Seal Performance Tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, E.W.; Lagus, P.L.; Lie, K.

1987-12-01

The degree of waste isolation achieved by a repository seal system is dependent upon the fluid flow characteristics, or permeability, of the seals. In order to obtain meaningful, site-specific data on the performance of various possible seal system components, a series of in situ experiments called the Small Scale Seal Performance Tests (SSSPT) are being conducted at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This report contains the results of gas flow, tracer penetration, and brine flow tests conducted on concrete seals in vertical (Test Series A) and horizontal (Test Series B) configurations. The test objectives were to evaluate the seal performance and to determine if there existed scaling effects which could influence future SSSPT designs. 3 refs., 77 figs

Leak-thight seals got high pressure testing of pipes, tanks, valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrade, J.

1985-01-01

Leak-tight seals ensure quick, safe and efficient testing of pipes with plain-ended or flanged openings, valves with flanged or welded edges, manifields, recipients, etc. They are inserted into the pipe end manually then simply a slight turn of the seal treated wheel commences the pressure test. Hydraulic pressure is supplied by a pump through the inlet seal and air is purged through the outlet seal which then closes. The higher the pressure, the greater the sealing strength of the seal which prevents accidental unplugging. There are different types of seals: for interior plain-ended openings, for pipes with plain-ended opening, for flanged pipes. (author)

Reactor coolant pump seal response to loss of cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, T.; Metcalfe, R.; Burchett, P.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the results of a test done to determine the performance of a reactor coolant pump seal for a water cooled nuclear reactor under loss of all cooling conditions. Under these conditions, seal faces can lose their liquid lubricating film and elastomers can rapidly degrade. Temperatures in the seal-cartridge tester reached 230 o C in three hours, at which time the tester was stopped and the temperature increased to 265 o C for a further five hours before cooling was restored. Seal leakage was 'normal' throughout the test. Parts sustained minor damage with no effect on seal integrity. Plant operators were shown to have ample margin beyond their 15 minute allowable reaction time. (author)

The influence of physical properties of materials used for slide rings on the process of heat transfer in the non-contacting face seals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blasiak Slawomir

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of analytical solution of the model of heat transfer for non-contacting face seals. Comparative analyses were performed for various physical properties of materials used for slide rings. A mathematical model includes a series of differential equations of partial derivatives with generally used boundary conditions, i.e. the Reynold’s equation, energy equation and heat transfer equations, which describe the heat transfer in sealing rings with surrounding medium. Heat transfer equation is written in the Cartesian coordinate system and solved using the Green’s functions method. Theoretical studies made it possible to draw a number of practical conclusions on the phenomena of heat transfer in the node seal. The presented model will allow more accurate identification of the heat transfer mechanism in the node seal. The results will help to select appropriate materials for sealing rings, depending on operating conditions of non-contacting face seals.

Temperature Identification in the Structural Elements of Non-Contacting Face Seals by Using Trefftz Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna PAWIŃSKA

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Phenomena of the heat transfer in non-contacting face seals was described by partial differential equation of the second order and boundary conditions. In this way, the mathematical model was developed for the sealing rings. The distributions of temperature in the structural elements was obtained by the Trefftz method. It is a simple method of solving direct and inverse problems described by a homogeneous or an inhomogeneous partial differential equation. The main idea of the method is to determine functions satisfying a given differential equation (Trefftz functions and to fit the linear combination of them to the governing boundary conditions.

Standard Test Method for Testing Polymeric Seal Materials for Geothermal and/or High Temperature Service Under Sealing Stress

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1985-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the initial evaluation of (screening) polymeric materials for seals under static sealing stress and at elevated temperatures. 1.2 This test method applies to geothermal service only if used in conjunction with Test Method E 1068. 1.3 The test fluid is distilled water. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in parentheses are for information only. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

Numerical analysis of the non-contacting gas face seals

Science.gov (United States)

Blasiak, S.

2017-08-01

The non-contacting gas face seals are used in high-performance devices where the main requirements are safety and reliability. Compliance with these requirements is made possible by careful research and analysis of physical processes related to, inter alia, fluid flow through the radial gap and ring oscillations susceptible to being housed in the enclosure under the influence of rotor kinematic forces. Elaborating and developing mathematical models describing these phenomena allows for more and more accurate analysis results. The paper presents results of studies on stationary ring oscillations made of different types of materials. The presented results of the research allow to determine which of the materials used causes the greatest amplitude of the vibration of the system fluid film-working rings.

Design and research of seal structure for thermocouple column assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao Qiqi; Li Na; Zhao Wei; Ma Zhigang

2015-01-01

The new seal structure was designed to satisfy the function of thermocouple column assembly and the reactor structure. This seal structure uses the packing graphite ring and adopts the self-sealing principle. Cone angle is brought to the seal face of seal structure which is conveniently to assembly and disassembly. After the sealing principle analysis and stress calculation of graphite ring which adopt the cone angle, the cone angle increases the radial force of seal structure and improves the seal effect. The stress analysis result shows the seal structure strength satisfies the regulation requirement. The cold and hot function test results shows the sealing effect is good, and the design requirement is satisfied. (authors)

Thermo-Mechanical Test of Seal System in Flexible Pipe End Fittings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banke, Lars

1999-01-01

are driven radially into the barrier layer and supported by the surrounding steel casing. In order to verify the integrity of the concept the seal system is subjected cyclic pressure and temperature variations to simulate the service conditions.The aim of the testing is to demonstrate the sensitivity...... of the seal system geometry and its tolerances necessary to maintain a tight seal. The test is carried out in a purpose built autoclave, in which the seal system can be tested while undergoing variations in pressure and temperature.The paper will present a study on the importance of the geometry of the gasket...... and the inner liner. The inner and outer diameter of the gasket are varied to see the effectiveness of the seal mechanism. The effect of varying the width of the gasket as well as the surface roughness of the components in the seal system is analysed. Finally, it is investigated how the seal system is affected...

Investigation of positive shaft seals

Science.gov (United States)

Pfouts, J. O.

1970-01-01

Welded metal bellows secondary seals prevent secondary seal leakage with a minimum number of potential leak paths. High performance seal is obtained by controlling the potentially unstable seal-face movements induced by mechanical vibrations and fluid pressure pulsations.

Mechanical seal having a double-tier mating ring

Science.gov (United States)

Khonsari, Michael M.; Somanchi, Anoop K.

2005-09-13

An apparatus and method to enhance the overall performance of mechanical seals in one of the following ways: by reducing seal face wear, by reducing the contact surface temperature, or by increasing the life span of mechanical seals. The apparatus is a mechanical seal (e.g., single mechanical seals, double mechanical seals, tandem mechanical seals, bellows, pusher mechanical seals, and all types of rotating and reciprocating machines) comprising a rotating ring and a double-tier mating ring. In a preferred embodiment, the double-tier mating ring comprises a first and a second stationary ring that together form an agitation-inducing, guided flow channel to allow for the removal of heat generated at the seal face of the mating ring by channeling a coolant entering the mating ring to a position adjacent to and in close proximity with the interior surface area of the seal face of the mating ring.

Self-acting and hydrodynamic shaft seals

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, L. P.

1973-01-01

Self-acting and hydrodynamic seals are described. The analytical procedures are outlined for obtaining a seal force balance and the operating film thickness. Particular attention is given to primary ring response (seal vibration) to rotating seat face runout. This response analysis revealed three different vibration modes. Proposed applications of self-acting seals in gas turbine engines and in rocket vehicle turbopumps are described. Also experimental data on self-acting face seals operating under simulated gas turbine conditions are given; these data show the feasibility of operating the seal at conditions of 345 newtons per square centimeter (500 psi) and 152 meters per second (500 ft/sec) sliding speed.

Sealing performance test for main flange of pressure vessel of T2 test section in HENDEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ioka, Ikuo; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Matsumoto, Kiminori; Kondou, Yasuo; Suzuki, Kunihiko; Miyamoto, Yoshiaki; Asami, Masanobu.

1990-12-01

A pressure vessel of T 2 test section in helium engineering demonstration loop (HENDEL) was fabricated to the same scale of the reactor pressure vessel made of 2(1/4)Cr-1Mo steel in high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR). Also, the sealing structure of a main flange of pressure vessel in T 2 test section was composed of the double metal O-rings and Ω-seal which would be used in the sealing structure of HTTR. The sealing performance test for the main flange of the pressure vessel in T 2 test section was carried out to confirm the integrity of sealing structure of a main flange in HTTR. T 2 test section has been operated about 7700 hours in previous 18 cycles. The leakage of helium gas from inner metal O-ring was measured by the static pressurized process under the operating condition of HTTR (helium gas: 400degC, 40kg/cm 2 G, 4gk/s). The calculated leakage of helium gas was less than 9.6x10 -7 atm·cm 3 /sec. From the result, it is expected that the sealing structure of main flange in HTTR would maintain the leak tightness in the life. (author)

Tamper-indicating devices and safeguards seals evaluation test report. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horton, P.R.V.; Waddoups, I.G.

1995-08-01

Volume I was based on a survey and an evaluation of seals that are used as tamper-indicating devices at DOE facilities. For that evaluation, currently available seals were physically and environmentally evaluated under two broad categories: handling durability and tamper resistance. Our study indicated that the environmental testing had no negative effects on the results of the mechanical tests. In Volume II, we evaluate some loop, fiber optic loop, and pressure-sensitive seals that are not used at DOE facilities. However, we continue to focus on qualities required by DOE: durability and tamper resistance. The seals are comparatively rated, and recommendations are made for using currently available seals and new tamper-indicating device technology.

Tamper-indicating devices and safeguards seals evaluation test report. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horton, P.R.V.; Waddoups, I.G.

1995-08-01

Volume I was based on a survey and an evaluation of seals that are used as tamper-indicating devices at DOE facilities. For that evaluation, currently available seals were physically and environmentally evaluated under two broad categories: handling durability and tamper resistance. Our study indicated that the environmental testing had no negative effects on the results of the mechanical tests. In Volume II, we evaluate some loop, fiber optic loop, and pressure-sensitive seals that are not used at DOE facilities. However, we continue to focus on qualities required by DOE: durability and tamper resistance. The seals are comparatively rated, and recommendations are made for using currently available seals and new tamper-indicating device technology

Secondary seal effects in hydrostatic non-contact seals for reactor coolant pump shaft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, T.; Koga, T.; Tanoue, H.; Hirabayashi, H.

1987-01-01

The paper presents a seal flow analysis in a hydrostatic non-contact seal for a PWR coolant pump shaft. A description is given of the non-contact seal for the reactor coolant pump. Results are presented for a distortion analysis of the seal ring, along with the seal flow characteristics and the contact pressure profiles of the secondary seals. The results of the work confirm previously reported findings that the seal ring distortion is sensitive to the o-ring location (which was placed between the ceramic seal face and the seal ring retainer). The paper concludes that the seal flow characteristics and the tracking performance depend upon the dynamic properties of the secondary seal. (U.K.)

Testing of ethylene propylene seals for the GA-4/GA-9 casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boonstra, R.H.

1993-01-01

The primary O-ring seal of the GA-4 and GA-9 casks was tested for leakage with a full-scale mockup of the cask lid and flange. Tests were performed at temperatures of ambient, -41, 121, and 193 C. Shim plates between the lid and flange simulated gaps caused by thermal distortion. The testing used a helium mass spectrometer leak detector (MSLD). Results showed that the primary seal was leaktight for all test conditions. Helium permeation through the seal began in 13--23 minutes for the ambient tests and in 1--2 minutes for the tests at elevated temperatures. After each test several hours of pumping were typically required to reduce the MSLD background reading to an acceptable level for the next test, indicating that the seal had become saturated with helium. To verify that the test results showed permeation and not real leakage, several response checks were conducted in which a calibrated leak source was inserted in the detector line near the seal. When the leak source was activated the detector responded within seconds

Testing of ethylene propylene seals for the GA-4/GA-9 casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boonstra, R.H.

1993-01-01

The primary O-ring seal of the GA-4 and GA-9 casks was tested for leakage with a full-scale mockup of the cask lid and flange. Tests were performed at temperatures of ambient, -41 degrees, 121 degrees, and 193 degrees C. Shim plates between the lid and flange simulated gaps caused by thermal distortion. The testing used a helium mass spectrometer leak detector (MSLD). Results showed that the primary seal was leaktight for all test conditions. Helium permeation through the seal began in 13--23 minutes for the ambient tests and in 1--2 minutes for the tests at elevated temperatures. After each test several hours of the pumping were typically required to reduce the MSLD background reading to an acceptable level for the next test, indicating that the seal had become saturated with helium. To verify that the test results showed permeation and not real leakage, several response checks were conducted in which a calibrated leak source was inserted in the detector line near the seal. When the leak source was activated the detector responded within seconds

Shaft seal assembly for high speed and high pressure applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hadt, W. F.; Ludwig, L. P. (Inventor)

1979-01-01

A seal assembly is provided for reducing the escape of fluids from between a housing and a shaft rotably mounted in the housing. The seal assembly comprises a pair of seal rings resiliently connected to each other and disposed in side-by-side relationship. In each seal ring, both the internal bore surface and the radial face which faces away from the other seal ring are provided with a plurality of equi-spaced recesses. The seal faces referred to are located adjacent a seating surface of the housing. Under normal operating conditions, the seal assembly is stationary with respect to the housing, and the recesses generate life, keep the assembly spaced from the rotating shaft and allow slip therebetween. The seal assembly can seize on the shaft, and slip will then occur between the radial faces and the housing.

10 CFR 34.27 - Leak testing and replacement of sealed sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Leak testing and replacement of sealed sources. 34.27... SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHIC OPERATIONS Equipment § 34.27 Leak testing and replacement... radiographic exposure device and leak testing of any sealed source must be performed by persons authorized to...

The cool seal system: a practical solution to the shaft seal problem and heat related complications with implantable rotary blood pumps.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamazaki, K; Mori, T; Tomioka, J; Litwak, P; Antaki, J F; Tagusari, O; Koyanagi, H; Griffith, B P; Kormos, R L

1997-01-01

A critical issue facing the development of an implantable, rotary blood pump is the maintenance of an effective seal at the rotating shaft. Mechanical seals are the most versatile type of seal in wide industrial applications. However, in a rotary blood pump, typical seal life is much shorter than required for chronic support. Seal failure is related to adhesion and aggregation of heat denatured blood proteins that diffuse into the lubricating film between seal faces. Among the blood proteins, fibrinogen plays an important role due to its strong propensity for adhesion and low transition temperature (approximately 50 degrees C). Once exposed to temperature exceeding 50 degrees C, fibrinogen molecules fuse together by multi-attachment between heat denatured D-domains. This quasi-polymerized fibrin increases the frictional heat, which proliferates the process into seal failure. If the temperature of the seal faces is maintained well below 50 degrees C, a mechanical seal would not fail in blood. Based on this "Cool-Seal" concept, we developed a miniature mechanical seal made of highly thermally conductive material (SiC), combined with a recirculating purge system. A large supply of purge fluid is recirculated behind the seal face to augment convective heat transfer to maintain the seal temperature below 40 degrees C. It also cools all heat generating pump parts (motor coil, bearing, seal). The purge consumption has been optimized to virtually nil (seal system has now been incorporated into our intraventricular axial flow blood pump (IVAP) and newly designed centrifugal pump. Ongoing in vivo evaluation of these systems has demonstrated good seal integrity for more than 160 days. The Cool-Seal system can be applied to any type of rotary blood pump (axial, diagonal, centrifugal, etc.) and offers a practical solution to the shaft seal problem and heat related complications, which currently limit the use of implantable rotary blood pumps.

Clay sealing for dumps - new findings from suitability tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kunde, L.; Kuntsche, K.; Duellmann, H.

1988-06-01

Extensive suitability tests were carried out in the laboratory and field on various clays of the Lower-Rhineland brown coal mining area. The purpose of these tests was to determine the basic suitability of these clays for use as sealing layers for residue dumps. The tests also furnished criteria according to which a specific imperviousness can be achieved. The results of the tests can be summed up as follows: Since the material properties of the in-situ clays vary widely, not only mean values but also corresponding variation coefficients must be adhered to. For the purpose of checking the quality - contrary to the hitherto applied assessment practice - the decisive factor is not the testing of the dry density as compared to the Proctor density, but the homogeneity of the sealing layer that is achieved as a result of the size reduction and compaction of the pseudo-granular structure. Using suitable equipment, homogeneities, for which permeability coefficients of k less than or equal to 10/sup -9/ m/s in the dump sealing are obtained can be achieved with the clays that were examined.

Floating seal system for rotary devices

Science.gov (United States)

Banasiuk, H.A.

1983-08-23

This invention relates to a floating seal system for rotary devices to reduce gas leakage around the rotary device in a duct and across the face of the rotary device to an adjacent duct. The peripheral seal bodies are made of resilient material having a generally U-shaped cross section wherein one of the legs is secured to a support member and the other of the legs forms a contacting seal against the rotary device. The legs of the peripheral seal form an extended angle of intersection of about 10[degree] to about 30[degree] in the unloaded condition to provide even sealing forces around the periphery of the rotary device. The peripheral seal extends around the periphery of the support member except where intersected by radial seals which reduce gas leakage across the face of the rotary device and between adjacent duct portions. The radial seal assembly is fabricated from channel bars, the smaller channel bar being secured to the divider of the support member and a larger inverted rigid floating channel bar having its legs freely movable over the legs of the smaller channel bar forming therewith a tubular channel. A resilient flexible tube is positioned within the tubular channel for substantially its full length to reduce gas leakage across the tubular channel. A spacer extends beyond the face of the floating channel near each end of the floating channel a distance to provide desired clearance between the floating channel and the face of the rotary device. 5 figs.

Proposed sealing field tests for a potential high-level radioactive waste repository in unsaturated tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, J.A.; Case, J.B.; Tyburski, J.

1992-01-01

This paper contains a general description of the field tests proposed for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project repository sealing program. The tests are intended to resolve various performance and emplacement concerns associated with sealing components. Ten discrete tests are proposed to address these concerns. These tests are divided into two categories -- simple and complex tests. The simple tests are: the small-scale in situ tests: the intermediate-scale borehole seal tests; the fracture grouting tests; the surface backfill tests; and the grouted rock mass tests. The complex tests are the seepage control tests; in situ backfill tests; in situ bulkhead tests; large-scale shaft seal tests; and remote borehole seal tests. These tests are proposed to be performed in welded and nonwelded tuff environments. The final selection of sealing tests will depend on the nature of the geologic and hydrologic conditions encountered during the development of the exploratory studies facility. Some tests may be performed before license application and some after license application

Compliant seal development

Science.gov (United States)

Hendricks, Robert C.

1993-10-01

The compliant metallic seal combines the noncontact feature of the labyrinth seal, the low leakage of a mechanical seal, and the compliant nature of the brush seal. It consists of several thin metallic elements or leaves mounted within a ring which is press fit into the housing, and in form, sort of resembles a lip seal sections wiping the shaft. A second set of overlapping cover leaves are placed on top of the shaft riding leaves which reduces leakage and provides stiffness. The leaves can be straight or angle cut. The shaft riding fingers are designed with mismatched curvature to provide lift off similar to the Rayleigh lift pads in mechanical seals with leading edge clearances nearly twice those of the trailing edge as as shown by Fleming to be optimal for gas flows in convergent seal passages. Leading edge clearances range from 300 to 500 microinches. Balance pockets beneath the leaves provide fluid film feed to the 'Rayleigh lift' surface and the proper balance ratio (mechanical seal) when combined with the static pressure and film pressure. The leaves flex in the radial direction and accommodate thermomechanical behavior as well as axial motion and angular misalignment. In the static mode, there is a net closing force on the leaves. The seals were tested to 70 psi at speeds to 16,000 rpm or surface speeds to 330 fps and temperatures from ambient to 440 F. A slow cycle through the rig critical at 10,000 rpm induced a radial vibration response of 0.004 to 0.005 inch were accommodated by the seal. Preliminary performance data are encouraging demonstrating hydrodynamic liftoff and noncontacting operation at pressure and speeds typical of gas turbine engines. The leakage performance data are significantly better than commercial labyrinth and brush seals which should be expected as this design incorporates the features of the low leakage face or mechanical seal along with the flexibility of the brush configuration.

Aluminized film, seam sealing tests and observations. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-16

The purpose of this work was to investigate various seam sealing techniques, reinforcing methods, fitting installations, seam tolerances and geometric configurations pertinent to an aluminized plastic laminate. The program seeks a successful fabricating method for producing low-diffusion, cylindrical, spar liners to contain pressurized GH{sub 2} and GO{sub 2}. The test plan included: (1) seaming techniques on metallized Mylar film; (2) ``double patches`` for end fittings; (3) stainless steel bulkhead fitting assembly with seals; (4) minimum run tolerance on linear shear seam; (5) peel seam vs. inverted seal seam fabrication.

Failure analysis and seal life prediction for contacting mechanical seals

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, J. J.; He, X. Y.; Wei, L.; Feng, X.

2008-11-01

Fault tree analysis method was applied to quantitatively investigate the causes of the leakage failure of mechanical seals. It is pointed out that the change of the surface topography is the main reasons causing the leakage of mechanical seals under the condition of constant preloads. Based on the fractal geometry theory, the relationship between the surface topography and working time were investigated by experiments, and the effects of unit load acting on seal face on leakage path in a mechanical seal were analyzed. The model of predicting seal life of mechanical seals was established on the basis of the relationship between the surface topography and working time and allowable leakage. The seal life of 108 mechanical seal operating at the system of diesel fuel storage and transportation was predicted and the problem of the condition monitoring for the long-period operation of mechanical seal was discussed by this method. The research results indicate that the method of predicting seal life of mechanical seals is feasible, and also is foundation to make scheduled maintenance time and to achieve safe-reliability and low-cost operation for industrial devices.

Development of Mechanical Sealing and Laser Welding Technology to Instrument Thermocouple for Nuclear Fuel Test Rod

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joung, Chang-Young; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Hong, Jin-Tae; Kim, Ka-Hye; Huh, Sung-Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Zircaloy-4 of the nuclear fuel test rod, AISI 316L of the mechanical sealing parts, and the MI (mineral insulated) cable at a thermocouple instrumentation are hetero-metals, and are difficult to weld to dissimilar materials. Therefore, a mechanical sealing method to instrument the thermocouple should be conducted using two kinds of sealing process as follows: One is a mechanical sealing process using Swagelok, which is composed of sealing components that consists of an end-cap, a seal tube, a compression ring and a Swagelok nut. The other is a laser welding process used to join a seal tube, and an MI cable, which are made of the same material. The mechanical sealing process should be sealed up with the mechanical contact compressed by the strength forced between a seal tube and an end-cap, and the laser welding process should be conducted to have no defects on the sealing area between a seal tube and an MI cable. Therefore, the mechanical sealing and laser welding techniques need to be developed to accurately measure the centerline temperature of the nuclear fuel test rod in an experimental reactor. The mechanical sealing and laser welding tests were conducted to develop the thermocouple instrumentation techniques for the nuclear fuel test rod. The optimum torque value of a Swagelok nut to seal the mechanical sealing part between the end-cap and seal tube was established through various torque tests using a torque wrench. The optimum laser welding conditions to seal the welding part between a seal tube and an MI cable were obtained through various welding tests using a laser welding system.

Development of Mechanical Sealing and Laser Welding Technology to Instrument Thermocouple for Nuclear Fuel Test Rod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joung, Chang-Young; Ahn, Sung-Ho; Hong, Jin-Tae; Kim, Ka-Hye; Huh, Sung-Ho

2015-01-01

Zircaloy-4 of the nuclear fuel test rod, AISI 316L of the mechanical sealing parts, and the MI (mineral insulated) cable at a thermocouple instrumentation are hetero-metals, and are difficult to weld to dissimilar materials. Therefore, a mechanical sealing method to instrument the thermocouple should be conducted using two kinds of sealing process as follows: One is a mechanical sealing process using Swagelok, which is composed of sealing components that consists of an end-cap, a seal tube, a compression ring and a Swagelok nut. The other is a laser welding process used to join a seal tube, and an MI cable, which are made of the same material. The mechanical sealing process should be sealed up with the mechanical contact compressed by the strength forced between a seal tube and an end-cap, and the laser welding process should be conducted to have no defects on the sealing area between a seal tube and an MI cable. Therefore, the mechanical sealing and laser welding techniques need to be developed to accurately measure the centerline temperature of the nuclear fuel test rod in an experimental reactor. The mechanical sealing and laser welding tests were conducted to develop the thermocouple instrumentation techniques for the nuclear fuel test rod. The optimum torque value of a Swagelok nut to seal the mechanical sealing part between the end-cap and seal tube was established through various torque tests using a torque wrench. The optimum laser welding conditions to seal the welding part between a seal tube and an MI cable were obtained through various welding tests using a laser welding system

Design of Fire/Gas Penetration Seals and fire exposure tests for Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor experimental areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalluzzo, S.

1983-01-01

A Fire/Gas Penetration Seal is required in every penetration through the walls and ceilings into the Test Cell housing the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR), as well as other adjacent areas to protect the TFTR from fire damage. The penetrations are used for field coil lead stems, diagnostics systems, utilities, cables, trays, mechanical devices, electrical conduits, vacuum liner, air conditioning ducts, water pipes, and gas pipes. The function of the Fire/Gas Penetration Seals is to prevent the passage of fire and products of combustion through penetrations for a period of time up to three hours and remain structurally intact during fire exposure. The Penetration Seal must withstand, without rupture, a fire hose water stream directed at the hot surface. There are over 3000 penetrations ranging in size from several square inches to 100 square feet, and classified into 90 different types. The material used to construct the Fire/Gas Penetration Seals consist of a single and a two-component room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber compound. Miscellaneous materials such as alumina silica refractory fibers in board, blanket and fiber forms are also used in the construction and assembly of the Seals. This paper describes some of the penetration seals and the test procedures used to perform the three-hour fire exposure tests to demonstrate the adequacy of the seals

Leakage and Power Loss Test Results for Competing Turbine Engine Seals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Proctor, Margaret

2004-01-01

.... To address engine manufacturers' concerns about the heat generation and power loss from these contacting seals, brush, finger, and labyrinth seals were tested in the NASA High Speed, High Temperature...

{open_quotes}O{close_quotes} ring sealed process tube, Phase II, test project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, R.E.

1951-04-09

The {open_quotes}O{close_quotes} ring seal has been proposed to replace the van stone flange and the bellows thermal expansion assembly currently used on the existing Hanford piles to achieve water and gas seals, respectively. Possible advantages of the {open_quotes}O{close_quotes} ring seal are: (1) simplification of component parts and elimination of van stone corrosion; (2) simplification of maintenance; (3) lower costs of initial erection; (4) increased strength. This test supplements Test Project No. 27 (a preliminary thermal cycling test) in applying the {open_quotes}O{close_quotes} ring seal assembly to actual pile operating conditions.

Prototype bellows sealed nuclear valve development -reliability through testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, D.F.; Abbas, M.

1978-01-01

To assist in appraising bellows sealed valve performance, 10 tests were done on a ''1 in.'' prototype bellows sealed valve design. The tests simulated primary heat transport (PHT) system conditions for a 600 MWe CANDU-PHW. The design approach was to have all valve components outlast the bellows in endurance tests; this was achieved. The valve design meets the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited specification. For comparison, bellows fatigue failure data were fitted to both log-normal and Weibull distributions. A numerical example shows how to select valve stroke amplitude on the basis of valve flow requirement and the minimum acceptable fatigue life. (author)

Field Test and Evaluation of Engineered Biomineralization Technology for Sealing Existing Wells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cunningham, Alfred [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)

2015-12-21

This research project addresses one of the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon Storage Program (CSP) aimed at developing Advanced Wellbore Integrity Technologies to Ensure Permanent Geologic Carbon Storage. The technology field-tested in this research project is referred to as microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP), which utilizes a biologically-based process to precipitate calcium carbonate. If properly controlled MICP can successfully seal fractures, high permeability zones, and compromised wellbore cement in the vicinity of wellbores and in nearby caprock, thereby improving the storage security of geologically-stored carbon dioxide. This report describes an MICP sealing field test performed on a 24.4 cm (9.625 inch) diameter well located on the Gorgas Steam Generation facility near Jasper, Alabama. The research was aimed at (1) developing methods for delivering MICP promoting fluids downhole using conventional oil field technologies and (2) assessing the ability of MICP to seal cement and formation fractures in the near wellbore region in a sandstone formation. Both objectives were accomplished successfully during a field test performed during the period April 1-11, 2014. The test resulted in complete biomineralization sealing of a horizontal fracture located 340.7 m (1118 feet) below ground surface. A total of 24 calcium injections and six microbial inoculation injections were required over a three day period in order to achieve complete sealing. The fractured region was considered completely sealed when it was no longer possible to inject fluids into the formation without exceeding the initial formation fracture pressure. The test was accomplished using conventional oil field technology including an 11.4 L (3.0 gallon) wireline dump bailer for injecting the biomineralization materials downhole. Metrics indicating successful MICP sealing included reduced injectivity during seal formation, reduction in pressure falloff, and

Accessory components in gas-lubricated floating ring seals; Zusatzeinrichtungen an gasgeschmierten Gleitringdichtungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirchner, C.; Victor, K.H.

1995-12-31

The present paper uses existing designs of floating-ring seal systems to illustrate their use as accessory components in gas-lubricated axial-face seals. These floating-ring seals may be used as pre-seals on the side of the axial-face seal facing the product. Here they are subject to high ambient pressure and small pressure differences. On the side of the axial-face seal facing the sliding bearing they are used as post-seals, where they are subject to atmospheric conditions and small pressure differences. The authors present various purpose-specific designs of these seal systems. Theoretical calculation models are compared with measuring results obtained under conditions close to actual practice. (orig.) [Deutsch] Anhand von ausgefuehrten Konstruktionen werden Schwimmring-Dichtungssysteme als Zusatzeinrichtung an gasgeschmierten Gleitringdichtungen (GLRD) erlaeutert. Auf der produktzugewandten Seite der GLRD werden diese Schwimmringdichtungen als Vordichtung (Pre-Seal) eingesetzt, die bei hohen Umgebungsdruecken und geringen Druckdifferenzen betrieben werden. Auf der dem Gleitlager zugewandten Seite der GLRD werden Schwimmringdichtungen bei atmosphaerischen Bedingungen und ebenfalls geringen Druckdifferenzen als nachgeschaltete Dichtung (Post-Seal) eingesetzt. Es werden konstruktive Loesungen fuer die verschiedenen Aufgaben dieser Dichtungssysteme vorgestellt. Theoretische Berechnungsmodelle werden mit praxisnahen Messergebnissen verglichen. (orig.)

The Kent Face Matching Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Fysh, Matthew C; Bindemann, Markus

2018-05-01

This study presents the Kent Face Matching Test (KFMT), which comprises 200 same-identity and 20 different-identity pairs of unfamiliar faces. Each face pair consists of a photograph from a student ID card and a high-quality portrait that was taken at least three months later. The test is designed to complement existing resources for face-matching research, by providing a more ecologically valid stimulus set that captures the natural variability that can arise in a person's appearance over time. Two experiments are presented to demonstrate that the KFMT provides a challenging measure of face matching but correlates with established tests. Experiment 1 compares a short version of this test with the optimized Glasgow Face Matching Test (GFMT). In Experiment 2, a longer version of the KFMT, with infrequent identity mismatches, is correlated with performance on the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) and the Cambridge Face Perception Test (CFPT). The KFMT is freely available for use in face-matching research. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

High pressure thimble/guide tube seal fitting with built-in low pressure seal especially suitable for facilitated and more efficient nuclear reactor refueling service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatt, P.N.; Blaushield, R.M.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a HP/LP seal arrangement for an elongated guide tube and an elongated thimble disposed therein. The guide tube and thimble extending outwardly from the core of a nuclear reactor to a seal table where the guide tube is welded to the seal table to provide a high pressure seal relative thereto. It comprises: a tubular seal fitting disposed in alignment with the guide tube with the thimble extending therethrough on the low pressure side of the seal table; first high pressure sealing means coupling one end of the fitting to an end of the guide tube to prevent leakage from within the guide tube; inwardly facing thread means disposed adjacent the other and outer end of the seal fitting; a nut having an opening through which the thimble extends and further having outwardly facing threading in mating engagement with the fitting thread means; the fitting having a seal seat spaced longitudinally inwardly from the thread means and facing the fitting outer end and further disposed annularly about the inner surface of the fitting; deformable ring seal means; second releasable high pressure sealing means coupling the thimble to the outer end portion of the guide tube

Ceramic Seal.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smartt, Heidi A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Romero, Juan A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Custer, Joyce Olsen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hymel, Ross W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Krementz, Dan [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Gobin, Derek [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Harpring, Larry [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Martinez-Rodriguez, Michael [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Varble, Don [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); DiMaio, Jeff [Tetramer Technologies, Pendleton, SC (United States); Hudson, Stephen [Tetramer Technologies, Pendleton, SC (United States)

2016-11-01

Containment/Surveillance (C/S) measures are critical to any verification regime in order to maintain Continuity of Knowledge (CoK). The Ceramic Seal project is research into the next generation technologies to advance C/S, in particular improving security and efficiency. The Ceramic Seal is a small form factor loop seal with improved tamper-indication including a frangible seal body, tamper planes, external coatings, and electronic monitoring of the seal body integrity. It improves efficiency through a self-securing wire and in-situ verification with a handheld reader. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), under sponsorship from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D), have previously designed and have now fabricated and tested Ceramic Seals. Tests have occurred at both SNL and SRNL, with different types of tests occurring at each facility. This interim report will describe the Ceramic Seal prototype, the design and development of a handheld standalone reader and an interface to a data acquisition system, fabrication of the seals, and results of initial testing.

Ceramic Seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smartt, Heidi A.; Romero, Juan A.; Custer, Joyce Olsen; Hymel, Ross W.; Krementz, Dan; Gobin, Derek; Harpring, Larry; Martinez-Rodriguez, Michael; Varble, Don; DiMaio, Jeff; Hudson, Stephen

2016-01-01

Containment/Surveillance (C/S) measures are critical to any verification regime in order to maintain Continuity of Knowledge (CoK). The Ceramic Seal project is research into the next generation technologies to advance C/S, in particular improving security and efficiency. The Ceramic Seal is a small form factor loop seal with improved tamper-indication including a frangible seal body, tamper planes, external coatings, and electronic monitoring of the seal body integrity. It improves efficiency through a self-securing wire and in-situ verification with a handheld reader. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), under sponsorship from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Research and Development (DNN R&D), have previously designed and have now fabricated and tested Ceramic Seals. Tests have occurred at both SNL and SRNL, with different types of tests occurring at each facility. This interim report will describe the Ceramic Seal prototype, the design and development of a handheld standalone reader and an interface to a data acquisition system, fabrication of the seals, and results of initial testing.

Vacuum seals design and testing for a linear accelerator of the National Spallation Neutron Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Z. Chen; C. Gautier; F. Hemez; N. K. Bultman

2000-02-01

Vacuum seals are very important to ensure that the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Linac has an optimum vacuum system. The vacuum joints between flanges must have reliable seals to minimize the leak rate and meet vacuum and electrical requirements. In addition, it is desirable to simplify the installation and thereby also simplify the maintenance required. This report summarizes an investigation of the metal vacuum seals that include the metal C-seal, Energized Spring seal, Helcoflex Copper Delta seal, Aluminum Delta seal, delta seal with limiting ring, and the prototype of the copper diamond seals. The report also contains the material certifications, design, finite element analysis, and testing for all of these seals. It is a valuable reference for any vacuum system design. To evaluate the suitability of several types of metal seals for use in the SNS Linac and to determine the torque applied on the bolts, a series of vacuum leak rate tests on the metal seals have been completed at Los Alamos Laboratory. A copper plated flange, using the same type of delta seal that was used for testing with the stainless steel flange, has also been studied and tested. A vacuum seal is desired that requires significantly less loading than a standard ConFlat flange with a copper gasket for the coupling cavity assembly. To save the intersegment space the authors use thinner flanges in the design. The leak rate of the thin ConFlat flange with a copper gasket is a baseline for the vacuum test on all seals and thin flanges. A finite element analysis of a long coupling cavity flange with a copper delta seal has been performed in order to confirm the design of the long coupling cavity flange and the welded area of a cavity body with the flange. This analysis is also necessary to predict a potential deformation of the cavity under the combined force of atmospheric pressure and the seating load of the seal. Modeling of this assembly has been achieved using both HKS/Abaqus and COSMOS

Vacuum seals design and testing for a linear accelerator of the National Spallation Neutron Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.; Gautier, C.; Hemez, F.; Bultman, N.K.

2000-01-01

Vacuum seals are very important to ensure that the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Linac has an optimum vacuum system. The vacuum joints between flanges must have reliable seals to minimize the leak rate and meet vacuum and electrical requirements. In addition, it is desirable to simplify the installation and thereby also simplify the maintenance required. This report summarizes an investigation of the metal vacuum seals that include the metal C-seal, Energized Spring seal, Helcoflex Copper Delta seal, Aluminum Delta seal, delta seal with limiting ring, and the prototype of the copper diamond seals. The report also contains the material certifications, design, finite element analysis, and testing for all of these seals. It is a valuable reference for any vacuum system design. To evaluate the suitability of several types of metal seals for use in the SNS Linac and to determine the torque applied on the bolts, a series of vacuum leak rate tests on the metal seals have been completed at Los Alamos Laboratory. A copper plated flange, using the same type of delta seal that was used for testing with the stainless steel flange, has also been studied and tested. A vacuum seal is desired that requires significantly less loading than a standard ConFlat flange with a copper gasket for the coupling cavity assembly. To save the intersegment space the authors use thinner flanges in the design. The leak rate of the thin ConFlat flange with a copper gasket is a baseline for the vacuum test on all seals and thin flanges. A finite element analysis of a long coupling cavity flange with a copper delta seal has been performed in order to confirm the design of the long coupling cavity flange and the welded area of a cavity body with the flange. This analysis is also necessary to predict a potential deformation of the cavity under the combined force of atmospheric pressure and the seating load of the seal. Modeling of this assembly has been achieved using both HKS/Abaqus and COSMOS

Upgrading primary heat transport pump seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, T.; Metcalfe, R.; Rhodes, D.; McInnes, D.

1995-01-01

Changes in the operating environment at the Bruce-A Nuclear Generating Station created the need for an upgraded Primary Heat Transport Pump (PHTP) seal. In particular, the requirement for low pressure running during more frequent start-ups exposed a weakness of the CAN2 seal and reduced its reliability. The primary concern at Bruce-A was the rotation of the CAN2 No. 2 stators in their holders. The introduction of low pressure running exacerbated this problem, giving rapid wear of the stator back face, overheating, and thermocracking. In addition, the resulting increase in friction between the stator and its holder increased stationary-side hysteresis and thereby changed the seal characteristic to the point where interseal pressure oscillations became prevalent. The resultant increased hysteresis also led to hard rubbing of the seal faces during temperature transients. An upgraded seal was required for improved reliability to avoid forced outages and to reduce maintenance costs. This paper describes this upgraded 'replacement seal' and its performance history. In spite of the 'teething' problems detailed in this paper, there have been no forced outages due to the replacement seal, and in the words of a seal maintenance worker at Bruce-A, 'it allows me to go home and sleep at night instead of worrying about seal failures.' (author)

Seal-rotordynamic-coefficient Test Results for a Model SSME ATD-HPFTP Turbine Interstage Seal with and Without a Swirl Brake

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, Dara W.; Ramsey, Christopher

1991-01-01

The predictions of Scharrer's (1988) theory for rotordynamic coefficients of labyrinth gas seals were compared with measurements for a model SSME Alternate Turbopump Development High Pressure Fuel Turbopump with and without swirl brakes. Using the test apparatus described by Childs et al., tests were conducted with supply pressures up to 18.3 bars and speeds up to 16,000 rpm. Seal back pressure was controlled to provide four pressure ratios at all supply pressures. No measurable differences in leakage was detected for the seal with and without the swirl brakes. Comparisons of the measurement results for the seal without a swirl brake with the Scharrer theory showed that the theory can be used only to provide design guidelines; systematic differences were observed between theory and experiment due to changes in running speed, supply pressure, and pressure ratio.

Seal-rotordynamic-coefficient test results for a model SSME ATD-HPFTP turbine interstate seal with and without a swirl brake

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, D. W.; Ramsey, C.

1991-01-01

The predictions of Scharrer's (1988) theory for rotordynamic coefficients of labyrinth gas seals were compared with measurements for a model SSME Alternate Turbopump Development High-Pressure Fuel Turbopump with and without swirl brakes. Using the test apparatus described by Childs et al. (1986, 1990), tests were conducted with supply pressures up to 18.3 bars and speeds up to 16,000 rpm. Seal back pressure was controlled to provide four pressure ratios at all supply pressures. No measurable difference in leakage was detected for the seal with and without the swirl brakes. Comparisons of the measurement results for the seal without a swirl brake with the Scharrer theory showed that the theory can be used only to provide design guidelines; systematic differences were observed between theory and experiment due to changes in running speed, supply pressure, and pressure ratio.

Leakage test evaluation used for qualification of iodine-125 seeds sealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feher, Anselmo; Rostelato, Maria E.C.M.; Zeituni, Carlos A.; Calvo, Wilson A.P.; Somessari, Samir L.; Moura, Joao A.; Moura, Eduardo S.; Souza, Carla D.; Rela, Paulo R.

2009-01-01

The prostate cancer is a problem of public health in Brazil, and the second cause of cancer deaths in men, exceeded only by lung cancer. Among the possible treatments available for prostate cancer is brachytherapy, in which small seeds containing Iodine-125 radioisotope are implanted in the prostate. The seed consists of a sealed titanium tube measuring 0.8 mm external diameter and 4.5 mm in length, containing a central silver wire with adsorbed Iodine-125. The tube sealing is made with titanium at the ends, using electric arc welding or laser process. This sealing must be leakage-resistant and free of cracks, therefore avoiding the Iodine-125 to deposit in the silver wire to escape and spread into the human body. To ensure this problem does not occur, rigorous leakage tests, in accordance with the standard Radiation protection - Sealed Radioactive Sources - leakage Test Methods - ISO 9978, should be applied. The aim of this study is to determine, implement and evaluate the leakage test to be used in the Iodine-125 seeds production, in order to qualify the sealing procedure. The standard ISO 9978 presents a list of tests to be carried out according to the type of source. The preferential methods for brachytherapy sources are soaking and helium. To assess the seeds leakage, the method of immersion test at room temperature was applied. The seeds are considered leakage-free if the detected activity does not exceed the 185 Bq (5 nCi). An Iodine standard was prepared and its value determined in a sodium iodide detector. A liquid scintillation counter was calibrated with the standard for seeds leakage tests. Forty-eight seeds were welded for these tests. (author)

Testing of molded high temperature plastic actuator road seals for use in advanced aircraft hydraulic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Waterman, A. W.; Huxford, R. L.; Nelson, W. G.

1976-01-01

Molded high temperature plastic first and second stage rod seal elements were evaluated in seal assemblies to determine performance characteristics. These characteristics were compared with the performance of machined seal elements. The 6.35 cm second stage Chevron seal assembly was tested using molded Chevrons fabricated from five molding materials. Impulse screening tests conducted over a range of 311 K to 478 K revealed thermal setting deficiencies in the aromatic polyimide molding materials. Seal elements fabricated from aromatic copolyester materials structurally failed during impulse cycle calibration. Endurance testing of 3.85 million cycles at 450 K using MIL-H-83283 fluid showed poorer seal performance with the unfilled aromatic polyimide material than had been attained with seals machined from Vespel SP-21 material. The 6.35 cm first stage step-cut compression loaded seal ring fabricated from copolyester injection molding material failed structurally during impulse cycle calibration. Molding of complex shape rod seals was shown to be a potentially controllable technique, but additional molding material property testing is recommended.

Guidelines for testing sealed radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

These guidelines are based on article 16(1) of the Ordinance on the Implementation of Atomic Safety and Radiation Protection dated 11 October 1984 (VOAS), in connection with article 36 of the Executory Provision to the VOAS, of 11 October 1984. They apply to the testing of sealed sources to verify their intactness, tightness and non-contamination as well as observance of their fixed service time. The type, scope and intervals of testing as well as the evaluation of test results are determined. These guidelines also apply to the testing of radiation sources forming part of radiation equipment, unless otherwise provided for in the type license or permit. These guidelines enter into force on 1 January 1990

Sealing arrangement for radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, I.L.S.; Sievwright, R.W.T.; Elliott, J.C.

1993-01-01

A sealing arrangement for hermetically sealing two mating surfaces comprises two seals arranged to lie between the surfaces. Each seal provides hermetic sealing over a respective different temperature range and lie serially along the surfaces between the regions to be isolated. A main seal integrity test arrangement is provided in the form of a port and passage. This allows for the introduction of a fluid into or the evacuation of a region between the two seals to detect a leak. The port is also provided with at least two test port seals which seal with a plug. The plug is also provided with a test port to allow the integrity of the test port seal to be tested. (UK)

Application of radioisotope technique for investigation of pumps seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoszewski, B.; Zorawska, A.

1988-01-01

Radioisotope method of measuring the wear of rings of the face mechanical seals, bush in soft seals, and leakage in double mechanical seals is described. The examples are given. It is found that radioisotope technique can be used for investigation of the seals. (author)

More Realistic Face Model Surface Improves Relevance of Pediatric In-Vitro Aerosol Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Amirav, Israel; Halamish, Asaf; Gorenberg, Miguel; Omar, Hamza; Newhouse, Michael T

2015-01-01

Various hard face models are commonly used to evaluate the efficiency of aerosol face masks. Softer more realistic "face" surface materials, like skin, deform upon mask application and should provide more relevant in-vitro tests. Studies that simultaneously take into consideration many of the factors characteristic of the in vivo face are lacking. These include airways, various application forces, comparison of various devices, comparison with a hard-surface model and use of a more representative model face based on large numbers of actual faces. To compare mask to "face" seal and aerosol delivery of two pediatric masks using a soft vs. a hard, appropriately representative, pediatric face model under various applied forces. Two identical face models and upper airways replicas were constructed, the only difference being the suppleness and compressibility of the surface layer of the "face." Integrity of the seal and aerosol delivery of two different masks [AeroChamber (AC) and SootherMask (SM)] were compared using a breath simulator, filter collection and realistic applied forces. The soft "face" significantly increased the delivery efficiency and the sealing characteristics of both masks. Aerosol delivery with the soft "face" was significantly greater for the SM compared to the AC (pmasks was observed with the hard "face." The material and pliability of the model "face" surface has a significant influence on both the seal and delivery efficiency of face masks. This finding should be taken into account during in-vitro aerosol studies.

Study of graphite sealing for the instrumentation feed through part

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Jintae; Ahn, Sungho; Joung, Changyoung; Kim, Kahye

2013-01-01

Because highly pressurized (15.5 MPa) and highly heated (300 .deg. C) coolant is circulated through the test rig, it needs to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In this case, general sealing method is brazing and several works have been carried out in nuclear fields. However, because high temperature is induced on the sealing plug and sheaths, it is easy to be broken due to oxidisation of the sheath during brazing process. In addition, because the brazing process is irreversible, if the brazing process fails, the whole inner assembly should be scrapped out. Another approach which uses graphite has been studied to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In the study, graphite sealing is considered as a sealing method and the improvement of mechanical structure has been studied to improve the workability. To check the sealing performance of the instrumentation feed through part, a hydraulic pressure test and a helium leak test were carried out according to the ASME section III. The criterion of a hydraulic pressure test is 125% of the design pressure. In this study, because the design pressure of the pressure vessel is 17.5 MPa. the sealing criterion should be 21.9 MPa. Also, in a Helium leak test, the criterion is less than 5 Χ 10 -9 torr·liter/sec. At first, a Helium leak test was carried out. After eliminating Helium in the pressure vessel by evacuating the internal area of the pressure vessel up to 1 Χ 10 -3 torr using ASM 310, Helium detection test was carried out by spraying Helium gas at the top face of the top flange for 5 minutes. Fig. 4 shows the rate of Helium leakage is 2.4 Χ 10 -9 torr·liter/sec, and it satisfies the sealing performance criterion. A hydraulic pressure test was also carried out, and there was no leakage or pressure drop when the water in the pressure vessel is pressurized up to 22.5 MPa. The above test results show that graphite powder can seal out the instrumentation feed through part easily with the improved

Study of graphite sealing for the instrumentation feed through part

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Jintae; Ahn, Sungho; Joung, Changyoung; Kim, Kahye [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

Because highly pressurized (15.5 MPa) and highly heated (300 .deg. C) coolant is circulated through the test rig, it needs to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In this case, general sealing method is brazing and several works have been carried out in nuclear fields. However, because high temperature is induced on the sealing plug and sheaths, it is easy to be broken due to oxidisation of the sheath during brazing process. In addition, because the brazing process is irreversible, if the brazing process fails, the whole inner assembly should be scrapped out. Another approach which uses graphite has been studied to seal out the instrumentation feed through part. In the study, graphite sealing is considered as a sealing method and the improvement of mechanical structure has been studied to improve the workability. To check the sealing performance of the instrumentation feed through part, a hydraulic pressure test and a helium leak test were carried out according to the ASME section III. The criterion of a hydraulic pressure test is 125% of the design pressure. In this study, because the design pressure of the pressure vessel is 17.5 MPa. the sealing criterion should be 21.9 MPa. Also, in a Helium leak test, the criterion is less than 5 Χ 10{sup -9} torr·liter/sec. At first, a Helium leak test was carried out. After eliminating Helium in the pressure vessel by evacuating the internal area of the pressure vessel up to 1 Χ 10{sup -3} torr using ASM 310, Helium detection test was carried out by spraying Helium gas at the top face of the top flange for 5 minutes. Fig. 4 shows the rate of Helium leakage is 2.4 Χ 10{sup -9} torr·liter/sec, and it satisfies the sealing performance criterion. A hydraulic pressure test was also carried out, and there was no leakage or pressure drop when the water in the pressure vessel is pressurized up to 22.5 MPa. The above test results show that graphite powder can seal out the instrumentation feed through part easily with

Final report of the borehole, shaft, and tunnel sealing test. Vol. 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.; Boergesson, L.; Ramqvist, G.

1987-02-01

Like the borehole and shaft plugging tests, the tunnel test gave evidence of the very effective sealing power of Na betonite. The test arrangement consisted of a 9 m long 1.5 m diameter steel tube surrounded by sand and cast in concrete plugs at each end. These plugs contained bentonite forming 'O-ring' sealings at the concrete/rock interface. The test had the form of injecting water into the sand and measuring the leakage that took place through the adjacent rock and along the plug. It was concluded that the drop in leakage from more than 200 l at 100 kPa water pressure early in the test to 75 l at 3 MPa pressure at the end was due partly to the swelling pressure exerted by the bentonite on the rock and by penetration of bentonite into water-bearing rock fractures. The major sealing process appears to be the establishment of a very tight bentonite/rock interface. (orig./HP)

Miniature magnetic fluid seal working in liquid environments

Science.gov (United States)

Mitamura, Yoshinori; Durst, Christopher A.

2017-06-01

This study was carried out to develop a miniature magnetic fluid (MF) seal working in a liquid environment. The miniature MF seal is intended for use in a catheter blood pump. The requirements for the MF seal included a size of less than Ø4×4.5 mm, shaft diameter of 1 mm, sealing pressure of 200 mmHg, shaft speed of up to 40000 rpm, and life of one month. The miniature MF seal was composed of an NdFeB magnet (Ø4×Ø2×1) sandwiched between two pole pieces (Ø4×Ø1.1×0.5). A shield (Ø4×Ø1.2×1.5) was placed on the pole piece facing the liquid to minimize the influence of pump flow on the MF. The seal was installed on a Ø1 shaft. A seal was formed by injecting MF (Ms: 47.8 kA/m and η: 0.5 Pa·sec) into the gap between the pole pieces and the shaft. Total volume of the MF seal was 44 μL. A sealing pressure of 370 mmHg was obtained at motor speeds of 0-40,000 rpm. The seal remained perfect for 10 days in saline under the condition of a pump flow of 1.5 L/min (The test was terminated in accordance with plans). The seal remained intact after ethylene oxide sterilization during which the seal was exposed to high pressures. In conclusion, the newly developed MF seal will be useful for a catheter pump.

Cover-gas-seal component development: dynamic inflatable-plug seal improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horton, P.H.

1977-01-01

This report documents the 1) radial compliance and 2) low friction coating tests conducted on the CRBRP Rotating Plug Inflatable Seals per test plan N707TR810014. Test results show that narrowing the seal blade from 0.25 to 0.12 in. will effectively reduce dynamic drag from 30 to 20 lb/ft under nominal conditions and will increase seal radial compliance from 0.12 to 0.30 in. without an unacceptable rise in dynamic drag. Tests also demonstrated that application of a teflon coating to the seal wear surface reduced breakaway drag by 25% based on results of comparison dwells

Elastomer seal for a large toroidal vacuum chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skellett, S.; Casey, F.; Blake, H.

1978-07-01

An aluminium toroidal vacuum chamber for use at 10(-6) torr, whose overall diameter is in the region of 5 metres, was built from 4 component parts which resulted in joint lines in the horizontal and vertical planes crossing each other in 4 places. A viton seal was developed which allows a vacuum tight joint to be made without the need for tightly toleranced fitting of the mating faces and also overcomes the difficulty of ensuring a reliable seal at cross-over joints. Ease of maintenance and repair in situ are important factors of the design. An assembly which presented the geometry of the sealing problem was tested and is described here. Various adhesives for bonding viton were examined for the manufacture of the seal. The most suitable adhesive was found to be Loctite S496, chosen for its bond strength and convenience in use. A device for preparing and bonding the viton in situ is described. (author)

Regulatory concerns for leakage testing of packagings with three O-ring closure seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oras, J.J.; Towell, R.H.; Wangler, M.E.

1997-01-01

The American National Standard for Radioactive Materials--Leakage Tests on Packages for Shipment (ANSI N14.5) provides guidance for leakage rate testing to show that a particular packaging complies with regulatory requirements and also provides guidance in determining appropriate acceptance criteria. Recent radioactive packagings designs have incorporated three O-ring closure seals, the middle O-ring being the containment seal. These designs have the potential for false positive results of leakage rate tests. The volume between the containment O-ring and the inner O-ring is used for the helium gas required for the leakage rate tests to reduce both the amount of helium used and the time required to conduct the tests. A leak detector samples the evacuated volume between the outer O-ring and the containment O-ring. False positive results can be caused in two ways, a large leakage in the containment seal or leakage in the inner seal. This paper will describe the problem together with possible solutions/areas that need to be addressed in a Safety Analysis Report for Packagings before a particular packaging design can be certified for transport

Miniature magnetic fluid seal working in liquid environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitamura, Yoshinori, E-mail: ymitamura@par.odn.ne.jp [Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814 (Japan); Durst, Christopher A., E-mail: chris@procyrion.com [Procyrion, Inc., Houston, TX 77027 (United States)

2017-06-01

This study was carried out to develop a miniature magnetic fluid (MF) seal working in a liquid environment. The miniature MF seal is intended for use in a catheter blood pump. The requirements for the MF seal included a size of less than Ø4×4.5 mm, shaft diameter of 1 mm, sealing pressure of 200 mmHg, shaft speed of up to 40000 rpm, and life of one month. The miniature MF seal was composed of an NdFeB magnet (Ø4×Ø2×1) sandwiched between two pole pieces (Ø4×Ø1.1×0.5). A shield (Ø4×Ø1.2×1.5) was placed on the pole piece facing the liquid to minimize the influence of pump flow on the MF. The seal was installed on a Ø1 shaft. A seal was formed by injecting MF (Ms: 47.8 kA/m and η: 0.5 Pa·sec) into the gap between the pole pieces and the shaft. Total volume of the MF seal was 44 μL. A sealing pressure of 370 mmHg was obtained at motor speeds of 0-40,000 rpm. The seal remained perfect for 10 days in saline under the condition of a pump flow of 1.5 L/min (The test was terminated in accordance with plans). The seal remained intact after ethylene oxide sterilization during which the seal was exposed to high pressures. In conclusion, the newly developed MF seal will be useful for a catheter pump. - Highlights: • A miniature magnetic fluid seal working in a liquid environment was developed. • The seal can be installed on Ø1 mm shaft and can seal against 370 mmHg at 40000 rpm. • The magnetic fluid seal will be useful for a catheter blood pump.

Labyrinth Seal Flutter Analysis and Test Validation in Support of Robust Rocket Engine Design

Science.gov (United States)

El-Aini, Yehia; Park, John; Frady, Greg; Nesman, Tom

2010-01-01

High energy-density turbomachines, like the SSME turbopumps, utilize labyrinth seals, also referred to as knife-edge seals, to control leakage flow. The pressure drop for such seals is order of magnitude higher than comparable jet engine seals. This is aggravated by the requirement of tight clearances resulting in possible unfavorable fluid-structure interaction of the seal system (seal flutter). To demonstrate these characteristics, a benchmark case of a High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP) outlet Labyrinth seal was studied in detail. First, an analytical assessment of the seal stability was conducted using a Pratt & Whitney legacy seal flutter code. Sensitivity parameters including pressure drop, rotor-to-stator running clearances and cavity volumes were examined and modeling strategies established. Second, a concurrent experimental investigation was undertaken to validate the stability of the seal at the equivalent operating conditions of the pump. Actual pump hardware was used to construct the test rig, also referred to as the (Flutter Rig). The flutter rig did not include rotational effects or temperature. However, the use of Hydrogen gas at high inlet pressure provided good representation of the critical parameters affecting flutter especially the speed of sound. The flutter code predictions showed consistent trends in good agreement with the experimental data. The rig test program produced a stability threshold empirical parameter that separated operation with and without flutter. This empirical parameter was used to establish the seal build clearances to avoid flutter while providing the required cooling flow metering. The calibrated flutter code along with the empirical flutter parameter was used to redesign the baseline seal resulting in a flutter-free robust configuration. Provisions for incorporation of mechanical damping devices were introduced in the redesigned seal to ensure added robustness

Film riding seals for rotary machines

Science.gov (United States)

Bidkar, Rahul Anil; Sarawate, Neelesh Nandkumar; Wolfe, Christopher Edward; Ruggiero, Eric John; Raj Mohan, Vivek Raja

2017-03-07

A seal assembly for a rotary machine is provided. The seal assembly includes multiple sealing device segments disposed circumferentially intermediate to a stationary housing and a rotor. Each of the segments includes a shoe plate with a forward-shoe section and an aft-shoe section having one or more labyrinth teeth therebetween facing the rotor. The sealing device includes a stator interface element having a groove or slot for allowing disposal of a spline seal for preventing segment leakages. The sealing device segment also includes multiple bellow springs or flexures connected to the shoe plate and to the stator interface element. Further, the sealing device segments include a secondary seal integrated with the stator interface element at one end and positioned about the multiple bellow springs or flexures and the shoe plate at the other end.

An Investigation of Loop Seal Clearings in ATLAS SBLOCA Tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yeonsik; Cho, Seok; Kang, Kyoungho; Park, Hyunsik; Min, Kyeongho; Choi, Namhyeon; Park, Jonggook; Kim, Bokdeuk; Choi, Kiyong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

In most of the SBLOCA cases, the pressure of the upper-head region will increase mainly owing to the accumulated steam and water inventory in the upper-plenum. This build-up pressure acts as a suppression force to the core water level, and resultantly the core water level will decrease possibly up to and/or below the top of the active core region. Simultaneously, the downcomer water level will increase owing to the evacuated water inventory from the lower part of the core region. This unbalanced hydro-static pressure between the core and downcomer region acts as a potential pushing force to the reactor coolant pump (RCP) side intermediate leg. The potential pushing force will be increased with time to overcome the hydro-static head in the upflow intermediate leg. The unbalanced hydro-static pressure can finally be dissolved with the occurrence of the loop seal clearing. A minimum core collapsed water level, located below the elevation of the loop seal bottom leg in the ATLAS tests, is taken at this time. Since the loop seal bottom leg is located below the core top for typical PWR plants such as an APR1400, the water level depression may uncover the core upper regions until the core water level recovers with the progress of the clearing of the loop seal upflow leg. At this moment, the core temperature may increase to a peak cladding temperature (PCT) owing to an excessive core uncovery by the minimum core collapsed water level. Therefore, the loop seal clearing phenomenon is very important with respect to the PCT occurrence, which is one of the most important parameters to insure the safety of the reactor system. The loop seal clearing behavior seems to be closely related to the break location and break size. Usually, a loop seal in the break loop is cleared first, and the number of loop seal clearings is dependent on the break size. The larger the break size, the more the loop seals that are cleared. An investigation of LSC in the SBLOCA for DVI line and CL breaks

Mechanical seals

CERN Document Server

Mayer, E

1977-01-01

Mechanical Seals, Third Edition is a source of practical information on the design and use of mechanical seals. Topics range from design fundamentals and test rigs to leakage, wear, friction and power, reliability, and special designs. This text is comprised of nine chapters; the first of which gives a general overview of seals, including various types of seals and their applications. Attention then turns to the fundamentals of seal design, with emphasis on six requirements that must be considered: sealing effectiveness, length of life, reliability, power consumption, space requirements, and c

Air riding seal with purge cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Sexton, Thomas D; Mills, Jacob A

2017-08-15

An air riding seal for a turbine in a gas turbine engine, where an annular piston is axial moveable within an annular piston chamber formed in a stator of the turbine and forms a seal with a surface on the rotor using pressurized air that forms a cushion in a pocket of the annular piston. A purge cavity is formed on the annular piston and is connected to a purge hole that extends through the annular piston to a lower pressure region around the annular piston or through the rotor to an opposite side. The annular piston is sealed also with inner and outer seals that can be a labyrinth seal to form an additional seal than the cushion of air in the pocket to prevent the face of the air riding seal from overheating.

Field Test of Advanced Duct-Sealing Technologies Within the Weatherization Assistance Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ternes, MP

2001-12-05

A field test of an aerosol-spray duct-sealing technology and a conventional, best-practice approach was performed in 80 homes to determine the efficacy and programmatic needs of the duct-sealing technologies as applied in the U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program. The field test was performed in five states: Iowa, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The study found that, compared with the best-practice approach, the aerosol-spray technology is 50% more effective at sealing duct leaks and can potentially reduce labor time and costs for duct sealing by 70%, or almost 4 crew-hours. Further study to encourage and promote use of the aerosol-spray technology within the Weatherization Assistance Program is recommended. A pilot test of full production weatherization programs using the aerosol-spray technology is recommended to develop approaches for integrating this technology with other energy conservation measures and minimizing impacts on weatherization agency logistics. In order to allow or improve adoption of the aerosol spray technology within the Weatherization Assistance Program, issues must be addressed concerning equipment costs, use of the technology under franchise arrangements with Aeroseal, Inc. (the holders of an exclusive license to use this technology), software used to control the equipment, safety, and training. Application testing of the aerosol-spray technology in mobile homes is also recommended.

A review on the welding technology for the sealing of irradiation test fuel element

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, J. W.; Kang, Y. H.; Kim, B. G.; Joo, K. N.; Oh, J. M.; Park, S. J.; Shin, Y. T

2000-02-01

For the irradiation test of nuclear fuel in a research reactor, the fuel manufacturing technology should be developed in advance. Highly radioactive fission products are produced and can be released from the fuel materials during irradiation. Therefore, The sealing of the test is one of the most important procedure among the test fuel manufacturing processes, considering its impacts on the safety of a reactor operation.many welding techniques such as TIG, EBW, LBW, upset butt welding and flash welding are applied in sealing the end of fuel elements. These welding techniques are adopted in conjunction with the weld material, weldability, weld joint design and cost effectiveness. For fuel irradiation test, the centerline temperature of fuel pellets is one of the important item to be measured. For this, a thermocouple is installed into the center of the fuel pellet. The sealing of the penetration hole of the thermocouple sheath should be conducted and the hole should be perfectly sealed using the dissimilar metal joining technique. For this purpose, the dissimilar metal welding between zircaloy-4 and Inconel or stainless steel is needed to be developed. This report describes the techniques sealing the end cap and the penetration of a thermocouple sheath by welding. (author)

Inflatable door seals - reduced maintenance and longer service-life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuran, S.; Wensel, R.; Lazic, M.

1995-01-01

Inflatable door seals, designed more than a quarter of a century ago, have given good service in Canadian and overseas CANDU reactors. These thin-walled elastomeric seals have been exposed to many thousands of cycles of inflation and deflation, various types of aging (temperature, radiation and time), ozone degradation, abrasion, pinching, stiction, cracking and installation damage. The fact that they have operated successfully as part of the reactor building containment structure - subjected to the same pressures and temperatures as those for the thick reinforced concrete walls and steel doors highlights the achievement of these thin rubber seals. However, in the last decade, the rubber industry has developed new compounds that are more resistant to radiation, temperature, and time-dependent aging. Components manufactured from such compounds are less prone to hardening, stress cracking and permanent set; thereby saving on replacement costs, inventory and overall maintenance. This paper discusses development and testing of recent material and design changes to inflatable seals, and addresses various practical issues faced by the operations engineers and maintainers using these seals. (author)

The large scale in-situ PRACLAY heater and seal tests in URL HADES, Mol, Belgium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiangling Li; Guangjing Chen; Verstricht, Jan; Van Marcke, Philippe; Troullinos, Ioannis [ESV EURIDICE, Mol (Belgium)

2013-07-01

In Belgium, the URL HADES was constructed in the Boom Clay formation at the Mol site to investigate the feasibility of geological disposal in a clay formation. Since 1995, the URL R and D programme has focused on large scale demonstration tests like the PRACLAY Heater and Seal tests. The main objective of the Heater Test is to demonstrate that the thermal load generated by the heat-emitting waste will not jeopardise the safety functions of the host rock. The primary objective of the Seal Test is to provide suitable hydraulic boundary conditions for the Heater Test. The Seal Test also provides an opportunity to investigate the in-situ behaviour of a bentonite-based EBS. The PRACLAY gallery was constructed in 2007 and the hydraulic seal was installed in 2010. The bentonite is hydrated both naturally and artificially. The swelling, total pressure and pore pressure of the bentonite are continuously measured and analysed by numerical simulations to get a better understanding of this hydration processes. The timing of switching on the heater depends on the progress of the bentonite hydration, as a sufficient seal swelling is needed to fulfill its role. A set of conditions to be met for the heater switch-on and its schedule will be given. (authors)

Innovation to reality for improved pump seal performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, W.; Eyvindson, A.; Rhodes, D.B.

2003-01-01

'Full-Text:' The nuclear industry requires reliable pump seals. Extended operating conditions for aging plants (i.e., low pressure starts, pressure and temperature transients) and increasing demands from new plants (larger sizes, higher speeds) are pushing the operating envelope for seals. This means that many seals that were previously considered adequate are now requiring increased attention and care. Operating utilities have taken different approaches to addressing their existing, or emerging, seal problems. Primary concerns include maintenance practices, seal design, and monitoring capabilities, as well as operating conditions, transients, pump and motor design. Success in this area requires ongoing dialogue among the station operators, pump manufacturers and seal designers. Regardless of the design, the basic requirement in CANDU is a reliable seal lifetime exceeding 5 years. This paper describes AECL's efforts to meet this requirement through an ongoing program of research and development in seal technology. Current work includes rigorous testing and evaluation of new seal materials and coatings to maximize seal stability and minimize friction and wear (i.e., pressure/temperature transients produce unpredictable shaft movement that can significantly alter face deflections affecting leak rates and seal stability, and sometimes cause the seal to hang-up and de-stage). Also required is a practical method for on-line monitoring of the condition of the seal, whether it is newly installed or after several years of reliable performance. This provides crucial information for inventory, maintenance and outage planning. While new concepts may look good on paper, it is only after they have been demonstrated under fully representative station operating conditions that they can truly be considered ready for field use. AECL CAN-seals lead the nuclear industry in reliability and seal life. They effectively save operators millions of dollars in outage time and person

Performance of candidate gas turbine abradeable seal materials in high temperature combustion atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simms, N.J. [Cranfield University, Power Generation Technology Centre, Cranfield, Beds, MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); Norton, J.F. [Cranfield University, Power Generation Technology Centre, Cranfield, Beds, MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); Consultant in Corrosion Science and Technology, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1SR (United Kingdom); McColvin, G. [Siemens Industrial Turbines Ltd., Lincoln, LN5 7FD (United Kingdom)

2005-11-01

on their rear faces to produce a temperature gradient through the seals and the samples were thermally cycled by switching the natural gas off every three hours. The total exposure period for each test was {proportional_to} 1,000 h, with seal face temperatures of 1000-1180 C. The performance of the materials in these tests was evaluated using visual observations and cross-sectional examinations using optical and SEM/EDX techniques. The data gathered have included measurements of oxide thickness and metal-loss on the exposed samples. A wide range of materials performances has been observed in these studies from minimal damage through to total destruction of samples. Overall, this study has shown that there is still a lot of development work required in order to move to higher temperature sealing systems structures in gas turbine applications. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Mechanical seal program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowery, G.B.

1983-01-01

The experimental plans and timing for completion of the mechanical seal program for both the slurry and transfer pumps are given. The slurry pump seal program will be completed by April 1984 with turnover of two seals in pumps to SRP Tank 15H. Transfer pump seal design will be released for plant use by May 1984. Also included are various other pump and seal related tests

Respirators. Does your face fit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caro, N M; Else, D

1981-04-01

The authors carried out a survey of face sizes of men and women of four different ethnic origins and carried out face-seal leakage trials on four corresponding test panels. No single respirator design is likely to fit all members of the workforce, and it may be necessary to stock respirators from more than one manufacturers.Three or four different respirators or size of respirator may be needed. However, the use of lossely-fitting respirators such as Airsteam helmets could remove the necessity for exhaustive fitting procedures.

Sealing properties of mechanical seals for an axial flow blood pump.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomioka, J; Mori, T; Yamazaki, K; Koyanagi, H

1999-08-01

A miniature intraventricular axial flow blood pump for left ventricular support is under development. One of the key technologies required for such pumps is sealing of the motor shaft. In this study, to prevent blood backflow into the motor side, mechanical seals were developed and their sealing properties investigated. In the experimental apparatus, the mechanical seal separated the bovine blood on the chamber side from the cooling water on the motor side. A leakage of the blood was measured by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) light emission analysis. The rate of hemolysis was measured by the cyanmethemoglobin method. Frictional torque acting on the shaft was measured by a torque transducer. In the experiments, the rotational speed of the shaft was changed from 1,000 to 10,000 rpm, and the contact force of the seal faces was changed from 1.96 to 4.31 N. To estimate lubrication regimes, the Stribeck curve, a diagram of the coefficient of friction against the bearing characteristic G number, was drawn. The results of the experiments showed that both the leakage of blood and the rate of hemolysis were very small. The friction loss was also very small. The mechanical seal was operated in various lubrication regimes, from a fluid lubrication regime to a mixed lubrication regime.

Test plan for dig-face characterization performance testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Josten, N.E.

1993-09-01

The dig-face characterization concept has been under development at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) since FY 1992 through the support of the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Program. A Dig-face Characterization System conducts continuous subsurface characterization simultaneously with retrieval of hazardous and radioactive waste from buried waste sites. The system deploys multiple sensors at the retrieval operation dig-face and collects data that provide a basis for detecting, locating, and identifying hazardous conditions before they are disturbed by the retrieval equipment. This test plan describes initial efforts to test the dig-face characterization concept at the INEL Cold Test Pit using a simplified prototype apparatus and off-the-shelf sensors. The Cold Test Pit is a simulated waste site containing hazardous and radioactive waste surrogates at known locations. Testing will be directed toward three generic characterization problems: metal detection, plume detection, and radioactive source detection. The prototype apparatus will gather data using magnetometers, a ground conductivity meter, a trace gas analyzer, and a gamma ray sensor during simulated retrieval of the surrogate waste materials. The data acquired by a dig-face characterization system are unique because of the high precision, high data density, and multiple viewpoints attainable through the dig-face deployment approach. The test plan establishes procedures for collecting and validating a representative dig-face characterization data set. Analysis of these data will focus on developing criteria for predicting the depth, location, composition, and other characteristics of the surrogate waste materials. If successful, this proof-of-concept exercise will provide a foundation for future development of a fully-operational system that is capable of operating on an actual waste site

Optimization of the pumping ring in a mechanical seal with an integrated cooler for feed-water pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchdahl, D.; Martin, R.; Gueret, G.; Blanc, M.

1994-07-01

To simplify maintenance, E.D.F. along with its collaborators undertook the study of mechanical seal with integrated cooler used in feed-water pumps in the nuclear power plants. The cooler, integrated to the pump acts as a thermal barrier as well as a cooler of the mechanical seal. The water circulation in the cooler is assumed by an integrated pumping ring in the rotary part of the mechanical seal, with a matching screw thread in the pumping case. This assembly of mechanical seal/integrated cooler is tested in a test loop at the EDF/DER Laboratory. All working conditions are similar to that at site. Tests with different configurations of the rotor/stator profiles are performed, i.e.; different lengths and types of threading. Hydraulic performances and the global thermal balance of this assembly are studied. Our basic aim during these tests is to optimize the hydraulic performance of the pumping ring so as to best cool the mechanical seal faces. The different results obtained and the conclusions drawn during these tests are presented. (authors). 7 figs., 3 refs

Evaluation of methods to leak test sealed radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbeau, N.D.; Scott, C.K.

1987-04-01

The methods for the leak testing of sealed radiation sources were reviewed. One hundred and thirty-one equipment vendors were surveyed to identify commercially available leak test instruments. The equipment is summarized in tabular form by radiation type and detector type for easy reference. The radiation characteristics of the licensed sources were reviewed and summarized in a format that can be used to select the most suitable detection method. A test kit is proposed for use by inspectors when verifying a licensee's test procedures. The general elements of leak test procedures are discussed

Method and system to facilitate sealing in gas turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Victor John; Foster, Gregory Thomas; Sarawate, Neelesh Nandkumar

2017-09-12

A method and system for sealing between components within a gas turbine is provided. A first recess defined in a first component receives a seal member. A second recess defined in a second component adjacent the first component also receives the seal member. The first and second recesses are located proximate a hot gas path defined through the gas turbine, and define circumferential paths about the turbine axis. The seal member includes a sealing face that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the turbine axis. The seal member also includes a plurality of seal layers, wherein at least one of the seal layers includes at least one stress relief region for facilitating flexing of the first seal member.

Face Perception and Test Reliabilities in Congenital Prosopagnosia in Seven Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janina Esins

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Congenital prosopagnosia, the innate impairment in recognizing faces, is a very heterogeneous disorder with different phenotypical manifestations. To investigate the nature of prosopagnosia in more detail, we tested 16 prosopagnosics and 21 controls with an extended test battery addressing various aspects of face recognition. Our results show that prosopagnosics exhibited significant impairments in several face recognition tasks: impaired holistic processing (they were tested amongst others with the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT as well as reduced processing of configural information of faces. This test battery also revealed some new findings. While controls recognized moving faces better than static faces, prosopagnosics did not exhibit this effect. Furthermore, prosopagnosics had significantly impaired gender recognition—which is shown on a groupwise level for the first time in our study. There was no difference between groups in the automatic extraction of face identity information or in object recognition as tested with the Cambridge Car Memory Test. In addition, a methodological analysis of the tests revealed reduced reliability for holistic face processing tests in prosopagnosics. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that prosopagnosics showed a significantly reduced reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha in the CFMT compared to the controls. We suggest that compensatory strategies employed by the prosopagnosics might be the cause for the vast variety of response patterns revealed by the reduced test reliability. This finding raises the question whether classical face tests measure the same perceptual processes in controls and prosopagnosics.

Accelerated test program for sealed nickel-cadmium spacecraft batteries/cells

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, L. A.

1976-01-01

The feasibility was examined of inducing an accelerated test on sealed Nickel-Cadmium batteries or cells as a tool for spacecraft projects and battery users to determine: (1) the prediction of life capability; (2) a method of evaluating the effect of design and component changes in cells; and (3) a means of reducing time and cost of cell testing.

Hermetic Seal Leak Detection Apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

The present invention is a hermetic seal leak detection apparatus, which can be used to test for hermetic seal leaks in instruments and containers. A vacuum tight chamber is created around the unit being tested to minimize gas space outside of the hermetic seal. A vacuum inducing device is then used to increase the gas chamber volume inside the device, so that a slight vacuum is pulled on the unit being tested. The pressure in the unit being tested will stabilize. If the stabilized pressure reads close to a known good seal calibration, there is not a leak in the seal. If the stabilized pressure reads closer to a known bad seal calibration value, there is a leak in the seal. The speed of the plunger can be varied and by evaluating the resulting pressure change rates and final values, the leak rate/size can be accurately calculated.

Implementation of multiple measures to improve reactor recirculation pump sealing performance in nuclear boiling water reactor service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loenhout, Gerard van [Flowserve B.V., Etten-Leur (Netherlands). Nuclear Services and Solutions Engineering; Hurni, Juerg

2015-05-15

A modern reactor recirculation pump circulates a large volume of high temperature, very pure water from the reactor pressure vessel back to the core by feeding into multiple stationary jet pumps inside the vessel. Together with the jet pumps, they allow station operators to vary coolant flow and variable pump speed provides the best and most stable reactor power control. A crucial technical problem with a recirculation pump, such as a mechanical seal indicating loss of sealing pressure, may result in a power station having to shut down for repair. This article describes the sudden increase in stray current phenomenon leading to rapid and severe deterioration of the mechanical end face shaft seal in a reactor recirculation pump. This occurred after the installation of a variable frequency converter replacing the original motor-generator set. This article will also discuss the 2,500 hour laboratory test results conducted under reactor recirculation pump sealing conditions using a newly developed seal face technology recently implemented to overcome challenges when sealing neutral, ultra-pure water. In addition, the article will describe the elaborate shaft grounding arrangement and the preliminary measurement results achieved in order to eliminate potential damages to both pump and mechanical seal.

Low-Torque Seal Development

Science.gov (United States)

Lattime, Scott B.; Borowski, Richard

2009-01-01

The EcoTurn Class K production prototypes have passed all AAR qualification tests and received conditional approval. The accelerated life test on the second set of seals is in progress. Due to the performance of the first set, no problems are expected.The seal has demonstrated superior performance over the HDL seal in the test lab with virtually zero torque and excellent contamination exclusion and grease retention.

Mechanical Face Seal Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-12-01

1473, 83 APR EDITION OF I JAN 73 IS OBSOLETE. UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE -,1 - " P V 7 V - • ... f -N- PRE FACE This final...dimensionless mass m and support damping 1), ~ at-e aisas M"= -1,,i -4 4) y positive. ’he damping D is Ihe tinplete system of momeints acting on tile

Full-scale demonstration. Fire testing of a system for penetration sealing based on foamed silicone elastomer: Studsvik 77-05-26

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, A.

1978-06-01

Testing of a system for making fire retardant penetration seals based on foamed-in-place silicone elastomer is described. The report covers - Concept of fire retardant penetration seals and the Chemtrol system, Design FC 225 - Account of materials used to prepare seals and method of application - Test assembly and full-scale facility at Studsvik - Classification of seals used in demonstration - Diagrams of seals and photographs taken after demonstration

Full-scale demonstration. Fire testing of a system for penetration sealing based on foamed silicone elastomer: Studsvik 77-05-26

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, A.

1978-06-01

Testing of a system for making fire retardant penetration seals based on foamed-in-place silicone elastomer is described. The report covers - Concept of fire retardant penetration seals and the Chemtrol system, Design FC 225 - Account of materials used to prepare seals and method of application - Test assembly and full-scale facility at Studsvik - Classification of seals used in demonstration - Diagrams of seals and photographs taken after demonstration (author)

ESDRED Temporary Sealing Technology Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso, J.; Garcia-Sineriz, J. L.; Barcena, I.; Alonso, M. C.; Fernandez Luco, L.; Garcia, J. L.; Fries, T.; Pettersson, S.; Boden, A.; Salo, J. P.

2009-07-01

The work in the ESDRED In te grated Project Module 4, Temporary Sealing (using low pH cement) Technology, consisted first of designing a low pH cement formulation and then of preparing several concrete designs suitable for the construction of sealing plugs and for rock support using shot crete techniques. Regarding sealing plugs, a short plug was constructed at Aspo in Sweden and it was very quickly loaded to failure i.e. slippage by applying water pressure to one face. A second, full scale plug was subsequently constructed at Grimsel test site in Switzerland. It was loaded using the swelling pressure created by bentonite blocks which were artificially hydrated. At time of writing the targeted pressure on the plug was not reached. As the saturation of the bentonite is taking longer than expected the partners involved agreed to continue with the saturation of the bentonite blocks and the related data monitoring beyond the ESDRED Project. The studies on low-pH shot crete for rock sup port were based on available recipes of low-pH concrete mixtures for use in a repository. Pilot and full scale tests were carried out in Sweden and in Switzerland. (Author) 5 refs.

Testing to determine the leakage behavior of inflatable seals subject to severe accident loadings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, M.B.

1988-01-01

Under the sponsorship of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Sandia National Laboratories is currently developing test validated methods to predict the pressure capacity, at elevated temperatures, of light water reactor (LWR) nuclear containment vessels subject to loads well beyond their design basis - the so-called severe accident. Scale model tests of containments with the major penetrations represented have been carried to functional failure by internal pressurization. Also, combined pressure and elevated temperature tests of typical compression seals and gaskets, a full size personnel airlock, and of typical electrical penetration assemblies (EPAs), have been conducted in order to better understand the leakage behavior of containment penetrations. Because inflatable seals are also a part of the pressure boundary of some containments, it is important to understand their leakage behavior as well. This paper discusses the results of tests that were performed to better define the leakage behavior of inflatable seals when subjected to loads well beyond their design basis

Final report of the borehole, shaft, and tunnel sealing test. Vol.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.; Boergesson, L.; Ramqvist, G.

1987-01-01

Shaft sealing by use of highly compacted bentonite was investigated in a 14 m long shaft in which two plugs were constructed with a central sand-filled central space for injecting water. A first reference test with concrete plugs was followed by a main test in which the plug material consisted of blocks of highly compacted sodium bentonite powder. In the latter test, the outflow from the injection chamber was only a few percent of that with the concrete plugs, which demonstrates the excellent sealing properties of the clay. The main effect was that practically no water flow took place along the rock/clay interface. The longevity of smectite clay in crystalline rock is sufficient to make bentonite plugs operative for several thousand years. (authors)

Final report of the borehole, shaft and tunnel sealing test. Vol.1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, R.; Boergesson, L.; Ramqvist, G.

1987-01-01

The Borehole Plugging Experiment comprised field tests of the sealing function and the practicality in handling and application of plugs consisting of segments of perforated metal casings filled with cylindrical blocks of highly compacted sodium bentonite. Preparative tests had shown that the clay swells out through the perforation and embeds the casings. The field tests demonstrated that even very long holes can be effectively sealed by such plugs and that the clay becomes very homogeneous and forms a tight contact with the rock in a relatively short time. By that the plugs become practically impervious and the flow along the clay/rock contact will be insignificant. The longevity of such plugs extends over several thousand years under the conditions that usually prevail in crystalline rock. (authors)

Magnetic shaft seals prevent hazardous leakage from wastewater agitators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traino, F.A.

1985-01-01

The US Department of Energy's laboratory in Miamisburg, OH, operated by Monsanto Research Corporation, processes approximately 45,000 gallons per week of low-level radioactive wastewater to meet Federal Environmental Protection Agency quality standards. Preventing the spread of radioactive contamination throughout the operating area demands effective sealing of all process piping, valves, pumps, and agitators. Rotating shafts of pumps and agitators installed a the start of operations in 1947 were sealed by stuffing glands with graphite impregnated asbestos packing. These pumps proved to be unsatisfactory. In the mid-1970's, new process pumps with mechanical seals and some with magnetic drives were installed. Later, in January 1979, new agitator shaft drives with double tandem, spring-loaded mechanical seals were installed, maintenance of these pumps was costly. The agitator drive shafts were redesigned to accommodate magnetic seals of the type successfully used in blowers and vacuum/pressure pumps in other plant locations. One inherent advantage of the magnetic seal is that it operates with a face loading as much as 50% less than a conventional spring-loaded mechanical seal. The lower loading by a predetermined uniform magnetic force contributes to long face life. Other advantages include compactness, ease of assembly with only a few parts, and insensitivity to vibration. The magnetic shaft seals installed on the agitator shafts in February 1983 are still in service without any leakage or need for maintenance. Based on current operating data and a projected five-year meantime between failures, the estimated cost benefit of the magnetic seals over spring-loaded mechanical seals over spring-loaded mechanical seals will be $640 vs $2400 respectively per seal, with 60% less downtime for maintenance

Design of aerosol face masks for children using computerized 3D face analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Amirav, Israel; Luder, Anthony S; Halamish, Asaf; Raviv, Dan; Kimmel, Ron; Waisman, Dan; Newhouse, Michael T

2014-08-01

Aerosol masks were originally developed for adults and downsized for children. Overall fit to minimize dead space and a tight seal are problematic, because children's faces undergo rapid and marked topographic and internal anthropometric changes in their first few months/years of life. Facial three-dimensional (3D) anthropometric data were used to design an optimized pediatric mask. Children's faces (n=271, aged 1 month to 4 years) were scanned with 3D technology. Data for the distance from the bridge of the nose to the tip of the chin (H) and the width of the mouth opening (W) were used to categorize the scans into "small," "medium," and "large" "clusters." "Average" masks were developed from each cluster to provide an optimal seal with minimal dead space. The resulting computerized contour, W and H, were used to develop the SootherMask® that enables children, "suckling" on their own pacifier, to keep the mask on their face, mainly by means of subatmospheric pressure. The relatively wide and flexible rim of the mask accommodates variations in facial size within and between clusters. Unique pediatric face masks were developed based on anthropometric data obtained through computerized 3D face analysis. These masks follow facial contours and gently seal to the child's face, and thus may minimize aerosol leakage and dead space.

10 CFR 34.67 - Records of leak testing of sealed sources and devices containing depleted uranium.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Records of leak testing of sealed sources and devices containing depleted uranium. 34.67 Section 34.67 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION LICENSES FOR INDUSTRIAL... Requirements § 34.67 Records of leak testing of sealed sources and devices containing depleted uranium. Each...

VAK III. Seals and sealing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

d'Agraives, B.C.; Dal Cero, G.; Debeir, R.; Mascetti, E.; Toornvliet, J.; Volcan, A.

1986-01-01

This report presents the VAK III seals and sealing system, which have been used over a period of two years at the Kahl nuclear facility (Federal Republic of Germany), where field tests and feasibility studies were conducted in order to offer a possible solution for the sealing of LWR fuel assemblies. It has been prepared with the aim of an assessment study to be done at the IAEA. It gives all characteristics and technical descriptions for: the sealing principle, the seal construction, the operating tools, the data processing, the drawings, the publications related to that seal. The main points of progress are: the Strong Random Internal Defects (STRID) incorporated in the seals, allowing the obtention of a good signature stability; the Integrity Check on the Seal Status (broken or not) obtained through a decisive mechanical improvement: the Double Breakage Integrity Check (DOBRIC) and with a better ultrasonic evidence of that status; the provision of new function tools, allowing the performance of Identity Measurements in dry conditions (which means also at the manufacturer plant) or in deeper water (wet storage); the study and development of a new JRC VAK 45 Compact Instrument Box, in which all the measuring functions can be grouped and incorporating an autonomous Minicomputer offering to the Inspection the possibility of performing, on the spot, Correlation and Decision processes. The general benefit of such a feasibility study should be to convince the potential users that such a Safeguards Sealing System can be studied for slightly - or largely - different other applications, provided that the Basic and Operating Functions required to the system be clearly defined, possibly after a common agreement would be stated

Development of Induction Brazing System for Sealing Instrumentation Feed through Part of Nuclear Fuel Test Rig

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Jintae; Kim, Kahye; Heo, Sungho; Ahn, Sungho; Joung, Changyoung; Son, Kwangjae; Jung, Yangil [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

To test the performance of nuclear fuels, coolant needs to be circulated through the test rig installed in the test loop. Because the pressure and temperature of the coolant is 15.5 MPa and 300 .deg. C respectively, coolant sealing is one of the most important processes in fabricating a nuclear fuel test rig. In particular, 15 instrumentation cables installed in a test rig pass through the pressure boundary, and brazing is generally applied as a sealing method. In this study, an induction brazing system has been developed using a high frequency induction heater including a vacuum chamber. For application in the nuclear field, BNi2 should be used as a paste, and optimal process variables for Ni brazing have been found by several case studies. The performance and soundness of the brazed components has been verified by a tensile test, cross section test, and sealing performance test.

Design analysis of a self-acting spiral-groove ring seal for counter-rotating shafts. [o ring seals

Science.gov (United States)

Dirusso, E.

1983-01-01

A self-acting spiral groove inter-shaft ring seal of nominal 16.33 cm (6.43 in.) diameter for sealing fan bleed air between counter rotating shafts in advanced turbofan engines was analyzed. The analysis focused on the lift force characteristics of the spiral grooves. A NASA Lewis developed computer program for predicting the performance of gas lubricated face seals was used to optimize the spiral groove geometry to produce maximum lift force. Load capacity curves (lift force as function of film thickness) were generated for four advanced turbofan engine operating conditions at relative seal speeds ranging from 17,850 to 29,800 rpm, sealed air pressures from 6 to 42 N/sq cm (9 to 60 psi) absolute and temperatures from 95 to 327 C (203 to 620 F). The relative seal sliding speed range was 152 to 255 m/sec (500 to 836 ft/sec). The analysis showed that the spiral grooves are capable of producing sufficient lift force such that the ring seal will operate in a noncontacting mode over the operating range of typical advanced turbofan engines.

Furnace testing of electrical and pipe-penetration seals based on foamed silicone elastomer: 60, 90, and 120-minute fire ratings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, A.

1979-03-01

Fire tests of foamed silicone seals for electrical and pipe penetrations have been performed using a furnace with temperature control as heat source. The tests were performed in principle in accordance with the requirements of NORDTEST 5A (ISO 834). The purpose of the tests was to obtain appropriate fire ratings for different seal thicknesses. The report covers. - Description of material used to prepare the seals and method of application - Description of furnace test assembly and method of performing test - Listing of penetrating elements and of the thermocouple array used to measure temperature - Curves of thermocouple readouts and photographs of seals during and after completion of the test. (author)

High speed cryogenic self-acting, shaft seals for liquid rocket turbopumps

Science.gov (United States)

Burcham, R. E.

1983-01-01

Three self acting lift pad liquid oxygen face seals and two self acting gaseous helium circumferential seals for high speed liquid oxygen turbopump were evaluated. The development of a technology for reliable, 10 hour life, multiple start seals for use in high speed liquid oxygen turbopumps is discussed.

Improved circumferential shaft seal

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, L. P.; Strom, T. N.

1974-01-01

Comparative tests of modified and unmodified carbon ring seals showed that addition of helical grooves to conventional segmented carbon ring seals reduced leakage significantly. Modified seal was insensitive to shaft runout and to flooding by lubricant.

Use of the North Sea by harbour seal with special emphasis on the Horns Reef area. Test of prototype GPS/GSM-transmitter on harbour seals in the Sealarium Esbjerg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tougaard, S.; Tougaard, J.

2004-04-01

A combined GPS-receiver and GSM mobile phone transmitter designed for deployment on wild seals was tested on a captive harbour seal. The unit has been under development in recent years and consists of a GPS-unit for positioning and a GSM mobile phone unit for transmission of logged positions to land. The test took place in the Sealarium at the Fisheries and Maritime Museum, Esbjerg. The unit was glued onto the fur on the head of the seal, where it stayed on for 13 days. Only one position was acquired by the unit and it failed to connect to the GSM-net during the test. Technical information from the constructor of the unit is not available and it is thus not possible to conclude on the reasons why the unit did not function as intended. The behaviour of the seal can however, be ruled out, as close observation and registration of the seals dive behaviour during the first days of deployment showed that the unit was free of the water for sufficiently long periods for positions to be acquired. (au)

Proposed Testing to Assess the Accuracy of Glass-To-Metal Seal Stress Analyses.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chambers, Robert S.; Emery, John M; Tandon, Rajan; Antoun, Bonnie R.; Stavig, Mark E.; Newton, Clay S.; Gibson, Cory S; Bencoe, Denise N.

2014-09-01

The material characterization tests conducted on 304L VAR stainless steel and Schott 8061 glass have provided higher fidelity data for calibration of material models used in Glass - T o - Metal (GTM) seal analyses. Specifically, a Thermo - Multi - Linear Elastic Plastic ( thermo - MLEP) material model has be en defined for S S304L and the Simplified Potential Energy Clock nonlinear visc oelastic model has been calibrated for the S8061 glass. To assess the accuracy of finite element stress analyses of GTM seals, a suite of tests are proposed to provide data for comparison to mo del predictions.

Comparison of Ventilation With One-Handed Mask Seal With an Intraoral Mask Versus Conventional Cuffed Face Mask in a Cadaver Model: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Amack, Andrew J; Barber, Gary A; Ng, Patrick C; Smith, Thomas B; April, Michael D

2017-01-01

We compare received minute volume with an intraoral mask versus conventional cuffed face mask among medics obtaining a 1-handed mask seal on a cadaver model. This study comprised a randomized crossover trial of adult US Army combat medic volunteers participating in a cadaver laboratory as part of their training. We randomized participants to obtain a 1-handed mask seal during ventilation of a fresh unembalmed cadaver, first using either an intraoral airway device or conventional cuffed face mask. Participants obtained a 1-handed mask seal while a ventilator delivered 10 standardized 750-mL breaths during 1 minute. After a 5-minute rest period, they repeated the study with the alternative mask. The primary outcome measure was received minute volume as measured by a respirometer. Of 27 recruited participants, all completed the study. Median received minute volume was higher with the intraoral mask compared with conventional cuffed mask by 1.7 L (95% confidence interval 1.0 to 1.9 L; Pcadaver model. The intraoral mask may prove a useful airway adjunct for ventilation. Copyright © 2016 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of facial material softness and applied force on face mask dead volume, face mask seal, and inhaled corticosteroid delivery through an idealized infant replica.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrigy, Nicholas B; O'Reilly, Connor; Schmitt, James; Noga, Michelle; Finlay, Warren H

2014-08-01

During the aerosol delivery device design and optimization process, in vitro lung dose (LD) measurements are often performed using soft face models, which may provide a more clinically relevant representation of face mask dead volume (MDV) and face mask seal (FMS) than hard face models. However, a comparison of MDV, FMS, and LD for hard and soft face models is lacking. Metal, silicone, and polyurethane represented hard, soft, and very soft facial materials, respectively. MDV was measured using a water displacement technique. FMS was measured using a valved holding chamber (VHC) flow rate technique. The LD of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) delivered via a 100-μg Qvar® pressurized metered dose inhaler with AeroChamber Plus® Flow-Vu® VHC and Small Mask, defined as that which passes through the nasal airways of the idealized infant geometry, was measured using a bias tidal flow system with a filter. MDV, FMS, and LD were measured at 1.5 lb and 3.5 lb of applied force. A mathematical model was used to predict LD based on experimental measurements of MDV and FMS. Experimental BDP LD measurements for ABS, silicone, and polyurethane at 1.5 lb were 0.9 (0.6) μg, 2.4 (1.9) μg, and 19.3 (0.9) μg, respectively. At 3.5 lb, the respective LD was 10.0 (1.5) μg, 13.8 (1.4) μg, and 14.2 (0.9) μg. Parametric analysis with the mathematical model showed that differences in FMS between face models had a greater impact on LD than differences in MDV. The use of soft face models resulted in higher LD than hard face models, with a greater difference at 1.5 lb than at 3.5 lb. A lack of a FMS led to decreased dose consistency; therefore, a sealant should be used when measuring LD with a hard ABS or soft silicone face model at 1.5 lb of applied force or less.

Mechanical seal with textured sidewall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khonsari, Michael M.; Xiao, Nian

2017-02-14

The present invention discloses a mating ring, a primary ring, and associated mechanical seal having superior heat transfer and wear characteristics. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one or more dimples are formed onto the cylindrical outer surface of a mating ring sidewall and/or a primary ring sidewall. A stationary mating ring for a mechanical seal assembly is disclosed. Such a mating ring comprises an annular body having a central axis and a sealing face, wherein a plurality of dimples are formed into the outer circumferential surface of the annular body such that the exposed circumferential surface area of the annular body is increased. The texture added to the sidewall of the mating ring yields superior heat transfer and wear characteristics.

Stability Analysis of a High-Speed Seal Test Rotor With Marginal and Extended Squeeze-Film Dampers: Theoretical and Experimental Results

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Margaret P.; Gunter, Edgar J.

2007-01-01

A case study of a high-speed seal test rotor shows how rotor dynamic analysis can be used to diagnose the source of high vibrations and evaluate a proposed remedy. Experimental results are compared with the synchronous and non-synchronous whirl response analysis of a double overhung, high-speed seal test rotor with ball bearings supported in 5.84- and 12.7-mm-long, un-centered squeeze-film oil dampers. Test performance with the original damper of length 5.84 mm was marginal. Non-synchronous whirling occurred at the overhung seal test disk and there was a high amplitude synchronous response near the drive spline above 32,000 rpm. Nonlinear synchronous unbalance and time transient whirl studies were conducted on the seal test rotor with the original and extended damper lengths. With the original damper design, the nonlinear synchronous response showed that unbalance could cause damper lockup at 33,000 rpm. Alford cross-coupling forces were also included at the overhung seal test disk for the whirl analysis. Sub-synchronous whirling at the seal test disk was observed in the nonlinear time transient analysis. With the extended damper length of 12.7 mm, the sub-synchronous motion was eliminated and the rotor unbalance response was acceptable to 45,000 rpm with moderate rotor unbalance. Seal test rotor orbits and vibration levels with the extended squeeze film dampers showed smooth operation to 40,444 rpm.

Analysis of ATLAS LTC-04R Test for Loop Seal Reformation Phenomena using RELAP5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Sang-Gyu; Kim, Dae-Hun; Kim, Han-Gon [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The loop seal reformation issue was selected to be the analysis topic of the DSP-04 based on the technical discussion between the participants and the operating agencies (KAERI and KINS) and domestic experts meetings. After that, KAERI performed LTC-04R test which is 4 inch top-slot cold-leg break test using ATLAS facility in December 27, 2015. KHNP CRI, as a participant of the DSP-04, performed the blind calculation and open calculation using RELAP5/Mod3.3 patch 3. This paper deals with the results of open calculation for ATLAS LTC-04R test. The results of several sensitivity analyses such as the critical flow modeling sensitivity and break flow system modeling sensitivity will be discussed. Several possible factors in the loop seal reformation behavior are examined in the sensitivity analysis. Heat loss modeling, fine break system modeling, fine loop seal nodalization and off-take modeling are not significant factor in the loop seal reformation. Still critical flow model and discharge coefficient are dominant factors. Based on the ATLAS LTC-04R, Ransom-Trapp model shows better prediction in the break flow than the Henry-Fauske model.

Seals and sealing handbook

CERN Document Server

Flitney, Robert K

2014-01-01

Seals and Sealing Handbook, 6th Edition provides comprehensive coverage of sealing technology, bringing together information on all aspects of this area to enable you to make the right sealing choice. This includes detailed coverage on the seals applicable to static, rotary and reciprocating applications, the best materials to use in your sealing systems, and the legislature and regulations that may impact your sealing choices. Updated in line with current trends this updated reference provides the theory necessary for you to select the most appropriate seals for the job and with its 'Failur

Use of the North Sea by harbour seal with special emphasis on the Horns Reef area. Test of prototype GPS/GSM-transmitter on harbour seals in the Sealarium Esbjerg[Denmark

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tougaard, S.; Tougaard, J.

2004-04-15

A combined GPS-receiver and GSM mobile phone transmitter designed for deployment on wild seals was tested on a captive harbour seal. The unit has been under development in recent years and consists of a GPS-unit for positioning and a GSM mobile phone unit for transmission of logged positions to land. The test took place in the Sealarium at the Fisheries and Maritime Museum, Esbjerg. The unit was glued onto the fur on the head of the seal, where it stayed on for 13 days. Only one position was acquired by the unit and it failed to connect to the GSM-net during the test. Technical information from the constructor of the unit is not available and it is thus not possible to conclude on the reasons why the unit did not function as intended. The behaviour of the seal can however, be ruled out, as close observation and registration of the seals dive behaviour during the first days of deployment showed that the unit was free of the water for sufficiently long periods for positions to be acquired. (au)

Low Leakage Turbine Shaft Seals for Advanced Combined Cycle Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-11-01

Study of Shaft Face Seal With Self-Acting Lift Augmentation", N71- 11579, Nov. 1970 29p. Povinelli , V.P. and McKibbin, A. H., "Development of...34, N73-24086, May 1973, 28p. Povinelli , V. P. and McKibbin, A. H., "Development of Mainshaft Seals for Advanced Air Breathing Propulsion Systems... Povinelli , V. P., "Current Seal Designs and Future Requirements for Turbine Engine Seals and Bearings", Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 12, No. 4, April 1975

The online sealing performance test of the primary circuit pressure boundary check valve in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yunfei; Huang Huimin

2013-01-01

The primary circuit pressure boundary check valves of 320 MW pressurized water reactor is a nuclear grade I key equipment. The sealing demand is very high, which is directly related to the internal leakage rate of the primary circuit system. After the welding check valve is repaired, the sealing performance is judged by color printing checks. If there is water or humid vapor in the pipe, it will affect the accuracy of the color printing checks. For the particularity of the online check valve tightness test, online detecting device is designed by the hydraulic pressure drop method in other nuclear power plants, but the method has some shortcomings and restrictions. In this paper, we design a reliable and portable test equipment by the low-pressure gas seal test flow measurement, which make accurate and quantitative judgment of sealing property after the pressure boundary check valves are repaired. (authors)

Development and testing of improved polyimide actuator rod seals at higher temperatures for use in advanced aircraft hydraulic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, E. D.; Waterman, A. W.; Nelson, W. G.

1972-01-01

Polyimide second stage rod seals were evaluated to determine their suitability for application in advanced aircraft systems. The configurations of the seals are described. The conditions of the life cycle tests are provided. It was determined that external rod seal leakage was within prescribed limits and that the seals showed no signs of structural degradation.

Italian normative data and validation of two neuropsychological tests of face recognition: Benton Facial Recognition Test and Cambridge Face Memory Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Albonico, Andrea; Malaspina, Manuela; Daini, Roberta

2017-09-01

The Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFRT) and Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) are two of the most common tests used to assess face discrimination and recognition abilities and to identify individuals with prosopagnosia. However, recent studies highlighted that participant-stimulus match ethnicity, as much as gender, has to be taken into account in interpreting results from these tests. Here, in order to obtain more appropriate normative data for an Italian sample, the CFMT and BFRT were administered to a large cohort of young adults. We found that scores from the BFRT are not affected by participants' gender and are only slightly affected by participant-stimulus ethnicity match, whereas both these factors seem to influence the scores of the CFMT. Moreover, the inclusion of a sample of individuals with suspected face recognition impairment allowed us to show that the use of more appropriate normative data can increase the BFRT efficacy in identifying individuals with face discrimination impairments; by contrast, the efficacy of the CFMT in classifying individuals with a face recognition deficit was confirmed. Finally, our data show that the lack of inversion effect (the difference between the total score of the upright and inverted versions of the CFMT) could be used as further index to assess congenital prosopagnosia. Overall, our results confirm the importance of having norms derived from controls with a similar experience of faces as the "potential" prosopagnosic individuals when assessing face recognition abilities.

Upgrading inflatable door seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sykes, T.M.; Metcalfe, R.; Welch, L.A.; Josefowich, J.M.

1997-01-01

Inflatable door seals are used for airlocks in CANDU stations. They have been a significant source of unreliability and maintenance cost. A program is underway to improve their performance and reliability, backed by environmental qualification testing. Only commercial products and suppliers existed in 1993. For historical reasons, these 'existing products' did not use the most durable material then available. In hindsight, neither had they been adapted nor optimized to combat conditions often experienced in the plants-sagging doors, damaged sealing surfaces, and many thousands of openings and closings per year. Initial attempts to involve the two existing suppliers in efforts to upgrade these seals were unsuccessful. Another suitable supplier had therefore to be found, and a 'new,' COG-owned seal developed; this was completed in 1997. This paper summarizes its testing, along with that of the two existing products. Resistance to aging has been improved significantly. Testing has shown that an accident can be safely withstood after 10 years of service or 40,000 openings-closings, whichever comes first. AECL's Fluid Sealing Technology Unit (FSTU) has invested in the special moulds, test fixtures and other necessary tooling and documentation required to begin commercial manufacture of this new quality product. Accordingly, as with FSTU's other nuclear products such as pump seals, the long-term supply of door seals to CANDU plants is now protected from many external uncertainties-e.g., commercial products being discontinued, materials being changed, companies going out of business. Manufacturing to AECL's detailed specifications is being subcontracted to the new supplier. FSTU is performing the quality surveillance, inspection, testing, and customer service activities concomitant with direct responsibility for supply to the plants. (author)

Design study of shaft face seal with self-acting lift augmentation. 4: Force balance

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, L. P.; Zuk, J.; Johnson, R. L.

1972-01-01

A method for predicting the operating film thickness of self-acting seals is described. The analysis considers a 16.76-cm mean diameter seal that is typical of large gas turbines for aircraft. Four design points were selected to cover a wide range of operation for advanced engines. This operating range covered sliding speeds of 61 to 153 m/sec, sealed pressures of 45 to 217 N/sq cm abs, and gas temperatures of 311 to 977 K. The force balance analysis revealed that the seal operated without contact over the operating range with gas film thicknesses ranging between 0.00046 to 0.00119 cm, and with gas leakage rates between 0.01 to 0.39 scmm.

Dynamic Instability of Undamped Bellows Face Seals in Cryogenic Liquid

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hudelson, John C

1966-01-01

.... Subminiature accelerometers were attached to the nosepiece of a 1 3/4-inch nominal shaft diameter bellows seal and the accelerations and frequencies recorded on magnetic tape for analysis at an expanded time factor...

Novel Seals and Specialty Component Attachment Mechanisms for Respiratory Protection System (RESPO 21)

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-01

use in a warm clima ,, Ao~ hccts rovcf rur % Cr. ugc na il oimnte nber o prna in ntting materil coupled to skin separat lc~oe tect wocn f h~i. Sae...the mask shell on the side vagina and cervix of a woman in labor , electrode meam &h thereof facing the face. said sealing tube having a fixed sealed

Standard Test Method for Testing Nonmetallic Seal Materials by Immersion in a Simulated Geothermal Test Fluid

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1985-01-01

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for a laboratory test for performing an initial evaluation (screening) of nonmetallic seal materials by immersion in a simulated geothermal test fluid. 1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific precautionary statements, see Section 6 and 11.7.

Hydrodynamic perception in true seals (Phocidae) and eared seals (Otariidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Hanke, Wolf; Wieskotten, Sven; Marshall, Christopher; Dehnhardt, Guido

2013-06-01

Pinnipeds, that is true seals (Phocidae), eared seals (Otariidae), and walruses (Odobenidae), possess highly developed vibrissal systems for mechanoreception. They can use their vibrissae to detect and discriminate objects by direct touch. At least in Phocidae and Otariidae, the vibrissae can also be used to detect and analyse water movements. Here, we review what is known about this ability, known as hydrodynamic perception, in pinnipeds. Hydrodynamic perception in pinnipeds developed convergently to the hydrodynamic perception with the lateral line system in fish and the sensory hairs in crustaceans. So far two species of pinnipeds, the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) representing the Phocidae and the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) representing the Otariidae, have been studied for their ability to detect local water movements (dipole stimuli) and to follow hydrodynamic trails, that is the water movements left behind by objects that have passed by at an earlier point in time. Both species are highly sensitive to dipole stimuli and can follow hydrodynamic trails accurately. In the individuals tested, California sea lions were clearly more sensitive to dipole stimuli than harbour seals, and harbour seals showed a superior trail following ability as compared to California sea lions. Harbour seals have also been shown to derive additional information from hydrodynamic trails, such as motion direction, size and shape of the object that caused the trail (California sea lions have not yet been tested). The peculiar undulated shape of the harbour seals' vibrissae appears to play a crucial role in trail following, as it suppresses self-generated noise while the animal is swimming.

Seal Related Development Activities at EG/G

Science.gov (United States)

Greiner, Harold F.

1991-01-01

Seal related development activities including modeling, analysis, and performance testing are described for several current seal related projects. Among the current seal related projects are the following: high pressure gas sealing systems for turbomachinery; brush seals for gas path sealing in gas turbines; and tribological material evaluation for wear surfaces in sealing systems.

Demonstration of a dynamic clearance seal in a rotating test facility.

OpenAIRE

Messenger, Andrew; Williams, Richard; Ingram, Grant; Hogg, Simon; Tibos, Stacie; Seaton, Jon; Charnley, Bernard

2017-01-01

The successful demonstration of the “Aerostatic Seal” in a half scale rotating facility is described in this paper. The Aerostatic seal is a novel dynamic clearance seal specifically designed for steam turbine secondary gas path applications. The seal responds to radial rotor excursions, so a reduced clearance can be maintained compared to conventional labyrinth seal without damage to the seal. This enables increased turbine performance through reduced leakage and increased tolerance of turbi...

Assessment of the sealing system of an ilw transport container in a 9m regulatory impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sievwright, R.W.T.; Gray, I.L.S.; Bernasconi, D.J.; McGuinn, P.; Tso, C.F.

1998-01-01

UK Nirex Ltd is developing a range of reusable shielded transport containers (RSTCs) to ensure the safe transport of immobilised intermediate level waste to a future UK deep repository for disposal. The RSTCs use an inset lid for mechanical strength and radiation shielding, but the containment boundary is provided by a separate lid seal member (LSM). The LSM is a semi-flexible steel diaphragm surrounded by a rim which carries a double O-ring seal. The LSM rim is clamped to a flat mating surface on the container body. A finite element model has been developed for an RSTC with a wall thickness of 285 mm, in order to assess its containment performance in 9m regulatory drop tests (IAEA 1996). The challenge was to predict the size of small gaps that might appear between the LSM rim and the RSTC body seal face ; this level of detail would be 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller than the displacements experienced in the impact zone. The model was first validated against a series of one-third scale model drop tests of the RSTC. The validated model was then analysed for 9m regulatory impacts in the six worst impact attitudes. The behavior of the LSM was assessed for each attitude and the seal face (gaps) between the LSM and the body were determined. Although small gaps of about 0.5 mm are predicted, it is likely that containment would be preserved. (authors)

Turbocharger with variable nozzle having vane sealing surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Philippe [Hennecourt, FR; Petitjean, Dominique [Julienrupt, FR; Ruquart, Anthony [Thaon les Vosges, FR; Dupont, Guillaume [Thaon les Vosges, FR; Jeckel, Denis [Thaon les Vosges, FR

2011-11-15

A variable nozzle for a turbocharger includes a plurality of vanes rotatably mounted on a nozzle ring and disposed in a nozzle flow path defined between the nozzle ring and an opposite nozzle wall. Either or both of the faces of the nozzle ring and nozzle wall include(s) at least one step that defines sealing surfaces positioned to be substantially abutted by airfoil surfaces of the vanes in the closed position of the vanes and to be spaced from the airfoil surfaces in positions other than the closed position. This substantial abutment between the airfoil surfaces and the sealing surfaces serves to substantially prevent exhaust gas from leaking past the ends of the airfoil portions. At the same time, clearances between the nozzle ring face and the end faces of the airfoil portions can be sufficiently large to prevent binding of the vanes under all operating conditions.

Spray sealing: A breakthrough in integral fuel tank sealing technology

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Martin D.; Zadarnowski, J. H.

1989-11-01

In a continuing effort to increase readiness, a new approach to sealing integral fuel tanks is being developed. The technique seals potential leak sources by spraying elastomeric materials inside the tank cavity. Laboratory evaluations project an increase in aircraft supportability and reliability, an improved maintainability, decreasing acquisition and life cycle costs. Increased usable fuel volume and lower weight than conventional bladders improve performance. Concept feasibility was demonstrated on sub-scale aircraft fuel tanks. Materials were selected by testing sprayable elastomers in a fuel tank environment. Chemical stability, mechanical properties, and dynamic durability of the elastomer are being evaluated at the laboratory level and in sub-scale and full scale aircraft component fatigue tests. The self sealing capability of sprayable materials is also under development. Ballistic tests show an improved aircraft survivability, due in part to the elastomer's mechanical properties and its ability to damp vibrations. New application equipment, system removal, and repair methods are being investigated.

SEALING SIMULATED LEAKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael A. Romano

2004-09-01

This report details the testing equipment, procedures and results performed under Task 7.2 Sealing Simulated Leaks. In terms of our ability to seal leaks identified in the technical topical report, Analysis of Current Field Data, we were 100% successful. In regards to maintaining seal integrity after pigging operations we achieved varying degrees of success. Internal Corrosion defects proved to be the most resistant to the effects of pigging while External Corrosion proved to be the least resistant. Overall, with limitations, pressure activated sealant technology would be a viable option under the right circumstances.

Problems and criteria of quality improvement in end face mechanical seal rings through technological methods

Science.gov (United States)

Tarelnik, V.; Belous, A.; Antoszewski, B.; Zukov, A.

2017-08-01

In this paper are presented the recommendations for material’s selections of the mechanical seals rings and basic productive and operating requirements. The system of a directional selection of technology that ensures the required quality of working surfaces of the mechanical seals rings covers their entire life cycle. The mathematical frictional model is proposed as an instrument for calculating a linear and weighing abrasion of the mechanical seals rings and helps to improve selection’s criteria and the most rational method of strengthening.

The (ineffectiveness of green seals on consumer behavior: a experimental study [doi: 10.21529/RECADM.2017003

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taís Pasquotto Andreoli

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to analyze consumers' perceptions about green seals, according to how well known these seals are and to their own profile of green consumption. Therefore, a theoretical reference was made on sustainable consumption, as well as on the application of green seals in the perspective of green marketing. The method adopted was a hypothetical-deductive approach, carried out through two experiments (one online and the other face-to-face, both with factorial design 2 (true and well-known green seal versus false seal and nothing known x 2 very sustainable versus low sustainable consumer profile. In view of the results obtained, four main discussions could be made, such as the possibility of greenwashing due to the clear mention of environmental aspects, either in relation to the seal itself or to the statements underlying it, the ineffectiveness of adopting green seals and influence of this ineffectiveness even in consumers who reported having a more sustainable consumption profile.   Keywords Sustainable consumption; Green marketing; Green seals; Experimental research; Greenwashing.

Design modification of the in-pile test section for increase of sealing capability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, J T; Ahn, S H; Joung, C Y; Jeong, H Y; Lee, J M; Sim, B S [Department of Research Reactor Utilization and Development, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-03-15

Since KAERI established the fuel test loop (FTL) at HANARO in 2009, KAERI has carried out several experiments to verify the performances of the equipment. Based on the experiments, the design modification of the In-Pile test Section (IPS) has been processed to improve some difficulties such as difficulty in ejecting the inner assembly of the IPS from the pressure vessel, difficulty of the sealing process of the cooling water, etc. At first, because the cooling water of HANARO in KAERI consists of an open-pool type, if a certain shock is generated during the disassembly process, the cooling water can be spattered out of the pool. Therefore, two jacking bolts will be added on the top flange part of the inner assembly to decrease the shock. Second, at the pressure boundary of the IPS where MI-cables go through, the brazing process has been used to seal out the cooling water. However, because the length of the IPS is up to 5.5 meters, it is too difficult and time consuming to carry out the brazing process at the end part of the IPS. Therefore, the brazing process will be replaced with the mechanical sealing structure to simplify the assembly process. (author)

Leak detection of KNI seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranyai, G.; Peter, A.; Windberg, P.

1990-03-01

In Unit 3 and 4 of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, Hungary, KNI type seals are used as lead-throughs with conical nickel sealing rings. Their failure can be critical for the operation of the reactor. An Acoustical Leak Detection System (ALDS) was constructed and tested for the operational testing of the seals. Some individual papers are presented in this collection on the calibration and testing of the ALDS intended to be placed on the top of the reactor vessels. The papers include simulation measurements of Unit 3 of NPP, laboratory experiments, evaluation of measurements, and further development needs with the ALDS. (R.P.) 50 figs.; 19 tabs

Performance testing of prototype live loaded packed stem seals for large gate valves in pressurized hot water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pothier, N.E.

1976-01-01

Prototype live loaded packed stem seals for large gate valves have been tested in a laboratory. The test fluid was demineralized water at 547 K, 8.27 MPa and pH 10. Nine packing configurations were tested; three different commercial brands of asbestos/graphite valve packings and three different sizes for each packing brand. Conventional and live loaded packed stem seals are briefly described. Stem leakage, packing consolidation and stem friction data are given. For all tests, leakage rates of less than 10 g d -1 were observed. It was also observed that stem friction was significantly affected by thermal expansion of the stem. (author)

Experimentqal and analytical study on thermocracking of alumina ceramic ring in a mechanical seal

Science.gov (United States)

Komiya, M.; Matsuda, K.; Kaneta, M.

1994-04-01

A mechanism of thermocracking, which occurs in an alumina ceramic ring of a mechanical face seal, is proposed based on experimental and analytical results. Methods for its prevention are also discussed. The experiments were conducted using an external type mechanical face seal composed of a carbon ring and three kinds of alumina ceramic rings, with distilled water as the liquid to be sealed. By using a layer of gold vacuum deposited onto the surface of the ceramic ring as a part of a DC circuit, the moment of crack initiation was identified. The thermal stresses produced in the ceramic ring by frictional heating were calculated using finite element analysis.

Face recognition performance of individuals with Asperger syndrome on the Cambridge Face Memory Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedley, Darren; Brewer, Neil; Young, Robyn

2011-12-01

Although face recognition deficits in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger syndrome (AS), are widely acknowledged, the empirical evidence is mixed. This in part reflects the failure to use standardized and psychometrically sound tests. We contrasted standardized face recognition scores on the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) for 34 individuals with AS with those for 42, IQ-matched non-ASD individuals, and age-standardized scores from a large Australian cohort. We also examined the influence of IQ, autistic traits, and negative affect on face recognition performance. Overall, participants with AS performed significantly worse on the CFMT than the non-ASD participants and when evaluated against standardized test norms. However, while 24% of participants with AS presented with severe face recognition impairment (>2 SDs below the mean), many individuals performed at or above the typical level for their age: 53% scored within +/- 1 SD of the mean and 9% demonstrated superior performance (>1 SD above the mean). Regression analysis provided no evidence that IQ, autistic traits, or negative affect significantly influenced face recognition: diagnostic group membership was the only significant predictor of face recognition performance. In sum, face recognition performance in ASD is on a continuum, but with average levels significantly below non-ASD levels of performance. Copyright © 2011, International Society for Autism Research, Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Tests of Shaft Seal Systems of Circulation Pumps during Station Blackout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beisiegel, A.; Foppe, F.; Wich, M.

2014-07-01

AREVA GmbH operates a unique Thermal-hydraulic plat form in Germany, France and USA. It is recognised as a test body according to ISO 17025. The Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS - German Society for Accreditation) has also certified the Thermal-hydraulic platform as an independent inspection body Type C according to ISO 17020. A part of this platform is the Component Laboratory located in Karlstein, Germany which is in operation since more than 50 years. The testing activities cover a wide range as: Critical Heat Flux Tests, Valve Testing and Environmental Qualification for safety related components. Since 2011 the Component Qualification Karlstein extended their testing scope for different types of Shaft Seal Systems. (Author)

Face-to-face or face-to-screen? Undergraduates' opinions and test performance in classroom vs. online learning

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Nenagh; Grieve, Rachel

2014-01-01

As electronic communication becomes increasingly common, and as students juggle study, work, and family life, many universities are offering their students more flexible learning opportunities. Classes once delivered face-to-face are often replaced by online activities and discussions. However, there is little research comparing students' experience and learning in these two modalities. The aim of this study was to compare undergraduates' preference for, and academic performance on, class material and assessment presented online vs. in traditional classrooms. Psychology students (N = 67) at an Australian university completed written exercises, a class discussion, and a written test on two academic topics. The activities for one topic were conducted face-to-face, and the other online, with topics counterbalanced across two groups. The results showed that students preferred to complete activities face-to-face rather than online, but there was no significant difference in their test performance in the two modalities. In their written responses, students expressed a strong preference for class discussions to be conducted face-to-face, reporting that they felt more engaged, and received more immediate feedback, than in online discussion. A follow-up study with a separate group (N = 37) confirmed that although students appreciated the convenience of completing written activities online in their own time, they also strongly preferred to discuss course content with peers in the classroom rather than online. It is concluded that online and face-to-face activities can lead to similar levels of academic performance, but that students would rather do written activities online but engage in discussion in person. Course developers could aim to structure classes so that students can benefit from both the flexibility of online learning, and the greater engagement experienced in face-to-face discussion. PMID:25429276

Face-to-face or face-to-screen? Undergraduates' opinions and test performance in classroom vs. online learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Nenagh; Grieve, Rachel

2014-01-01

As electronic communication becomes increasingly common, and as students juggle study, work, and family life, many universities are offering their students more flexible learning opportunities. Classes once delivered face-to-face are often replaced by online activities and discussions. However, there is little research comparing students' experience and learning in these two modalities. The aim of this study was to compare undergraduates' preference for, and academic performance on, class material and assessment presented online vs. in traditional classrooms. Psychology students (N = 67) at an Australian university completed written exercises, a class discussion, and a written test on two academic topics. The activities for one topic were conducted face-to-face, and the other online, with topics counterbalanced across two groups. The results showed that students preferred to complete activities face-to-face rather than online, but there was no significant difference in their test performance in the two modalities. In their written responses, students expressed a strong preference for class discussions to be conducted face-to-face, reporting that they felt more engaged, and received more immediate feedback, than in online discussion. A follow-up study with a separate group (N = 37) confirmed that although students appreciated the convenience of completing written activities online in their own time, they also strongly preferred to discuss course content with peers in the classroom rather than online. It is concluded that online and face-to-face activities can lead to similar levels of academic performance, but that students would rather do written activities online but engage in discussion in person. Course developers could aim to structure classes so that students can benefit from both the flexibility of online learning, and the greater engagement experienced in face-to-face discussion.

Investigating the sealing capacity of a seal system in rock salt (DOPAS project)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jantschik, Kyra; Moog, Helge C.; Czaikowski, Oliver; Wieczorek, Klaus [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Braunschweig (Germany)

2016-11-15

This paper describes research and development work on plugging and sealing repositories, an issue of fundamental importance for the rock salt option which represents one of the three European repository options, besides the clay rock and the crystalline rock options. The programme aims at providing experimental data needed for the theoretical analysis of the long-term sealing capacity of concrete- based sealing materials. In order to demonstrate hydro-mechanical material stability under representative load scenarios, a comprehensive laboratory testing programme is carried out. This comprises investigation of the sealing capacity of the combined seal system and impact of the so-called excavation-damaged zones (EDZ) as well as investigation of the hydro-chemical long-term stability of the seal in contact with different brines under diffusive and advective conditions. This paper presents experimental approaches and preliminary results from laboratory investigations on salt concrete and combined systems as obtained to date.

Testing of improved polyimide actuator rod seals at high temperature and under vacuum conditions for use in advanced aircraft hydraulic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Sellereite, B. K.; Waterman, A. W.; Nelson, W. G.

1974-01-01

Polyimide second-stage rod seals were evaluated to determine their suitability for applications in space station environments. The 6.35-cm (2.5-in.)K-section seal was verified for thermal cycling operation between room temperature and 478 K (400 F) and for operation in a 133 micron PA(0.000001 mm Hg) vacuum environment. The test seal completed the scheduled 96 thermal cycles and 1438 hr in vacuum with external rod seal leakage well within the maximum allowable of two drops per 25 actuation cycles. At program completion, the seals showed no signs of structural degradation. Posttest inspection showed the seals retained a snug fit against the shaft and housing walls, indicating additional wear life capability. Evaluation of a molecular flow section during vacuum testing, to inhibit fluid loss through vaporization, showed it to be beneficial with MIL-H-5606, a petroleum-base fluid, in comparison with MIL-H-83282, a synthetic hydrocarbon-base fluid.

Recent advances in magnetic liquid sealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, K.; Stahl, P.; Bottenberg, W.; True, D.; Martis, G.; Zook, C.

1979-01-01

In this paper recent work in design and testing of two special magnetic liquid seals extending the state-of-the-art of ferrofluidic sealing is discussed. These custom seals are a moving belt edge seal and an exclusion seal. The first seal provides a hermetic barrier to solid particulates expected to be present in enclosed nuclear environments. The second seal is used on a magnetic disk drive spindle and reduces the particulate contaminants in the memory disk pack area by up to three orders of magnitude. In addition, bearing life in the spindle is found to be doubled due to reduction of operating temperature. The fundamentals of magnetic fluid sealing are presented in terms of magnetic circuit design and physical properties of ferrofluids

The Analysis of Loop Seal Purge Time for the KHNP Pressurizer Safety Valve Test Facility Using the GOTHIC Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Young Ae; Kim, Chang Hyun; Kweon, Gab Joo; Park, Jong Woon [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2007-10-15

The pressurizer safety valves (PSV) in Pressurized Water Reactors are required to provide the overpressure protection for the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) during the overpressure transients. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) plans to build the PSV test facility for the purpose of providing the PSV pop-up characteristics and the loop seal dynamics for the new safety analysis. When the pressurizer safety valve is mounted in a loop seal configuration, the valve must initially pass the loop seal water prior to popping open on steam. The loop seal in the upstream of PSV prevents leakage of hydrogen gas or steam through the safety valve seat. This paper studies on the loop seal clearing dynamics using GOTHIC-7.2a code to verify the effects of loop seal purge time on the reactor coolant system overpressure.

Amphibious hearing in spotted seals (Phoca largha): underwater audiograms, aerial audiograms and critical ratio measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Jillian M; Southall, Brandon L; Reichmuth, Colleen

2014-03-01

Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabit Arctic regions that are facing both rapid climate change and increasing industrialization. While little is known about their sensory capabilities, available knowledge suggests that spotted seals and other ice seals use sound to obtain information from the surrounding environment. To quantitatively assess their auditory capabilities, the hearing of two young spotted seals was tested using a psychophysical paradigm. Absolute detection thresholds for tonal sounds were measured in air and under water over the frequency range of hearing, and critical ratios were determined using octave-band masking noise in both media. The behavioral audiograms show a range of best sensitivity spanning four octaves in air, from approximately 0.6 to 11 kHz. The range of sensitive hearing extends across seven octaves in water, with lowest thresholds between 0.3 and 56 kHz. Critical ratio measurements were similar in air and water and increased monotonically from 12 dB at 0.1 kHz to 30 dB at 25.6 kHz, indicating that the auditory systems of these seals are quite efficient at extracting signals from background noise. This study demonstrates that spotted seals possess sound reception capabilities different from those previously described for ice seals, and more similar to those reported for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). The results are consistent with the amphibious lifestyle of these seals and their apparent reliance on sound. The hearing data reported herein are the first available for spotted seals and can inform best management practices for this vulnerable species in a changing Arctic.

In-situ experiments on bentonite-based buffer and sealing materials at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wieczorek, K. [Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Gaus, I. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Mayor, J. C. [Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos SA (ENRESA), Madrid (Spain); and others

2017-04-15

Repository concepts in clay or crystalline rock involve bentonite-based buffer or seal systems to provide containment of the waste and limit advective flow. A thorough understanding of buffer and seal evolution is required to make sure the safety functions are fulfilled in the short and long term. Experiments at the real or near-real scale taking into account the interaction with the host rock help to make sure the safety-relevant processes are identified and understood and to show that laboratory-scale findings can be extrapolated to repository scale. Three large-scale experiments on buffer and seal properties performed in recent years at the Mont Terri rock laboratory are presented in this paper: The 1:2 scale HE-E heater experiment which is currently in operation, and the full-scale engineered barrier experiment and the Borehole Seal experiment which have been completed successfully in 2014 and 2012, respectively. All experiments faced considerable difficulties during installation, operation, evaluation or dismantling that required significant effort to overcome. The in situ experiments show that buffer and seal elements can be constructed meeting the expectations raised through small-scale testing. It was, however, also shown that interaction with the host rock caused additional effects in the buffer or seal that could not always be quantified or even anticipated from the experience of small-scale tests (such as re-saturation by pore-water from the rock, interaction with the excavation damaged zone in terms of preferential flow or mechanical effects). This led to the conclusion that testing of the integral system buffer/rock or seal/rock is needed. (authors)

Inflatable Module Seal Interface Development and Testing

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Develop a repeatable low permeable sealing interface evaluating O-ring, RTV bond and flowed RTV bond methods. Advanced Bladder materials (ArmorFlex, Nanoclay, etc)...

Turbine Seal Research at NASA GRC

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Margaret P.; Steinetz, Bruce M.; Delgado, Irebert R.; Hendricks, Robert C.

2011-01-01

Low-leakage, long-life turbomachinery seals are important to both Space and Aeronautics Missions. (1) Increased payload capability (2) Decreased specific fuel consumption and emissions (3) Decreased direct operating costs. NASA GRC has a history of significant accomplishments and collaboration with industry and academia in seals research. NASA's unique, state-of-the-art High Temperature, High Speed Turbine Seal Test Facility is an asset to the U.S. Engine / Seal Community. Current focus is on developing experimentally validated compliant, non-contacting, high temperature seal designs, analysis, and design methodologies to enable commercialization.

Design and Calibration of a Full Scale Active Magnetic Bearing Based Test Facility for Investigating Rotordynamic Properties of Turbomachinery Seals in Multiphase Flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voigt, Andreas Jauernik; Mandrup-Poulsen, Christian; Nielsen, Kenny Krogh

2016-01-01

of the subsea installed rotating machinery. It is well known that careful design of turbomachinery seals, such as interstage and balance piston seals, is pivotal for the performance of pumps and compressors. Consequently, the ability to predict the complex interaction between fluid dynamics and rotordynamics...... University of Denmark and Lloyd's Register Consulting are currently establishing a purpose built state of the art multiphase seal test facility, which is divided into three modules. Module I consists of a full scale Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) based rotor dynamic test bench. The internally designed custom...... AMBs are equipped with an embedded Hall sensor system enabling high precision non-contact seal force quantification. Module II is a fully automatised calibration facility for the Hall sensor based force quantification system. Module III consists of the test seal housing assembly. This paper provides...

Turbine and Structural Seals Team Facilities

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Seals Team Facilities conceive, develop, and test advanced turbine seal concepts to increase efficiency and durability of turbine engines. Current projects include...

Seals and sealing handbook

CERN Document Server

Flitney, Robert K

2007-01-01

Wherever machinery operates there will be seals of some kind ensuring that the machine remains lubricated, the fluid being pumped does not leak, or the gas does not enter the atmosphere. Seals are ubiquitous, in industry, the home, transport and many other places. This 5th edition of a long-established title covers all types of seal by application: static, rotary, reciprocating etc. The book bears little resemblance to its predecessors, and Robert Flitney has re-planned and re-written every aspect of the subject. No engineer, designer or manufacturer of seals can afford to be without this uniq

Development of sealing plug for sweep gas line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Taiji; Yamada, Hirokazu; Saitoh, Takashi; Nakamichi, Masaru; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Kawamura, Hiroshi

2004-03-01

On the irradiation capsule for neutron irradiation test of the tritium breeder, the sealing plug is necessary to prevent a leak of tritium gas when the tritium breeder is picked up from the irradiation capsule after irradiation test. However, the general valve and plug cannot apply to sealing of the sweep gas line because of the following factors, the neutron irradiation effect, limited space in the irradiation capsule, high sealing efficiency, simple method and operation for control. Therefore, the sealing plug for sweep gas line has to be developed. This paper reports the development of the sealing plug for sweep gas line and the operating procedure of the sealing plug in the irradiation capsule. (author)

Design study of shaft face seal with self-acting lift augmentation. 5: Performance in simulated gas turbine engine operation

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, L. P.; Johnson, R. L.

1971-01-01

The feasibility and the noncontact operation of the self-acting seal was demonstrated over a range of simulated gas turbine engine conditions from 200 to 500 ft/sec sliding speed. Sealed pressure differentials were 50 to 300 psi and sealed temperatures were 150 to 1200 F. Low leakage (about 1/10 that of conventional labyrinth seals) was exhibited in two endurance runs (200 and 338 hr) at 400 ft/sec, 200 psi and 1000 F (gas temperature). For these endurance runs, the self-acting pad wear was less than 3.8 micrometers (0.00015 in.); this low wear was attributed to the noncontact operation of the primary seal. Operating problems identified were fretting wear of the secondary seal and erosion of the primary seal by hard particles.

Reactor coolant pump seal leakage monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, D.M.; Spencer, J.W.; Morris, D.J.; James, W.; Shugars, H.G.

1986-01-01

Problems with reactor coolant pump seals have historically accounted for a large percentage of unscheduled outages. Studies performed for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have shown that the replacement of coolant pump seals has been one of the leading causes of nuclear plant unavailability over the last ten years. Failures of coolant pump seals can lead to primary coolant leakage rates of 200-500 gallons per minute into the reactor building. Airborne activity and high surface contamination levels following these failures require a major cleanup effort and increases the time and personnel exposure required to refurbish the pump seals. One of the problems in assessing seal integrity is the inability to accurately measure seal leakage. Because seal leakage flow is normally very small, it cannot be sensed directly with normal flow instrumentation, but must be inferred from several other temperature and flow measurements. In operating plants the leakage rate has been quantified with a tipping-bucket gauge, a device which indicates when one quart of water has been accumulated. The tipping-bucket gauge has been used for most rainfall-intensity monitoring. The need for a more accurate and less expensive gauge has been addressed. They have developed a drop-counter precipitation sensor has been developed and optimized. The applicability of the drop-counter device to the problem of measuring seal leakage is being investigated. If a review of system specification and known drop-counter performance indicates that this method is feasible for measuring seal leak rates, a drop-counter gauge will be fabricated and tested in the laboratory. If laboratory tests are successful the gauge will be demonstrated in a pump test loop at Ontario Hydro and evaluated under simulated plant conditions. 3 references, 2 figures

Study on AE in Mechanical Seal Lift-off Recognition of Mechanical Main Shaft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erqing Zhang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available For the problem of the determination of lift-off position and the measurement of end face thickness for mechanical seal more difficult, the method based on acoustic emission signal end face lift-off condition monitoring technology for mechanical seal was proposed. The electric eddy current sensor made direct measurement in the internal of mechanical seal device, and the acoustic emission sensor was fixed in the outside for indirect measurement. The acoustic emission signals were de-noised by wavelet threshold de-noising method. The representative energy features were selected by wavelet packet energy spectrum algorithm. It was established that the Radial Basis Function neural network model used for identification of the mechanical seal lift-off position, and the extracted wavelet energy features as its input. It was confirmed accurate and effective that the acoustic emission identification technology through comparing with the data detected by electric eddy current sensor. So using the acoustic emission technology realized the identification of the mechanical seal lift-off position of mechanical main shaft from inside to outside. It is convenient to be used and promotion in industrial field.

The thermal and mechanical deformation study of up-stream pumping mechanical seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H L; Xu, C; Zuo, M Z; Wu, Q B

2015-01-01

Taking the viscosity-temperature relationship of the fluid film into consideration, a 3-D numerical model was established by ANSYS software which can simulate the heat transfer between the upstream pumping mechanical seal stationary and rotational rings and the fluid film between them as well as simulate the thermal deformation, structure deformation and the coupling deformation of them. According to the calculation result, thermal deformation causes the seal face expansion and the maximum thermal deformation appears at the inside of the seal ring. Pressure results in a mechanical deformation, the maximum deformation occurs at the top of the spiral groove and the overall trend is inward the mating face, opposite to the thermal deformation. The coupling deformation indicate that the thermal deformation can be partly counteracted by pressure deformation. Using this model, the relationship between deformation and shaft speed and the sealing liquid pressure was studied. It's found that the shaft speed will both enhance the thermal and structure deformation and the fluid pressure will enhance the structure deformation but has little to do with the thermal deformation. By changing the sealing material, it's found that material with low thermal expansion coefficient and low elastic modulus will suffer less thermal-pressure deformation

The thermal and mechanical deformation study of up-stream pumping mechanical seal

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H. L.; Xu, C.; Zuo, M. Z.; Wu, Q. B.

2015-01-01

Taking the viscosity-temperature relationship of the fluid film into consideration, a 3-D numerical model was established by ANSYS software which can simulate the heat transfer between the upstream pumping mechanical seal stationary and rotational rings and the fluid film between them as well as simulate the thermal deformation, structure deformation and the coupling deformation of them. According to the calculation result, thermal deformation causes the seal face expansion and the maximum thermal deformation appears at the inside of the seal ring. Pressure results in a mechanical deformation, the maximum deformation occurs at the top of the spiral groove and the overall trend is inward the mating face, opposite to the thermal deformation. The coupling deformation indicate that the thermal deformation can be partly counteracted by pressure deformation. Using this model, the relationship between deformation and shaft speed and the sealing liquid pressure was studied. It's found that the shaft speed will both enhance the thermal and structure deformation and the fluid pressure will enhance the structure deformation but has little to do with the thermal deformation. By changing the sealing material, it's found that material with low thermal expansion coefficient and low elastic modulus will suffer less thermal-pressure deformation.

The use of dual material seals for packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temus, C.J.; Nichols, J.C.

2004-01-01

The use of dual material seals, metal and elastomeric for a transportation package, provides a viable option for packages requiring high temperature seal capability. Allowing the seal area to go to higher temperatures then allowed for all elastomeric seal reduce the necessity of providing thermal protection during a postulated accident condition fire. It also increases the options for impact limiting features that do not also mitigate the affects of accident thermal events. Typically, high temperature seals require the use of metal O-rings. Only one seal (typically identified as the containment seal) needs to survive the hypothetical accident conditions, including the high temperatures that may occur during the prescribed hypothetical thermal event. However, to expedite the assembly leakage rate testing of radioactive material packages, a dual O-ring seal arrangement is often used to allow creation of a relatively small volume test cavity between the seals. For any package that is being used on a frequent basis, the total cost of seals can be significantly reduced by using an elastomeric seal as the secondary seal. The elastomeric seal is not the containment boundary seal and does not need to survive the high temperature condition. To get the dual material O-ring seals to seat properly, a different approach has to be taken than with closure of a radioactive material package that does not use metallic O-ring(s). A metal O-ring requires an application of a seating force while the elastomeric package requires a certain percentage of deformation. This is further complicated when the seating force is developed using a multi-bolt closure. Because of the nature of multi-bolt closures, elastic interaction prevents the equal application of force. This paper develops the methods involved in properly closing and establishing containment when using dual material seals with a multi-bolt closure. These methods were demonstrated in two production casks requiring testing leak

Design, construction and monitoring of sealing work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischle, W.R.; Schwieger, K.

1986-01-01

By flooding a worked-out mine, it was possible to test the sealing work on a full scale. The aim is to erect an impermeable, statically secure seal requiring no maintenance. Apart from testing measuring equipment, data were to be obtained for later safety calculations. The measurements are also used to check the computer programs. After a dry period of over a year, flooding started at the beginning of 1985 and so did the testing of the seal and the measuring equipment in caustic soda solution. (orig./PW) [de

Investigation of Loop Seal Clearing Phenomena for the ATLAS SBLOCA Long Term Cooling Test using TRACE and MARS-KS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Min Jeong; Park, M. H.; Marigomen Ralph; Sim, S. K. [Environment and Energy Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

During Design Certificate(DC) review of the APR1400, USNRC raised a long term cooling safety issue on the effect of loop seal clearing during cold leg Small Break Loss Of Coolant Accident(SBLOCA) due to relatively deep cross-over loop compared to the US PWRs. The objective of this study is thus to investigate the loop seal clearing phenomena during cold leg slot break SBLOCA long term cooling and resolve the safety issue on the SBLOCA long term cooling related to the APR1400 DC. TRACE and MARS-KS were used to predict the test results and to perform sensitivity studies for the SBLOCA loop seal clearing phenomena. The calculation shows that the TRACE code well predict the sequence of Test LTC-CL-04R. However, compared to the experiment, the TRACE over predicts the primary pressure due to smaller break flow prediction. MARS-KS well predicts major thermal hydraulic parameters during the transient with reasonable agreement. MARS-KS better predicts ATLAS LTC-CL-04R test data with a good agreement than the TRACE due to better prediction of the break flow. Overall, compared to the experiment, the TRACE and MARS-KS Codes show a discrepancy in predicting the loop seal clearing and reformation time. Both TRACE and MARS-KS correctly predicts core water level and fuel cladding temperatures. From this study, it can be said that even though APR1400 cross-over leg design has slightly deeper loop seals, the effect on the safety of the SBLOCA long term cooling is minimal compared to the SBLOCA cladding failure criteria. Further study on the SBLOCA loop seal clearing phenomena is needed.

Reusable tamper-indicating security seal. [Patent Application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, M.J.

1981-06-23

The invention teaches means for detecting unauthorized tampering or substitutions of a device, and has particular utility when applied on a seal device used to secure a location or thing. The seal has a transparent body wall, and a first indicia, viz., a label identification is formed on the inside surface of this wall. Second and third indicia are formed on the outside surface of the transparent wall, and each of these indicia is transparent to allow the parallax angled viewing of the first indicia through these indicia. The second indicia is in the form of a broadly uniform pattern, viz., many small spaced dots; while the third indicia is in the form of easily memorized objects, such as human faces, made on a substrate by means of halftone printing. The substrate is lapped over the outside surface of the transparent wall. A thin cocoon of a transparent material, generally of the same material as the substrate such as plastic, is formed over the seal body and specifically over the transparent wall and the second and third indicia formed thereon. This cocoon is seamless and has walls of nonuniform thickness. Both the genuineness of the seal and whether anyone has attempted to compromise the seal can thus be visually determined upon inspection.

Evaluation of the leakage behavior of inflatable seals subject to severe accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, M.B.

1989-11-01

Sandia National Laboratories, under the sponsorship of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is currently developing test validated methods to predict the pressure capacity of light water reactor containment buildings when subjected to postulated severe accident conditions. These conditions are well beyond the design basis. Scale model tests of steel and reinforced concrete containments have been conducted as well as tests of typical containment penetrations. As a part of this effort, a series of tests was recently conducted to determine the leakage behavior of inflatable seals. These seals are used to prevent leakage around personnel and escape lock doors of some containments. The results of the inflatable seals tests are the subject of this report. Inflatable seals were tested at both room temperature and at elevated temperatures representative of postulated severe accident conditions. Both aged (radiation and thermal) and unaged seals were included in the test program. The internal seal pressure at the beginning of each test was varied to cover the range of seal pressures actually used in containments. For each seal pressure level, the external (containment) pressure was increased until significant leakage past the seals was observed. Parameters that were monitored and recorded during the tests were the internal seal pressure, chamber pressure, leakage past the seals, and temperature of the test chamber and fixture to which the seals were attached. 8 refs., 34 figs., 7 tabs

Endurance test report of rubber sealing materials for the containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, R.; Watanabe, K.; Hanashima, K.

2015-01-01

In the event of a nuclear power plant accident such as a core meltdown and a cooling system failure, the containment contains radioactive materials released from the reactor pressure vessel to reduce the activity of the radioactive materials and the effects of radiation in the vicinity of the plant. Since high sealing performance and high pressure resistance are required of the containment, a silicone or EPDM rubber gasket with high heat and radiation resistance is used for the sealing of the sealing boundary of the containment. In recent years, it has been shown that a large amount of steam is released into the containment in the case of a severe accident. Consequently, radiation resistance at high temperature as well as steam resistance is required of the rubber gasket placed at the sealing boundary. However, the steam resistance of silicone rubber is not necessarily as good as that of EPDM rubber. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the sealing characteristics of rubber gaskets in such a degrading environment in a severe accident. O. Kato et al. [1] conducted a study on the degradation status of rubber gaskets and their application limits at high temperature. However, few studies have evaluated rubber gaskets in high-temperature radiation and steam environments. In this study, we degraded silicone rubber and EPDM rubber used for the containment in the high-temperature radiation and steam environments expected to occur in a severe accident and evaluated the useful life of the rubber as a sealing material by estimating the change in its performance as a sealing material from the change in permanent compressive strain in the rubber. (author)

HFCVD Diamond-Coated Mechanical Seals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raul Simões

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A mechanical seal promotes the connection between systems or mechanisms, preventing the escape of fluids to the exterior. Nonetheless, due to extreme working conditions, premature failure can occur. Diamond, due to its excellent properties, is heralded as an excellent choice to cover the surface of these devices and extend their lifetime. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to deposit diamond films over mechanical seals and test the coated seals on a water pump, under real working conditions. The coatings were created by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD and two consecutive layers of micro- and nanocrystalline diamond were deposited. One of the main difficulties is the attainment of a good adhesion between the diamond films and the mechanical seal material (WC-Co. Nucleation, deposition conditions, and pre-treatments were studied to enhance the coating. Superficial wear or delamination of the film was investigated using SEM and Raman characterization techniques, in order to draw conclusions about the feasibility of these coatings in the WC-Co mechanical seals with the purpose of increasing their performance and life time. The results obtained gave a good indication about the feasibility of this process and the deposition conditions used, with the mechanical seals showing no wear and no film delamination after a real work environment test.

Pressure Actuated Leaf Seals for Improved Turbine Shaft Sealing

Science.gov (United States)

Grondahl, Clayton

2006-01-01

This presentation introduces a shaft seal in which leaf seal elements are constructed from slotted shim material formed and layered into a frusto-conical assembly. Limited elastic deflection of seal leaves with increasing system pressure close large startup clearance to a small, non-contacting, steady state running clearance. At shutdown seal elements resiliently retract as differential seal pressure diminishes. Large seal clearance during startup and shutdown provides a mechanism for rub avoidance. Minimum operating clearance improves performance and non-contacting operation promises long seal life. Design features of this seal, sample calculations at differential pressures up to 2400 psid and benefit comparison with brush and labyrinth seals is documented in paper, AIAA 2005 3985, presented at the Advanced Seal Technology session of the Joint Propulsion Conference in Tucson this past July. In this presentation use of bimetallic leaf material will be discussed. Frictional heating of bimetallic leaf seals during a seal rub can relieve the rub condition to some extent with a change in seal shape. Improved leaf seal rub tolerance is expected with bimetallic material.

Testing of isolation barrier sealing surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graves, C.E.

1994-12-15

Isolation barrier doors are to be installed in the 105KE and 105KW basins as part of the 1994 unreviewed safety question (USQ) resolution plan to isolate the fuel storage basin from the fuel discharge chute. Included in this installation is the placement of new sealing surfaces for the barriers by affixing stainless steel plates to existing carbon steel angle bars with a specially formulated epoxy adhesive/sealant material. The sealant is a two-part component consisting of an epoxy resin (the condensation product of bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin) and a curing agent (a proprietary cycloaliphatic polyamine). The sealant is solvent free (complying with air pollution regulations) and capable of withstanding the surrounding radiation fields over an estimated 15-year service life. The epoxy sealant experiences negligible water damage partly because of its hydrophobic (water-repelling) nature. With bond tensile strengths measured at greater than 862 kPa (125 lbf/in{sup 2}), the epoxy sealant is judged acceptable for its intended application. The four-hour pot life of the epoxy sealant provides sufficient time to apply the epoxy, examine the epoxy bead for continuity, and position the stainless steel sealing plates.

Testing of isolation barrier sealing surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graves, C.E.

1994-01-01

Isolation barrier doors are to be installed in the 105KE and 105KW basins as part of the 1994 unreviewed safety question (USQ) resolution plan to isolate the fuel storage basin from the fuel discharge chute. Included in this installation is the placement of new sealing surfaces for the barriers by affixing stainless steel plates to existing carbon steel angle bars with a specially formulated epoxy adhesive/sealant material. The sealant is a two-part component consisting of an epoxy resin (the condensation product of bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin) and a curing agent (a proprietary cycloaliphatic polyamine). The sealant is solvent free (complying with air pollution regulations) and capable of withstanding the surrounding radiation fields over an estimated 15-year service life. The epoxy sealant experiences negligible water damage partly because of its hydrophobic (water-repelling) nature. With bond tensile strengths measured at greater than 862 kPa (125 lbf/in 2 ), the epoxy sealant is judged acceptable for its intended application. The four-hour pot life of the epoxy sealant provides sufficient time to apply the epoxy, examine the epoxy bead for continuity, and position the stainless steel sealing plates

Reactor coolant pump seals: improving their performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pothier, N.E.; Metcalfe, R.

1986-06-01

Large CANDU plants are benefitting from transient-resistant four-year reliable reactor coolant pump seal lifetimes, a direct result of AECL's 20-year comprehensive seal improvement program involving R and D staff, manufacturers, and plant designers and operators. An overview of this program is presented, which covers seal modification design, testing, post-service examination, specialized maintenance and quality control. The relevancy of this technology to Light Water Reactor Coolant Pump Seals is also discussed

Face ethnicity and measurement reliability affect face recognition performance in developmental prosopagnosia: evidence from the Cambridge Face Memory Test-Australian.

Science.gov (United States)

McKone, Elinor; Hall, Ashleigh; Pidcock, Madeleine; Palermo, Romina; Wilkinson, Ross B; Rivolta, Davide; Yovel, Galit; Davis, Joshua M; O'Connor, Kirsty B

2011-03-01

The Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT, Duchaine & Nakayama, 2006) provides a validated format for testing novel face learning and has been a crucial instrument in the diagnosis of developmental prosopagnosia. Yet, some individuals who report everyday face recognition symptoms consistent with prosopagnosia, and are impaired on famous face tasks, perform normally on the CFMT. Possible reasons include measurement error, CFMT assessment of memory only at short delays, and a face set whose ethnicity is matched to only some Caucasian groups. We develop the "CFMT-Australian" (CFMT-Aus), which complements the CFMT-original by using ethnicity better matched to a different European subpopulation. Results confirm reliability (.88) and validity (convergent, divergent using cars, inversion effects). We show that face ethnicity within a race has subtle but clear effects on face processing even in normal participants (includes cross-over interaction for face ethnicity by perceiver country of origin in distinctiveness ratings). We show that CFMT-Aus clarifies diagnosis of prosopagnosia in 6 previously ambiguous cases. In 3 cases, this appears due to the better ethnic match to prosopagnosics. We also show that face memory at short (<3-min), 20-min, and 24-hr delays taps overlapping processes in normal participants. There is some suggestion that a form of prosopagnosia may exist that is long delay only and/or reflects failure to benefit from face repetition. © 2011 Psychology Press, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business

Performance testing of elastomeric seal materials under low and high temperature conditions: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

BRONOWSKI,DAVID R.

2000-06-01

The US Department of Energy Offices of Defense Programs and Civilian Radioactive Waste Management jointly sponsored a program to evaluate elastomeric O-ring seal materials for radioactive material shipping containers. The report presents the results of low- and high-temperature tests conducted on 27 common elastomeric compounds.

Model Testing of an Oval Shaped Seal for Sealing of Large Gaps Between Mating Surfaces (The National Shipbuilding Research Program)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Eutizzi, Nick F

1988-01-01

A pressure chamber was designed and manufactured in two parts which were clamped together at their flanges using a clamping ring and an "0" ring seal was used for sealing he gap between the mating surfaces...

Evaluation of RF seals for resonant cavity applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusnak, B.; Spalek, G.; Bolme, G.O.; Bultman, N.; Klapetkzy, A.; Kemp, E.L.; Stovall, J.E.; Rose, J.

1991-01-01

In radio-frequency quadrupoles (RFQ) and drift-tube linacs (DTL), electrical seals are required at mechanical interfaces to preserve the cavity quality factor (Q). Studies determined the response of copper-plated C-seals to continuous wave (cw), highfield operating conditions. In addition, low-power evaluations of machined-surface, knife-edge, indium wire, C-type, and multilam seals were done at room temperature and cryogenic (25 K) temperatures. For the high-field tests, the Q as well as seal temperature, was measured with power. For the low power test, the Q was measured as a function of temperature

Guide to optimized replacement of equipment seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleason, J.F.

1990-03-01

A reevaluation of current scheduled replacement intervals of polymeric seals in plant equipment can achieve significant benefits. Information is provided which has the potential for increasing replacement intervals based on better information on how seals have performed through unique nuclear industry tests to qualify equipment, improved elastomers and increased knowledge of the failure mechanisms and related performance. The research was performed by reviewing applications of elastomeric seals in nuclear plants and practice associated with defining seal replacement intervals in the nuclear power and other industries. Performance indicators and how they predict degradation of seals were evaluated. Guidelines and a flow chart for reevaluating seal replacement intervals are provided. 29 refs., 38 figs., 8 tabs

Feasibility of using overburden clays for sealing purposes and laboratory testing of the clays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mann, J. (Vyzkumny Ustav pro Hnede Uhli, Most (Czechoslovakia))

1992-03-01

Studies properties of overburden clay from North Bohemian surface coal mines for use as sealants of industrial and household waste that will be dumped at Czechoslovak surface mine sites. Basic requirements of sealing layers are optimum compressibility and impermeability by suitable compacting. Laboratory soil mechanical tests of different clay samples were carried out using the Proctor standard tests (PCS) and the Norwegian Geonor A/S - m 45 instrument. Laboratory tests were used to select the best available clay types with optimum density and moisture content. Experimental results of laboratory tests are provided.

Validation of the Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test

OpenAIRE

Wang, Chao-Chih; Ross, David A.; Gauthier, Isabel; Richler, Jennifer J.

2016-01-01

The Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test (VHPT-F) is a new measure of holistic face processing with better psychometric properties relative to prior measures developed for group studies (Richler et al., 2014). In fields where psychologists study individual differences, validation studies are commonplace and the concurrent validity of a new measure is established by comparing it to an older measure with established validity. We follow this approach and test whether the VHPT-F measures the ...

Validation of the Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test.

OpenAIRE

Chao-Chih Wang; Chao-Chih Wang; David Andrew Ross; Isabel Gauthier; Jennifer Joanna Richler

2016-01-01

The Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test (VHPT-F) is a new measure of holistic face processing with better psychometric properties relative to prior measures developed for group studies (Richler et al., 2014). In fields where psychologists study individual differences, validation studies are commonplace and the concurrent validity of a new measure is established by comparing it to an older measure with established validity. We follow this approach and test whether the VHPT-F measures the ...

Materials for water pump mechanical seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brousse, P.

1992-01-01

In view of the continually increasing power ratings of conventional and nuclear power plants and the related reliability and safety problems, plant builders have had to develop seal systems compatible with current water pump performances. In 1970, EDF/R and DD was already concerned by this problem. It soon became obvious that the nature of the materials used for the friction surfaces was decisive for seal durability. Exceptional loads (transients, high vibration levels, etc...) hasten aging. To begin with, friction surfaces consisted of a hard material (tungsten carbide) mated with a soft material (carbon). Resistance was unpredictable and not compatible with industrial requirements. Tests performed on the EDF/R and DD test benches evidenced the same types of degradation. The mechanical seal manufacturers then began to use ceramic materials (silicon carbide), which raised high expectations. Unfortunately, these were recent materials and their manufacturing process was not thoroughly understood. Hopes were soon dashed in many applications, including that of mechanical seals. Fluctuating results were obtained over the next few years. The raw material suppliers made progress, especially with regard to reducing fragility. On a parallel, the mechanical seal manufacturers initiated comparative tests on the friction resistance of materials. It has also been established that ceramics have to be stringently supervised at all levels: part design, inspection, assembly, use. EDF has much insisted that mechanical seal suppliers guarantee the constant quality of their products. EDF/R and DD has systematically tested new sensitive devices, under normal and exceptional conditions, prior to their installation at the plants. At the present time, the silicon carbides proposed by the mechanical seal suppliers are entirely satisfactory. The carbon mating surface was far less problematic. The required reliability was obtained by replacing resin binder carbons by the more resistant

Improvement in oil seal performance of gas compressor in HTTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Sunao; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Nemoto, Takahiro; Sekita, Kenji; Isozaki, Minoru; Emori, Kouichi; Ohta, Yukimaru; Mizushima, Toshihiko; Kaneshiro, Noriyuki; Ito, Yoshiteru; Yamamoto, Hideo

2007-08-01

High-Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) built by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has reciprocating compressor commonly used to extract and discharge helium gas into primary/secondary coolant helium loop from helium purification system. Piston rod seal of the compressor consist of several components to prevent coolant leak. However, rod seal system has weak reliability during long term operation due to repeated leakage of seal oil in operation. As a result of investigations, leakage's root is found in that seal were used in a range beyond limit sliding properties of seal material. For this reason, a lip of the seal was worn and transformed itself and was not able to sustain a seal function. Therefore, through tests using facility actual equipment for endurance of candidate materials, one seal material were chosen for long term operation. (author)

Task 4 supporting technology. Part 2: Detailed test plan for thermal seals. Thermal seals evaluation, improvement and test. CAN8-1, Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), advanced technology demonstrator: X-33. Leading edge and seals thermal protection system technology demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Hogenson, P. A.; Lu, Tina

1995-01-01

The objective is to develop the advanced thermal seals to a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6 to support the rapid turnaround time and low maintenance requirements of the X-33 and the future reusable launch vehicle (RLV). This program is divided into three subtasks: (1) orbiter thermal seals operation history review; (2) material, process, and design improvement; and (3) fabrication and evaluation of the advanced thermal seals.

Test-retest reliability of infant event related potentials evoked by faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Munsters, N M; van Ravenswaaij, H; van den Boomen, C; Kemner, C

2017-04-05

Reliable measures are required to draw meaningful conclusions regarding developmental changes in longitudinal studies. Little is known, however, about the test-retest reliability of face-sensitive event related potentials (ERPs), a frequently used neural measure in infants. The aim of the current study is to investigate the test-retest reliability of ERPs typically evoked by faces in 9-10 month-old infants. The infants (N=31) were presented with neutral, fearful and happy faces that contained only the lower or higher spatial frequency information. They were tested twice within two weeks. The present results show that the test-retest reliability of the face-sensitive ERP components is moderate (P400 and Nc) to substantial (N290). However, there is low test-retest reliability for the effects of the specific experimental manipulations (i.e. emotion and spatial frequency) on the face-sensitive ERPs. To conclude, in infants the face-sensitive ERP components (i.e. N290, P400 and Nc) show adequate test-retest reliability, but not the effects of emotion and spatial frequency on these ERP components. We propose that further research focuses on investigating elements that might increase the test-retest reliability, as adequate test-retest reliability is necessary to draw meaningful conclusions on individual developmental trajectories of the face-sensitive ERPs in infants. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Design and analysis of seals for extended service life

Science.gov (United States)

Bower, Mark V.

1992-01-01

Space Station Freedom is being developed for a service life of up to thirty years. As a consequence, the design requirements for the seals to be used are unprecedented. Full scale testing to assure the selected seals can satisfy the design requirements are not feasible. As an alternative, a sub-scale test program has been developed by MSFC to calibrate the analysis tools to be used to certify the proposed design. This research has been conducted in support of the MSFC Integrated Seal Test Program. The ultimate objective of this research is to correlate analysis and test results to qualify the analytical tools, which in turn, are to be used to qualify the flight hardware. This research is totally focused on O-rings that are compressed by perpendicular clamping forces. In this type of seal the O-ring is clamped between the sealing surfaces by loads perpendicular to the circular cross section.

Failure of Magnetic Fluid Seals Operating in Water: Preliminary Conclusions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matuszewski Leszek

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The article analyses properties of magnetic fluid seals installed in rotary sealing nodes which operate in the utility water environment. Seals of this type have been examined as a possible solution to the problem with ship manoeuvring propulsion sealing. The present analysis bases on laboratory durability tests of magnetic fluid seals exposed to longterm utility water loads, at different water pressures and shaft revolutions. The basic seal durability criterion was the number of revolutions made by the sealing node shaft until the appearance of water tightness loss (leakage. It was found that the main factor leading to the wear of the seal is the relative speed of the magnetic fluid with respect to that of the utility water, and this process is heavily affected by the pressure acting on the seal. The reported test results are presented in the form of diagrams showing the seal durability (time until water tightness loss as a function of rotational speed. The curves shown in the diagrams are regular, with two different rotational speed ranges: the highspeed range, when the tightness loss is relatively fast, and the low-speed range, with a clear tendency to prolong the seal lifetime. These diagrams were given the name of durability curves of the MF seal operating in water. The results of the performed tests suggest formal similarity between the experimental data distribution concerning tightness loss processes occurring in magnetic fluid seals operating in water environment and metal fatigue processes. The article proposes a preliminary simplified durability model to describe the examined phenomenon.

Testing protects against proactive interference in face-name learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Yana; McDermott, Kathleen B; Szpunar, Karl K

2011-06-01

Learning face-name pairings at a social function becomes increasingly more difficult the more individuals one meets. This phenomenon is attributable to proactive interference--the negative influence of prior learning on subsequent learning. Recent evidence suggests that taking a memory test can alleviate proactive interference in verbal list learning paradigms. We apply this technique to face-name pair learning. Participants studied four lists of 12 face-name pairings and either attempted to name the 12 faces just studied after every list or did not. Recall attempts after every list improved learning of the fourth list by over 100%. Moreover, no reduction in learning of face-name pairings occurred from list 1 to list 4 for participants who attempted to name studied faces between lists. These results suggest that testing oneself on the names of a group of new acquaintances before moving on to the next group is an effective mnemonic technique for social functions.

Comparison of General Purpose Heat Source testing with the ANSI N43.6-1977 (R 1989) sealed source standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigsby, C.O.

1998-01-01

This analysis provides a comparison of the testing of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and RTG components with the testing requirements of ANSI N43.6-1977 (R1989) ''Sealed Radioactive Sources, Categorization''. The purpose of this comparison is to demonstrate that the RTGs meet or exceed the requirements of the ANSI standard, and thus can be excluded from the radioactive inventory of the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building in Los Alamos per Attachment 1 of DOE STD 1027-92. The approach used in this analysis is as follows: (1) describe the ANSI sealed source classification methodology; (2) develop sealed source performance requirements for the RTG and/or RTG components based on criteria from the accident analysis for CMR; (3) compare the existing RTG or RTG component test data to the CMR requirements; and (4) determine the appropriate ANSI classification for the RTG and/or RTG components based on CMR performance requirements. The CMR requirements for treating RTGs as sealed sources are derived from the radiotoxicity of the isotope ( 238 P7) and amount (13 kg) of radioactive material contained in the RTG. The accident analysis for the CMR BIO identifies the bounding accidents as wing-wide fire, explosion and earthquake. These accident scenarios set the requirements for RTGs or RTG components stored within the CMR

High-Pressure Hot-Gas Self-Acting Floating Ring Shaft Seal for Liquid Rocket Turbopumps. [tapered bore seals

Science.gov (United States)

Burcham, R. E.; Diamond, W. A.

1980-01-01

Design analysis, detail design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation was performed on two self acting floating ring shaft seals for a rocket engine turbopump high pressure 24132500 n/sq m (3500 psig) hot gas 533 K 9500 F) high speed 3142 rad/sec (30000 rmp) turbine. The initial design used Rayleigh step hydrodynamic lift pads to assist in centering the seal ring with minimum rubbing contact. The final design used a convergent tapered bore to provide hydrostatic centering force. The Rayleigh step design was tested for 107 starts and 4.52 hours total. The leakage was satisfactory; however, the design was not acceptable due to excessive wear caused by inadequate centering force and failure of the sealing dam caused by erosion damage. The tapered bore design was tested for 370 starts and 15.93 hours total. Satisfactory performance for the required life of 7.5 hours per seal was successfully demonstrated.

Sealed radionuclide sources - new technical specifications and current practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brabec, D

1987-03-01

Basic technical specifications are discussed valid in Czechoslovakia for sealed radionuclide sources, based on international ISO and CMEA standards. Described are the standardization of terminology, relationships of tests, testing methods, types of sealed sources and their applications, relations to Czechoslovak regulations on radiation protection and to IAEA specifications for radioactive material shipment, etc. Practical impact is shown of the introduction of the new standards governing sealed sources on the national economy, and the purpose is explained of various documents issued with sealed sources. (author). 2 figs., 45 refs.

Magnetic nanofluids and magnetic composite fluids in rotating seal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borbath, T; Borbath, I; Boros, T; Bica, D; Vekas, L; Potencz, I

2010-01-01

Recent results are presented concerning the development of magnetofluidic leakage-free rotating seals for vacuum and high pressure gases, evidencing significant advantages compared to mechanical seals. The micro-pilot scale production of various types of magnetizable sealing fluids is shortly reviewed, in particular the main steps of the chemical synthesis of magnetic nanofluids and magnetic composite fluids with light hydrocarbon, mineral oil and synthetic oil carrier liquids. The behavior of different types of magnetizable fluids in the rotating sealing systems is analyzed. Design concepts, some constructive details and testing procedures of magnetofluidic rotating seals are presented such as the testing equipment. The main characteristics of several magnetofluidic sealing systems and their applications will be presented: vacuum deposition systems and liquefied gas pumps applications, mechanical and magnetic nanofluid combined seals, gas valves up to 40 bar equipped by rotating seal with magnetic nanofluids and magnetic composite fluids.

Sealing device

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Crespo, Andres Jose

2013-12-10

A sealing device for sealing a gap between a dovetail of a bucket assembly and a rotor wheel is disclosed. The sealing device includes a cover plate configured to cover the gap and a retention member protruding from the cover plate and configured to engage the dovetail. The sealing device provides a seal against the gap when the bucket assemply is subjected to a centrifugal force.

Service life evaluation of non-metallic containment seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pringle, T.G.

1994-01-01

A Service Life Evaluation Program (SLEP) was successfully completed for expansion joint seals used in the pressure relief duct of Pickering NGS, an eight unit CANDU station. These seals are part of the containment boundary, are difficult to replace and then only during station outages which are scheduled at ten year intervals. The SLEP, consisting of an accelerated aging program and a qualification test, was undertaken to determine the service life of the seals such that they would be capable of remaining functional following a combination of service life, a design basis accident and a subsequent seismic event. The Arrhenius model of aging was used for the accelerated aging program. Samples of seal material were subjected to oven aging at five temperatures, 150, 160, 170, 180 and 190 deg C. Tensile properties and hardness were measured at various aging times and Arrhenius plots constructed. Based on changes in elongation, activation energies of 1.2 eV and 1.1 eV were calculated for the reinforcing fabric and the silicone cover rubber, respectively. Hardness measurements were also taken but as expected, no precise quantitative aging relationship could be determined from material hardness. For the qualification test a representative length of seal was installed and field-spliced in a test frame built to simulate the installed configuration of the seal. It then underwent accelerated aging equivalent to the service life, followed by LOCA irradiation exposure to LOCA conditions of humidity, temperature and pressure and a design-basis seismic event. Finally, a pressure test to approximately five times design pressure was successfully performed to demonstrate the remaining margin of safety. Periodic air leakage tests indicated no deterioration in sealing performance and no physical deterioration was apparent. (author). 11 refs., 2 tabs., 8 figs

Mathematical Model of Piston Ring Sealing in Combustion Engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koszałka Grzegorz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a mathematical model of piston-rings-cylinder sealing (TPC of a combustion engine. The developed model is an itegrated model of gas flow through gaps in TPC unit, displacements and twisting motions of piston rings in ring grooves as well as generation of oil film between ring face surfaces and cylinder liner. Thermal deformations and wear of TPC unit elements as well as heat exchange between flowing gas and surrounding walls, were taken into account in the model. The paper contains descriptions of: assumptions used for developing the model, the model itself, its numerical solution as well as its computer application for carrying out simulation tests.

Sealing Failure Analysis on V-Shaped Sealing Rings of an Inserted Sealing Tool Used for Multistage Fracturing Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Hu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The inserted sealing tool is a critical downhole implement that is used to balance the downhole pressure in multistage fracturing operations and prevent fracturing fluid from overflow and/or backward flow. The sealing ring of an inserted sealing tool plays an important role in downhole sealing since a sealing failure would ail the fracturing operation. In order to improve the sealing performance and reduce the potential fracturing failures, this research aims to investigate the influence of V-shaped sealing ring geometries on sealing performance. Constitutive experiments of rubber materials were carried out and the parameters of the constitutive relationship of rubber materials were obtained. A two-dimensional axisymmetric model considering the sealing ring has been established and influences are investigated with considerations of various system parameters and operating conditions. It is found that the stresses concentrated at the shoulder and inner vertex of the sealing ring have direct impact on the damage of the sealing rings under operational conditions. Moreover, the sealing interference, among several other factors, greatly affects the life of the sealing ring. A new design of the sealing ring is suggested with optimized geometric parameters. Its geometric parameters are the edge height of 5 mm, the vertex angle of 90°–100°, and the interference of 0.1 mm, which show a better performance and prolonged operation life of the sealing ring.

Stress Mapping in Glass-to-Metal Seals using Indentation Crack Lengths.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strong, Kevin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Buchheit, Thomas E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Diebold, Thomas Wayne [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Newton, Clay S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bencoe, Denise N. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Stavig, Mark E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jamison, Ryan Dale [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-08-01

Predicting the residual stress which develops during fabrication of a glass-to-metal compression seal requires material models that can accurately predict the effects of processing on the sealing glass. Validation of the predictions requires measurements on representative test geometries to accurately capture the interaction between the seal materials during a processing cycle required to form the seal, which consists of a temperature excursion through the glass transition temperature of the sealing glass. To this end, a concentric seal test geometry, referred to as a short cylinder seal, consisting of a stainless steel shell enveloping a commercial sealing glass disk has been designed, fabricated, and characterized as a model validation test geometry. To obtain data to test/validate finite element (FE) stress model predictions of this geometry, spatially-resolved residual stress was calculated from the measured lengths of the cracks emanating from radially positioned Vickers indents in the glass disk portion of the seal. The indentation crack length method is described, and the spatially-resolved residual stress determined experimentally are compared to FE stress predictions made using a nonlinear viscoelastic material model adapted to inorganic sealing glasses and an updated rate dependent material model for 304L stainless steel. The measurement method is a first to achieve a degree of success for measuring spatially resolved residual stress in a glass-bearing geometry and a favorable comparison between measurements and simulation was observed.

Stress Mapping in Glass-to-Metal Seals using Indentation Crack Lengths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buchheit, Thomas E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Component & Systems Analysis; Strong, Kevin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Material Mechanics and Tribology; Newton, Clay S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Material Mechanics and Tribology; Diebold, Thomas Wayne [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Material Mechanics and Tribology; Bencoe, Denise N. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Electronic, Optical and Nano; Stavig, Mark E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Organic Materials Science; Jamison, Ryan Dale [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Transportation System Analysis

2017-08-01

Predicting the residual stress which develops during fabrication of a glass-to-metal compression seal requires material models that can accurately predict the effects of processing on the sealing glass. Validation of the predictions requires measurements on representative test geometries to accurately capture the interaction between the seal materials during a processing cycle required to form the seal, which consists of a temperature excursion through the glass transition temperature of the sealing glass. To this end, a concentric seal test geometry, referred to as a short cylinder seal, consisting of a stainless steel shell enveloping a commercial sealing glass disk has been designed, fabricated, and characterized as a model validation test geometry. To obtain data to test/validate finite element (FE) stress model predictions of this geometry, spatially-resolved residual stress was calculated from the measured lengths of the cracks emanating from radially positioned Vickers indents in the glass disk portion of the seal. The indentation crack length method is described, and the spatially-resolved residual stress determined experimentally are compared to FE stress predictions made using a nonlinear viscoelastic material model adapted to inorganic sealing glasses and an updated rate dependent material model for 304L stainless steel. The measurement method is a first to achieve a degree of success for measuring spatially resolved residual stress in a glass-bearing geometry and a favorable comparison between measurements and simulation was observed.

Sealing of boreholes using natural, compatible materials: Granular salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finley, R.E.; Zeuch, D.H.; Stormont, J.C.; Daemen, J.J.K.

1994-01-01

Granular salt can be used to construct high performance permanent seals in boreholes which penetrate rock salt formations. These seals are described as seal systems comprised of the host rock, the seal material, and the seal rock interface. The performance of these seal systems is defined by the complex interactions between these seal system components through time. The interactions are largely driven by the creep of the host formation applying boundary stress on the seal forcing host rock permeability with time. The immediate permeability of these seals is dependent on the emplaced density. Laboratory test results suggest that careful emplacement techniques could results in immediate seal system permeability on the order of 10 -16 m 2 to 10 -18 m 2 (10 -4 darcy to 10 -6 ). The visco-plastic behavior of the host rock coupled with the granular salts ability to ''heal'' or consolidate make granular salt an ideal sealing material for boreholes whose permanent sealing is required

The Facial Expression Action Stimulus Test. A test battery for the assessment of face memory, face and object perception, configuration processing and facial expression recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrice eDe Gelder

2015-10-01

Full Text Available There are many ways to assess face perception skills. In this study, we describe a novel task battery FEAST (Facial Expression Action Stimulus Test developed to test recognition of identity and expressions of human faces as well as stimulus control categories. The FEAST consists of a neutral and emotional face memory task, a face and object identity matching task, a face and house part-to-whole matching task, and a human and animal facial expression matching task. The identity and part-to-whole matching tasks contain both upright and inverted conditions. The results provide reference data of a healthy sample of controls in two age groups for future users of the FEAST.

Straight cylindrical seal for high-performance turbomachines

Science.gov (United States)

Hendricks, Robert C.

1987-01-01

A straight cylindrical seal configuration representing the seal for a high-performance turbopump (e.g., the space shuttle main engine fuel pump) was tested under static (nonrotating) conditions. The test data included critical mass flux and pressure profiles over a wide range of inlet temperatures and pressures for fluid nitrogen and fluid hydrogen with the seal in concentric and fully eccentric positions. The critical mass fluxes (or leakage rates) for the concentric and fully eccentric configurations were nearly the same when based on stagnation conditions upstream of the seal. The fully eccentric configuration pressure profiles of the gas and liquid were different. Further, the pressure differences between the maximum and the minimum clearance positions were highly dependent on the geometric conditions, the temperature, and the absolute pressure at both the inlet and the exit. The pressure differences were greatest in the inlet region. The results, although complex, tend to follow the corresponding-states principles for critical flows. Gaseous injection near the seal exit plane significantly altered the pressure profiles and could be used to control turbomachine instabilities.

The Cambridge Face Memory Test for Children (CFMT-C): a new tool for measuring face recognition skills in childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Croydon, Abigail; Pimperton, Hannah; Ewing, Louise; Duchaine, Brad C; Pellicano, Elizabeth

2014-09-01

Face recognition ability follows a lengthy developmental course, not reaching maturity until well into adulthood. Valid and reliable assessments of face recognition memory ability are necessary to examine patterns of ability and disability in face processing, yet there is a dearth of such assessments for children. We modified a well-known test of face memory in adults, the Cambridge Face Memory Test (Duchaine & Nakayama, 2006, Neuropsychologia, 44, 576-585), to make it developmentally appropriate for children. To establish its utility, we administered either the upright or inverted versions of the computerised Cambridge Face Memory Test - Children (CFMT-C) to 401 children aged between 5 and 12 years. Our results show that the CFMT-C is sufficiently sensitive to demonstrate age-related gains in the recognition of unfamiliar upright and inverted faces, does not suffer from ceiling or floor effects, generates robust inversion effects, and is capable of detecting difficulties in face memory in children diagnosed with autism. Together, these findings indicate that the CFMT-C constitutes a new valid assessment tool for children's face recognition skills. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LM2500+ Brush Seal Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Haaser, Fred G.

2006-01-01

The LM2500+ industrial aeroderivative gas turbine, a 25% enhanced power derivative of the LM2500 gas turbine, recently completed its development test program during the period 5/96 - 10/96. Early in the engine program a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process was used to determine customer needs for this project.The feedback obtained from the QFD process showed without doubt that gas turbine customers now emphasize product reliability and availability at the top of their needs. One area of development on the LM2500+ was to investigate the use of a brush seal as a means to reduce undesirable turbine cooling leakages within the turbine mid frame in order to enhance part life. This presentation presents a case study on the factors that went into evaluating a brush seal during engine test, test results, and the ultimate decision not to implement the brush seal for cost and other reasons.

2005 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System Workshop, Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

Steinetz, Bruce M. (Editor); Hendricks, Robert C. (Editor)

2006-01-01

The 2005 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System workshop covered the following topics: (i) Overview of NASA s new Exploration Initiative program aimed at exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond; (ii) Overview of the NASA-sponsored Propulsion 21 Project; (iii) Overview of NASA Glenn s seal project aimed at developing advanced seals for NASA s turbomachinery, space, and reentry vehicle needs; (iv) Reviews of NASA prime contractor, vendor, and university advanced sealing concepts including tip clearance control, test results, experimental facilities, and numerical predictions; and (v) Reviews of material development programs relevant to advanced seals development. Turbine engine studies have shown that reducing high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade tip clearances will reduce fuel burn, lower emissions, retain exhaust gas temperature margin, and increase range. Several organizations presented development efforts aimed at developing faster clearance control systems and associated technology to meet future engine needs. The workshop also covered several programs NASA is funding to develop technologies for the Exploration Initiative and advanced reusable space vehicle technologies. NASA plans on developing an advanced docking and berthing system that would permit any vehicle to dock to any on-orbit station or vehicle. Seal technical challenges (including space environments, temperature variation, and seal-on-seal operation) as well as plans to develop the necessary "androgynous" seal technologies were reviewed. Researchers also reviewed tests completed for the shuttle main landing gear door seals.

Pre-test analysis of ATLAS SBO with RCP seal leakage scenario using MARS code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pham, Quang Huy; Lee, Sang Young; Oh, Seung Jong [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

This study presents a pre-test calculation for the Advanced Thermal-hydraulic Test Loop for Accident Simulation (ATLAS) SBO experiment with RCP seal leakage scenario. Initially, turbine-driven auxfeed water pumps are used. Then, outside cooling water injection method is used for long term cooling. The analysis results would be useful for conducting the experiment to verify the APR 1400 extended SBO optimum mitigation strategy using outside cooling water injection in future. The pre-test calculation for ATLAS extended SBO with RCP seal leakage and outside cooling water injection scenario is performed. After Fukushima nuclear accident, the capability of coping with the extended station blackout (SBO) becomes important. Many NPPs are applying FLEX approach as main coping strategies for extended SBO scenarios. In FLEX strategies, outside cooling water injection to reactor cooling system (RCS) and steam generators (SGs) is considered as an effective method to remove residual heat and maintain the inventory of the systems during the accident. It is worthwhile to examine the soundness of outside cooling water injection method for extended SBO mitigation by both calculation and experimental demonstration. From the calculation results, outside cooling water injection into RCS and SGs is verified as an effective method during extended SBO when RCS and SGs depressurization is sufficiently performed.

Auto-identification fiberoptical seal verifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yoichi; Mukaiyama, Takehiro

1998-08-01

An auto COBRA seal verifier was developed by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) to provide more efficient and simpler inspection measures for IAEA safeguards. The verifier is designed to provide means of a simple, quantitative and objective judgment on in-situ verification for the COBRA seal. The equipment is a portable unit with hand-held weight and size. It can be operated by battery or AC power. The verifier reads a COBRA seal signature by using a built-in CCD camera and carries out the signature comparison procedure automatically on digital basis. The result of signature comparison is given as a YES/NO answer. The production model of the verifier was completed in July 1996. The development was carried out in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. This report describes the design and functions of the COBRA seal verifier and the results of environmental and functional tests. The development of the COBRA seal verifier was carried out in the framework of Japan Support Programme for Agency Safeguards (JASPAS) as a project, JD-4 since 1981. (author)

Development and high temperature sealing performance study of double sealing flange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Qinhua; Fu Yuan; Xie Leidong; Li Zhong; Tang Zhongfeng

2013-01-01

Background: Flange is an important component used in the connection between pipes or between pipe and equipment. It is widely used in mechanical industry, petrochemical industry and nuclear industry. Ordinary flange could be oxidized oi corroded under high temperature and strong corrosion condition, which leads to flange's failure. Purpose: The aim is to design and validate the double sealing flange which could be used in high temperature and strong corrosion condition stably and supplied as a reliable detachable connection for petrochemical industry and nuclear industry under high temperature and strong corrosion environment. Methods: New flange is designed using flexible graphite spiral wound gaskets and C style metal ring double sealing structure. The unique protection gas design ensures the graphite spiral wound gasket used in high temperature reliably. Test bed is built to verify the stability of the flange. Results: Pressure reducing of graphite spiral wound gasket is only 0.01 MPa at 750℃, 0.7 MPa for 43 h, there is not obvious oxidation phenomenon at the same time. The leakage rate of metal C sealing ring is 11.51×10 -4 atm cc/s, and the metal C ring sealing's performance meets the engineering requirements. Conclusion: The leakage rate of double sealing flange is almost zero under 0.7 MPa at 750℃, which meets the engineering requirements. It avoids oxidizing at high temperature and corroding under strong corrosion condition. (authors)

High performance sealing - meeting nuclear and aerospace requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wensel, R.; Metcalfe, R.

1994-11-01

Although high performance sealing is required in many places, two industries lead all others in terms of their demand-nuclear and aerospace. The factors that govern the high reliability and integrity of seals, particularly elastomer seals, for both industries are discussed. Aerospace requirements include low structural weight and a broad range of conditions, from the cold vacuum of space to the hot, high pressures of rocket motors. It is shown, by example, how a seal can be made an integral part of a structure in order to improve performance, rather than using a conventional handbook design. Typical processes are then described for selection, specification and procurement of suitable elastomers, functional and accelerated performance testing, database development and service-life prediction. Methods for quality assurance of elastomer seals are summarized. Potentially catastrophic internal dejects are a particular problem for conventional non-destructive inspection techniques. A new method of elastodynamic testing for these is described. (author)

Experimental toxoplasma gondii infection in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gajadhar, A. A.; Measures, L.; Forbes, L. B.

2004-01-01

Laboratory-reared animals were used to assess the susceptibility of seals (Halichoerus grypus) to Toxoplasma gondii infection. Four seals were each orally inoculated with 100 or 10,000 oocysts of T. gondii (VEG strain), and another 4 seals served as negative controls. Occasionally, mild behavioral...... changes were observed in all inoculated seals but not in control animals. A modified agglutination test revealed the presence of antibodies to T. gondii in sera collected from inoculated seals and mice inoculated as controls. No evidence of the parasite was found on an extensive histological examination...... of seal tissues, and immunohistochemical staining of tissue sections from inoculated seals revealed a single tissue cyst in only 1 seal. Control mice inoculated with 10 oocysts from the same inoculum given to seals became serologically and histologically positive for T. gondii. Cats that were fed brain...

Mechanical seal assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Kotlyar, Oleg M.

2001-01-01

An improved mechanical seal assembly is provided for sealing rotating shafts with respect to their shaft housings, wherein the rotating shafts are subject to substantial axial vibrations. The mechanical seal assembly generally includes a rotating sealing ring fixed to the shaft, a non-rotating sealing ring adjacent to and in close contact with the rotating sealing ring for forming an annular seal about the shaft, and a mechanical diode element that applies a biasing force to the non-rotating sealing ring by means of hemispherical joint. The alignment of the mechanical diode with respect to the sealing rings is maintained by a series of linear bearings positioned axially along a desired length of the mechanical diode. Alternative embodiments include mechanical or hydraulic amplification components for amplifying axial displacement of the non-rotating sealing ring and transferring it to the mechanical diode.

Mechanical Seal Assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotlyar, Oleg M.

1999-06-18

An improved mechanical seal assembly is provided for sealing rotating shafts with respect to their shaft housings, wherein the rotating shafts are subject to substantial axial vibrations. The mechanical seal assembly generally includes a rotating sealing ring fixed to the shaft, a non-rotating sealing ring adjacent to and in close contact with the rotating sealing ring for forming an annular seal about the shaft, and a mechanical diode element that applies a biasing force to the non-rotating sealing ring by means of hemispherical joint. The alignment of the mechanical diode with respect to the sealing rings is maintained by a series of linear bearings positioned axially along a desired length of the mechanical diode. Alternative embodiments include mechanical or hydraulic amplification components for amplifying axial displacement of the non-rotating sealing ring and transferring it to the mechanical diode.

Molecular epidemiology of seal parvovirus, 1988-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodewes, Rogier; Hapsari, Rebriarina; Rubio García, Ana; Sánchez Contreras, Guillermo J; van de Bildt, Marco W G; de Graaf, Miranda; Kuiken, Thijs; Osterhaus, Albert D M E

2014-01-01

A novel parvovirus was discovered recently in the brain of a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) with chronic meningo-encephalitis. Phylogenetic analysis of this virus indicated that it belongs to the genus Erythroparvovirus, to which also human parvovirus B19 belongs. In the present study, the prevalence, genetic diversity and clinical relevance of seal parvovirus (SePV) infections was evaluated in both harbor and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) that lived in Northwestern European coastal waters from 1988 to 2014. To this end, serum and tissue samples collected from seals were tested for the presence of seal parvovirus DNA by real-time PCR and the sequences of the partial NS gene and the complete VP2 gene of positive samples were determined. Seal parvovirus DNA was detected in nine (8%) of the spleen tissues tested and in one (0.5%) of the serum samples tested, including samples collected from seals that died in 1988. Sequence analysis of the partial NS and complete VP2 genes of nine SePV revealed multiple sites with nucleotide substitutions but only one amino acid change in the VP2 gene. Estimated nucleotide substitution rates per year were 2.00 × 10(-4) for the partial NS gene and 1.15 × 10(-4) for the complete VP2 gene. Most samples containing SePV DNA were co-infected with phocine herpesvirus 1 or PDV, so no conclusions could be drawn about the clinical impact of SePV infection alone. The present study is one of the few in which the mutation rates of parvoviruses were evaluated over a period of more than 20 years, especially in a wildlife population, providing additional insights into the genetic diversity of parvoviruses.

Molecular epidemiology of seal parvovirus, 1988-2014.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rogier Bodewes

Full Text Available A novel parvovirus was discovered recently in the brain of a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina with chronic meningo-encephalitis. Phylogenetic analysis of this virus indicated that it belongs to the genus Erythroparvovirus, to which also human parvovirus B19 belongs. In the present study, the prevalence, genetic diversity and clinical relevance of seal parvovirus (SePV infections was evaluated in both harbor and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus that lived in Northwestern European coastal waters from 1988 to 2014. To this end, serum and tissue samples collected from seals were tested for the presence of seal parvovirus DNA by real-time PCR and the sequences of the partial NS gene and the complete VP2 gene of positive samples were determined. Seal parvovirus DNA was detected in nine (8% of the spleen tissues tested and in one (0.5% of the serum samples tested, including samples collected from seals that died in 1988. Sequence analysis of the partial NS and complete VP2 genes of nine SePV revealed multiple sites with nucleotide substitutions but only one amino acid change in the VP2 gene. Estimated nucleotide substitution rates per year were 2.00 × 10(-4 for the partial NS gene and 1.15 × 10(-4 for the complete VP2 gene. Most samples containing SePV DNA were co-infected with phocine herpesvirus 1 or PDV, so no conclusions could be drawn about the clinical impact of SePV infection alone. The present study is one of the few in which the mutation rates of parvoviruses were evaluated over a period of more than 20 years, especially in a wildlife population, providing additional insights into the genetic diversity of parvoviruses.

Improved Main Shaft Seal Life in Gas Turbines Using Laser Surface Texturing

Science.gov (United States)

McNickle, Alan D.; Etsion, Izhak

2002-10-01

This paper presents a general overview of the improved main shaft seal life in gas turbines using laser surface texturing (LST). The contents include: 1) Laser Surface Texturing System; 2) Seal Schematic with LST applied; 3) Dynamic Rig Tests; 4) Surface Finish Definitions; 5) Wear Test Rig; 6) Dynamic Test Rig; 7) Seal Cross Section-Rig Test; and 8) Typical Test Results. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Effects of Hypervelocity Impacts on Silicone Elastomer Seals and Mating Aluminum Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

deGroh, Henry C., III; Steinetz, Bruce M.

2009-01-01

While in space silicone based elastomer seals planned for use on NASA's Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) are exposed to threats from micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD). An understanding of these threats is required to assess risks to the crew, the CEV orbiter, and missions. An Earth based campaign of hypervelocity impacts on small scale seal rings has been done to help estimate MMOD threats to the primary docking seal being developed for the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS). LIDS is being developed to enable the CEV to dock to the ISS (International Space Station) or to Altair (NASA's next lunar lander). The silicone seal on LIDS seals against aluminum alloy flanges on ISS or Altair. Since the integrity of a seal depends on both sealing surfaces, aluminum targets were also impacted. The variables considered in this study included projectile mass, density, speed, incidence angle, seal materials, and target surface treatments and coatings. Most of the impacts used a velocity near 8 km/s and spherical aluminum projectiles (density = 2.7 g/cubic cm), however, a few tests were done near 5.6 km/s. Tests were also performed using projectile densities of 7.7, 2.79, 2.5 or 1.14 g/cubic cm. Projectile incidence angles examined included 0 deg, 45 deg, and 60 deg from normal to the plane of the target. Elastomer compounds impacted include Parker's S0383-70 and Esterline's ELA-SA-401 in the as received condition, or after an atomic oxygen treatment. Bare, anodized and nickel coated aluminum targets were tested simulating the candidate mating seal surface materials. After impact, seals and aluminum plates were leak tested: damaged seals were tested against an undamaged aluminum plate; and undamaged seals were placed at various locations over craters in aluminum plates. It has been shown that silicone elastomer seals can withstand an impressive level of damage before leaking beyond allowable limits. In general on the tests performed to date, the diameter of the crater in

Glass sealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brow, R.K.; Kovacic, L.; Chambers, R.S. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1996-04-01

Hernetic glass sealing technologies developed for weapons component applications can be utilized for the design and manufacture of fuel cells. Design and processing of of a seal are optimized through an integrated approach based on glass composition research, finite element analysis, and sealing process definition. Glass sealing procedures are selected to accommodate the limits imposed by glass composition and predicted calculations.

Nanocrystalline diamond coatings for mechanical seals applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, J A; Neto, V F; Ruch, D; Grácio, J

2012-08-01

A mechanical seal is a type of seal used in rotating equipment, such as pumps and compressors. It consists of a mechanism that assists the connection of the rotating shaft to the housings of the equipments, preventing leakage or avoiding contamination. A common cause of failure of these devices is end face wear out, thus the use of a hard, smooth and wear resistant coating such as nanocrystalline diamond would be of great importance to improve their working performance and increase their lifetime. In this paper, different diamond coatings were deposited by the HFCVD process, using different deposition conditions. Additionally, the as-grown films were characterized for, quality, morphology and microstructure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The topography and the roughness of the films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Design analysis of a self-acting spiral-groove ring seal for counter-rotating shafts

Science.gov (United States)

Dirusso, E.

1983-01-01

A self-acting spiral groove inter-shaft ring seal of nominal 16.33 cm (6.43 in.) diameter for sealing fan bleed air between counter-rotating hafts in advanced turbofan engines was analyzed. The analysis focused on the lift force characteristics of the spiral grooves. A NASA Lewis developed computer program for predicting the performance of gas lubricated face seals was used to optimize the spiral groove geometry to produce maximum lift force. Load capacity curves (lift force as function of film thickness) were generated for four advanced turbofan engine operating conditions at relative seal speeds ranging from 17,850 to 29,800 rpm, sealed air pressures from 6 to 42 N/sq cm (9 to 60 psi) absolute and temperatures from 95 deg to 327 C (203 deg to 620 F). The relative seal sliding speed range was 152 to 255 m/sec (500 to 836 ft/sec). The analysis showed that the spiral grooves are capable of producing sufficient lift force such that the ring seal will operate in a noncontacting mode over the operating range of typical advanced turbofan engines.

Rotary plug seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Koji; Abiko, Yoshihiro.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To enable fuel exchange even upon failure of regular seals and also to enable safety seal exchange by the detection of the reduction in the contact pressure of a rotary plug seal. Constitution: If one of a pair of regular tube seals for the rotary plug is failed during ordinary operation of a FBR type reactor, the reduction in the contact pressure of the seal to the plug gibbousness is detected by a pressure gauge and a solenoid valve is thereby closed. Thus, a back-up-tube seal provided above or below the tube seal is press-contacted by way of argon gas to the gibbousness to enter into operation state and lubricants are supplied from an oil tank. In such a structure, the back-up-tube seal is operated before the failure of the tube seal to enable to continue the fuel exchange work, as well as safety exchange for the tube seal. (Moriyama, K.)

Seal coat binder performance specifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

Need to improve seal coat binder specs: replace empirical tests (penetration, ductility) with : performance-related tests applicable to both : unmodified and modified binders; consider temperatures that cover entire in service : range that are tied t...

Sealing of ceramic SOFC-components with glass seals; Fuegen von keramischen Komponenten der Hochtemperatur-Brennstoffzellen mittels Glas- und Glaskeramikloten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schillig, Cora

2012-07-10

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) converts chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy. However, for the implementation of SOFC-technology in competition to conventional power plants costs have to be reduced. The use of an alternative tubular cell design without closed end would allow reducing costs during cell manufacturing. However, this change in design makes a gastight sealing inside the generator near the gas inlet necessary. Different ceramic materials with varying coefficients of thermal expansion have to be sealed gastight and electrical insulating at temperatures between 850 C and 1000 C to prevent the gases from mixing and an electrical shortcut between the cells. This work comprises analysis of commercially available glass and glass-ceramic systems manufactured by Schott Electronic Packaging, Areva T and D and Ferro Corporation. Additionally new developed sealing glass and glass-ceramic systems were investigated and all systems were characterized fundamentally for the use as sealing material in SOFC generators. Therefore different test assemblies and series were conducted. Essential characteristics of a suitable sealing system are a thermal expansion coefficient between 9,5 and 12 . 10{sup -6}K{sup -1}, a viscosity in the range between 10{sup 4} to 10{sup 6} dPa{sup *}s and a wetting angle smaller than 90 during the sealing process. Also unwanted chemical side reactions between the sealing partners must be prevented, because a change in the phase composition or the creation of new phases in the sealing material could endanger the stability of the seal. Heat cycles, particularly those during generator operation, cause deterioration of the sealing material and subsequent reduction in its ability to prevent mixing of the gases. Sealant leaks can drastically impact efficiency of the generator. In order to ensure optimum operation low leak rates around 2,3 . 10{sup -4} mbar l/sec/cm{sup 2} must be maintained. Especially glass and glass

Laboratory studies of fluid flow through borehole seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

South, D.L.

1983-01-01

Boreholes in the vicinity of a nuclear waste repository must be reliably sealed to prevent rapid migration of radionuclide contaminated water from the vicinity of the repository to the accessible environment. Few data currently exist regarding the effectiveness of borehole sealing. The objective of this research was to assess the performance of borehole seals under laboratory conditions, particularly with regard to varying stress fields. The approach used to evaluate borehole seals was to compare flow through a sealed borehole with flow through intact rock. Granite, basalt, and tuff were tested, using either cement or bentonite as the seal material. The main conclusions reached as a result of the experiments is that currently existing materials are capable of forming high quality seals when placed under laboratory conditions. Variation of triaxial stress state about a borehole does not significantly affect seal performance if the rock is stiffer than the seal material. Temperature/moisture variations (drying) degraded the quality of cement seals significantly. Performance partially recovered upon resaturation. Significant remaining questions include field emplacement techniques; field vertification of plug quality; plug performance over long time periods, particularly with respect to temperature/moisture variations and chemical stability; and radionuclide sorption capabilities. Scale effects are also important, as shafts and drifts must be sealed as well as larger diameter boreholes

Asphalt emulsion sealing of uranium mill tailings. 1980 annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartley, J.N.; Koehmstedt, P.L; Esterl, D.J.; Freeman, H.D.; Buelt, J.L.; Nelson, D.A.; Elmore, M.R.

1981-05-01

Studies of asphalt emulsion sealants conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory have demonstrated that the sealants are effective in containing radon and other potentially hazardous material within uranium tailings. The laboratory and field studies have further demonstrated that radon exhalation from uranium tailings piles can be reduced by greater than 99% to near background levels. Field tests at the tailings pile in Grand Junction, Colorado, confirmed that an 8-cm admix seal containing 22 wt% asphalt could be effectively applied with a cold-mix paver. Other techniques were successfully tested, including a soil stabilizer and a hot, rubberized asphalt seal that was applied with a distributor truck. After the seals were applied and compacted, overburden was applied over the seal to protect the seal from ultraviolet degradation

Wear testing and finite element analysis of nitrile rubber (NBR) hand pump seals

OpenAIRE

Alkadhimi, Fadel

2015-01-01

The use of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber NBR as seal in machines has increased in recent years. NBR is considered as the standard material for sealing and NBR owes its many applications to a range of special mechanical properties. However, the non-linear mechanical properties and incompressible behaviour of NBR make the analysis of NBR very difficult. The literature review highlighted the fact that the most common technical cause of hand pump failures was the wear of the piston seals. The contact ...

Sealing performance of a magnetic fluid seal for rotary blood pumps.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitamura, Yoshinori; Takahashi, Sayaka; Kano, Kentaro; Okamoto, Eiji; Murabayashi, Shun; Nishimura, Ikuya; Higuchi, Taka-Aki

2009-09-01

A magnetic fluid (MF) for a rotary blood pump seal enables mechanical contact-free rotation of the shaft and, hence, has excellent durability. The performance of a MF seal, however, has been reported to decrease in liquids. We have developed a MF seal that has a "shield" mechanism and a new MF with a higher magnetization of 47.9 kA/m. The sealing performance of the MF seal installed in a rotary blood pump was studied. Under the condition of continuous flow, the MF seal remained in perfect condition against a pressure of 298 mm Hg (pump flow rate: 3.96 L/min). The seal was also perfect against a pressure of 170 mm Hg in a continuous flow of 3.9 L/min for 275 days. We have developed a MF seal that works in liquid against clinically used pressures. The MF seal is promising as a shaft seal for rotary blood pumps.

Sealing ability of a new polydimethylsiloxane-based root canal filling material

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Özok, A.R.; van der Sluis, L.W.M.; Wu, M.K.; Wesselink, P.R.

2008-01-01

We tested the null hypothesis that there is no difference in the sealing ability of GuttaFlow, RoekoSeal, and AH26 in root canals. Sixty extracted mandibular premolars were filled with AH26 (lateral compaction), RoekoSeal, or GuttaFlow (modified single-cone). The sealing ability of the root canal

Sealing ability of a new polydimethylsiloxane-based root canal filling material

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ozok, Ahmet R.; van der Sluis, Lucas W. M.; Wu, Min-Kai; Wesselink, Paul R.

We tested the null hypothesis that there is no difference in the sealing ability of GuttaFlow, RoekoSeal, and AH26 in root canals. Sixty extracted mandibular premolars were filled with AH26 (lateral compaction), RoekoSeal, or GuttaFlow (modified single-cone). The sealing ability of the root canal

Ultrasonic testing of a sealing construction made of salt concrete in an underground disposal facility for radioactive waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krause, Martin; Effner, Ute Antonie; Milmann, Boris; Voelker, Christoph; Wiggenhauser, Herbert [Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Berlin (Germany); Mauke, Ralf [The Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Salzgitter (Germany)

2015-07-01

For the closure of radioactive waste disposal facilities engineered barriers- so called ''drift seals'' are used. The purpose of these barriers is to constrain the possible infiltration of brine and to prevent the migration of radionuclides into the biosphere. In a rock salt mine a large scale in-situ experiment of a sealing construction made of salt concrete was set up to prove the technical feasibility and operability of such barriers. In order to investigate the integrity of this structure, non-destructive ultrasonic measurements were carried out. Therefore two different methods were applied at the front side of the test-barrier: 1 Reflection measurements from boreholes 2 Ultrasonic imaging by means of scanning ultrasonic echo methods This extended abstract is a short version of an article to be published in a special edition of ASCE Journal that will briefly describe the sealing construction, the application of the non-destructive ultrasonic measurement methods and their adaptation to the onsite conditions -as well as parts of the obtained results. From this a concept for the systematic investigation of possible contribution of ultrasonic methods for quality assurance of sealing structures may be deduced.

Electronic self-monitoring seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, J.W.

1978-01-01

The Electronic Self-Monitoring Seal is a new type of security seal which allows continuous verification of the seal's identity and status. The identity information is a function of the individual seal, time, and seal integrity. A description of this seal and its characteristics are presented. Also described are the use cycle for the seal and the support equipment for programming and verifying the seal

2007 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System Workshop. Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

Steinetz, Bruce M.; Hendricks, Robert C.; Delgado, Irebert

2008-01-01

The 2007 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System workshop covered the following topics: (i) Overview of NASA's new Orion project aimed at developing a new spacecraft that will fare astronauts to the International Space Station, the Moon, Mars, and beyond; (ii) Overview of NASA's fundamental aeronautics technology project; (iii) Overview of NASA Glenn s seal project aimed at developing advanced seals for NASA's turbomachinery, space, and reentry vehicle needs; (iv) Reviews of NASA prime contractor, vendor, and university advanced sealing concepts, test results, experimental facilities, and numerical predictions; and (v) Reviews of material development programs relevant to advanced seals development. Turbine engine studies have shown that reducing seal leakage as well as high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade tip clearances will reduce fuel burn, lower emissions, retain exhaust gas temperature margin, and increase range. Turbine seal development topics covered include a method for fast-acting HPT blade tip clearance control, noncontacting low-leakage seals, intershaft seals, and a review of engine seal performance requirements for current and future Army engine platforms.

Security seal

Science.gov (United States)

Gobeli, Garth W.

1985-01-01

Security for a package or verifying seal in plastic material is provided by a print seal with unique thermally produced imprints in the plastic. If tampering is attempted, the material is irreparably damaged and thus detectable. The pattern of the imprints, similar to "fingerprints" are recorded as a positive identification for the seal, and corresponding recordings made to allow comparison. The integrity of the seal is proved by the comparison of imprint identification records made by laser beam projection.

Material testing facilities and programs for plasma-facing component testing

Science.gov (United States)

Linsmeier, Ch.; Unterberg, B.; Coenen, J. W.; Doerner, R. P.; Greuner, H.; Kreter, A.; Linke, J.; Maier, H.

2017-09-01

Component development for operation in a large-scale fusion device requires thorough testing and qualification for the intended operational conditions. In particular environments are necessary which are comparable to the real operation conditions, allowing at the same time for in situ/in vacuo diagnostics and flexible operation, even beyond design limits during the testing. Various electron and neutral particle devices provide the capabilities for high heat load tests, suited for material samples and components from lab-scale dimensions up to full-size parts, containing toxic materials like beryllium, and being activated by neutron irradiation. To simulate the conditions specific to a fusion plasma both at the first wall and in the divertor of fusion devices, linear plasma devices allow for a test of erosion and hydrogen isotope recycling behavior under well-defined and controlled conditions. Finally, the complex conditions in a fusion device (including the effects caused by magnetic fields) are exploited for component and material tests by exposing test mock-ups or material samples to a fusion plasma by manipulator systems. They allow for easy exchange of test pieces in a tokamak or stellarator device, without opening the vessel. Such a chain of test devices and qualification procedures is required for the development of plasma-facing components which then can be successfully operated in future fusion power devices. The various available as well as newly planned devices and test stands, together with their specific capabilities, are presented in this manuscript. Results from experimental programs on test facilities illustrate their significance for the qualification of plasma-facing materials and components. An extended set of references provides access to the current status of material and component testing capabilities in the international fusion programs.

Data report on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Small-Scale Seal Performance Test, Series F grouting experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahrens, E.H.; Dale, T.F.; Van Pelt, R.S.

1996-03-01

SSSPT-F was designed to evaluate sealing materials at WIPP. It demonstrated: (1) the ability to practically and consistently produce ultrafine cementitious grout at the grouting site, (2) successful, consistent, and efficient injection and permeation of the grout into fractured rock at the repository horizon, (3) ability of the grout to penetrate and seal microfractures, (4) procedures and equipment used to inject the grout. Also techniques to assess the effectiveness of the grout in reducing the gas transmissivity of the fractured rock were evaluated. These included gas-flow/tracer testing, post-grout coring, pre- and post-grout downhole televiewer logging, slab displacement measurements, and increased loading on jacks during grout injection. Pre- and post-grout diamond drill core was obtained for use in ongoing evaluations of grouting effectiveness, degradation, and compatibility. Diamond drill equipment invented for this test successfully prevented drill cuttings from plugging fractures in grout injection holes

Data report on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Small-Scale Seal Performance Test, Series F grouting experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahrens, E.H. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Dale, T.F.; Van Pelt, R.S. [INTERA, Inc., Austin, TX (United States)

1996-03-01

SSSPT-F was designed to evaluate sealing materials at WIPP. It demonstrated: (1) the ability to practically and consistently produce ultrafine cementitious grout at the grouting site, (2) successful, consistent, and efficient injection and permeation of the grout into fractured rock at the repository horizon, (3) ability of the grout to penetrate and seal microfractures, (4) procedures and equipment used to inject the grout. Also techniques to assess the effectiveness of the grout in reducing the gas transmissivity of the fractured rock were evaluated. These included gas-flow/tracer testing, post-grout coring, pre- and post-grout downhole televiewer logging, slab displacement measurements, and increased loading on jacks during grout injection. Pre- and post-grout diamond drill core was obtained for use in ongoing evaluations of grouting effectiveness, degradation, and compatibility. Diamond drill equipment invented for this test successfully prevented drill cuttings from plugging fractures in grout injection holes.

Design optimization of seal structure for sealing liquid by magnetic fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Tonggang; Cheng Yusheng; Yang Zhiyi

2005-01-01

The durability of the magnetic fluid seal clearly decreases when sealing another liquid because of the interface instability caused by the applied magnetic field and the velocity difference of the two liquids. With an intention to establish a stable interface during sealing liquid, a new magnetic fluid seal was developed in this paper. The parameters of the structure were optimized by a simulation apparatus. And the magnetic fluid seal designed based on the optimum parameters shows good performance and long life for sealing lubricating oil

Validation of the Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao-Chih; Ross, David A; Gauthier, Isabel; Richler, Jennifer J

2016-01-01

The Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test (VHPT-F) is a new measure of holistic face processing with better psychometric properties relative to prior measures developed for group studies (Richler et al., 2014). In fields where psychologists study individual differences, validation studies are commonplace and the concurrent validity of a new measure is established by comparing it to an older measure with established validity. We follow this approach and test whether the VHPT-F measures the same construct as the composite task, which is group-based measure at the center of the large literature on holistic face processing. In Experiment 1, we found a significant correlation between holistic processing measured in the VHPT-F and the composite task. Although this correlation was small, it was comparable to the correlation between holistic processing measured in the composite task with the same faces, but different target parts (top or bottom), which represents a reasonable upper limit for correlations between the composite task and another measure of holistic processing. These results confirm the validity of the VHPT-F by demonstrating shared variance with another measure of holistic processing based on the same operational definition. These results were replicated in Experiment 2, but only when the demographic profile of our sample matched that of Experiment 1.

Validation of the Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Chih Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The Vanderbilt Holistic Face Processing Test (VHPT-F is a new measure of holistic face processing with better psychometric properties relative to prior measures developed for group studies (Richler et al., 2014. In fields where psychologists study individual differences, validation studies are commonplace and the concurrent validity of a new measure is established by comparing it to an older measure with established validity. We follow this approach and test whether the VHPT-F measures the same construct as the composite task, which is group-based measure at the center of the large literature on holistic face processing. In Experiment 1, we found a significant correlation between holistic processing measured in the VHPT-F and the composite task. Although this correlation was small, it was comparable to the correlation between holistic processing measured in the composite task with the same faces, but different target parts (top or bottom, which represents a reasonable upper limit for correlations between the composite task and another measure of holistic processing. These results confirm the validity of the VHPT-F by demonstrating shared variance with another measure of holistic processing based on the same operational definition. These results were replicated in Experiment 2, but only when the demographic profile of our sample matched that of Experiment 1.

Development of a sealing process of capsules for surveillance test tubes of the vessel in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero C, J.; Fernandez T, F.; Perez R, N.; Rocamontes A, M.; Garcia R, R.

2007-01-01

The surveillance capsule is composed by the support, three capsules for impact test tubes, five capsules for tension test tubes and one porta dosemeters. The capsules for test tubes are of two types: rectangular capsule for Charpy test tubes and cylindrical capsule for tension test tubes. This work describes the development of the welding system to seal the capsules for test tubes that should contain helium of ultra high purity to a pressure of 1 atmosphere. (Author)

Testing of a Rotary Micro-filter for Hanford Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, M.R.; Herman, D.T.; Stefanko, D.B.; Fink, S.D.

2009-01-01

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) researchers are investigating and developing a rotary micro-filter for solid-liquid separation applications with emphasis on deployment in radioactive services. The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Waste Processing employed the SRNL team to evaluate the use of this rotary micro-filter for the Hanford Supplemental Pretreatment process. The authors tested a full-scale, 25-disk filter unit containing 0.5 μ filter media using a Hanford Tank AN-105 simulant at solids loadings of 0.06, 0.29, and 1.29 wt %. Based on recommendations from prior tests, the authors modified the filter unit by replacing the primary mechanical seal with an air seal. They also replaced the bushing with alternate materials of construction aimed at extended mean time between maintenance events. The testing provides the following conclusions. - The rotary filter produces a higher flux than the crossflow filter for the Hanford simulant. The gain in performance is less than previously seen for Savannah River Site simulants. - Filtrate clarity proved excellent with turbidity of <4 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) in all samples. - Inspection of the primary mechanical seal faces after ∼140 hours of operation showed an expected minimal amount of initial wear, no passing of process fluid through the seal faces, and very little change in the air channeling grooves on the stationary face. - Some polishing of surfaces occurred at the bottom of the shaft bushing. The authors recommend improving the shaft bushing by holding it in place with a locking ring and incorporating grooves to provide additional cooling. - The authors recommend that Hanford test other pore size media to determine the optimum pore size for Hanford waste. - During final facility operation, the filter should be rinsed with filtrate or dilute caustic and drained prior to an extended shutdown to prevent the formation of a layer of settled solids on top of the filter disks. (authors)

Molecular Epidemiology of Seal Parvovirus, 1988–2014

Science.gov (United States)

Bodewes, Rogier; Hapsari, Rebriarina; Rubio García, Ana; Sánchez Contreras, Guillermo J.; van de Bildt, Marco W. G.; de Graaf, Miranda; Kuiken, Thijs; Osterhaus, Albert D. M. E.

2014-01-01

A novel parvovirus was discovered recently in the brain of a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) with chronic meningo-encephalitis. Phylogenetic analysis of this virus indicated that it belongs to the genus Erythroparvovirus, to which also human parvovirus B19 belongs. In the present study, the prevalence, genetic diversity and clinical relevance of seal parvovirus (SePV) infections was evaluated in both harbor and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) that lived in Northwestern European coastal waters from 1988 to 2014. To this end, serum and tissue samples collected from seals were tested for the presence of seal parvovirus DNA by real-time PCR and the sequences of the partial NS gene and the complete VP2 gene of positive samples were determined. Seal parvovirus DNA was detected in nine (8%) of the spleen tissues tested and in one (0.5%) of the serum samples tested, including samples collected from seals that died in 1988. Sequence analysis of the partial NS and complete VP2 genes of nine SePV revealed multiple sites with nucleotide substitutions but only one amino acid change in the VP2 gene. Estimated nucleotide substitution rates per year were 2.00×10−4 for the partial NS gene and 1.15×10−4 for the complete VP2 gene. Most samples containing SePV DNA were co-infected with phocine herpesvirus 1 or PDV, so no conclusions could be drawn about the clinical impact of SePV infection alone. The present study is one of the few in which the mutation rates of parvoviruses were evaluated over a period of more than 20 years, especially in a wildlife population, providing additional insights into the genetic diversity of parvoviruses. PMID:25390639

Brucella Antibodies in Alaskan True Seals and Eared Seals—Two Different Stories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingebjørg H. Nymo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Brucella pinnipedialis was first isolated from true seals in 1994 and from eared seals in 2008. Although few pathological findings have been associated with infection in true seals, reproductive pathology including abortions, and the isolation of the zoonotic strain type 27 have been documented in eared seals. In this study, a Brucella enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA and the Rose Bengal test (RBT were initially compared for 206 serum samples and a discrepancy between the tests was found. Following removal of lipids from the serum samples, ELISA results were unaltered while the agreement between the tests was improved, indicating that serum lipids affected the initial RBT outcome. For the remaining screening, we used ELISA to investigate the presence of Brucella antibodies in sera of 231 eared and 1,412 true seals from Alaskan waters sampled between 1975 and 2011. In eared seals, Brucella antibodies were found in two Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus (2% and none of the 107 Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus. The low seroprevalence in eared seals indicate a low level of exposure or lack of susceptibility to infection. Alternatively, mortality due to the Brucella infection may remove seropositive animals from the population. Brucella antibodies were detected in all true seal species investigated; harbor seals (Phoca vitulina (25%, spotted seals (Phoca largha (19%, ribbon seals (Histriophoca fasciata (16%, and ringed seals (Pusa hispida hispida (14%. There was a low seroprevalence among pups, a higher seroprevalence among juveniles, and a subsequent decreasing probability of seropositivity with age in harbor seals. Similar patterns were present for the other true seal species; however, solid conclusions could not be made due to sample size. This pattern is in accordance with previous reports on B. pinnipedialis infections in true seals and may suggest environmental exposure to B. pinnipedialis at the juvenile stage, with a

High Temperature Metallic Seal Development For Aero Propulsion and Gas Turbine Applications

Science.gov (United States)

More, Greg; Datta, Amit

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on metallic high temperature static seal development at NASA for gas turbine applications is shown. The topics include: 1) High Temperature Static Seal Development; 2) Program Review; 3) Phase IV Innovative Seal with Blade Alloy Spring; 4) Spring Design; 5) Phase IV: Innovative Seal with Blade Alloy Spring; 6) PHase IV: Testing Results; 7) Seal Seating Load; 8) Spring Seal Manufacturing; and 9) Other Applications for HIgh Temperature Spring Design

Swimming pools and shower rooms - sealing directly under the tiles avoids hygienically serious water accumulations. Schwimmbecken und Duschraeume - Abdichtung direkt unter den Fliesen vermeidet hygienisch bedenkliche Wasseransammlungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon,

1990-12-14

Swimming pool seals are to carry out according to the DIN 18195 part 7 in which sealing with strips and foils is required; at the bottom of the pool a sufficiently dimensioned protective coating under the tiles and in the wall area using the following construction from the outside to the inside: tiles, mortar, face brickwork of at least half brick thickness and behind it a 4 cm shell joint. Then as the next layer follows the seal with foils or sealing strips. The total construction facing the water is thus with a total layer thickness of about 10 cm permanently exposed to water with all the thus resulting consequences. (orig.).

Towards Identification of Rotordynamic Properties for Seals in Multiphase Flow Using Active Magnetic Bearings. Design and Commissioning of a Novel Test Facility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voigt, Andreas Jauernik

important contact free force measurement capabilities. The third module houses the smooth annular test seals and the fourth module adds a single phase air flow supply to the test facility infrastructure. For experimental identification purposes the ability to acquire precise information of the forces...... developed and refined, however a pronounced lack of experimental data renders benchmarking and validation impossible. This thesis focusses on documenting the design and commissioning of a test facility enabling the much needed experimental identification of rotordynamic properties for turbomachinery seals...... in both single phase and multiphase flow. The commissioning phase of the test facility solely employs single phase air flow for performance assessment of the test facility and no experimental multiphase results are included in the thesis. The test facility consists of four modules of which an industrial...

Seroprevalence of Antibodies against Seal Influenza A(H10N7) Virus in Harbor Seals and Gray Seals from the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodewes, Rogier; Rubio García, Ana; Brasseur, Sophie M; Sanchez Conteras, Guillermo J; van de Bildt, Marco W G; Koopmans, Marion P G; Osterhaus, Albert D M E; Kuiken, Thijs

2015-01-01

In the spring and summer 2014, an outbreak of seal influenza A(H10N7) virus infection occurred among harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) off the coasts of Sweden and Denmark. This virus subsequently spread to harbor seals off the coasts of Germany and the Netherlands. While thousands of seals were reported dead in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, only a limited number of seals were found dead in the Netherlands. To determine the extent of exposure of seals in the Netherlands to influenza A/H10N7 virus, we measured specific antibody titers in serum samples from live-captured seals and seals admitted for rehabilitation in the Netherlands by use of a hemagglutination inhibition assay and an ELISA. In harbor seals in 2015, antibodies against seal influenza A(H10N7) virus were detected in 41% (32 out of 78) pups, 10% (5 out of 52) weaners, and 58% (7 out of 12) subadults or adults. In gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) in 2015, specific antibodies were not found in the pups (n = 26), but in 26% (5 out of 19) of the older animals. These findings indicate that, despite apparent low mortality, infection with seal influenza A(H10N7) virus was geographically widespread and also occurred in grey seals.

Test Method Variability in Slow Crack Growth Properties of Sealing Glasses

Science.gov (United States)

Salem, J. A.; Tandon, R.

2010-01-01

The crack growth properties of several sealing glasses were measured by using constant stress rate testing in 2 and 95 percent RH (relative humidity). Crack growth parameters measured in high humidity are systematically smaller (n and B) than those measured in low humidity, and crack velocities for dry environments are 100x lower than for wet environments. The crack velocity is very sensitive to small changes in RH at low RH. Biaxial and uniaxial stress states produced similar parameters. Confidence intervals on crack growth parameters that were estimated from propagation of errors solutions were comparable to those from Monte Carlo simulation. Use of scratch-like and indentation flaws produced similar crack growth parameters when residual stresses were considered.

Acoustic resonance spectroscopy intrinsic seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olinger, C.T.; Burr, T.; Vnuk, D.R.

1994-01-01

We have begun to quantify the ability of acoustic resonance spectroscopy (ARS) to detect the removal and replacement of the lid of a simulated special nuclear materials drum. Conceptually, the acoustic spectrum of a container establishcs a baseline fingerprint, which we refer to as an intrinsic seal, for the container. Simply removing and replacing the lid changes some of the resonant frequencies because it is impossible to exactly duplicate all of the stress patterns between the lid and container. Preliminary qualitative results suggested that the ARS intrinsic seal could discriminate between cases where a lid has or has not been removed. The present work is directed at quantifying the utility of the ARS intrinsic seal technique, including the technique's sensitivity to ''nuisance'' effects, such as temperature swings, movement of the container, and placement of the transducers. These early quantitative tests support the potential of the ARS intrinsic seal application, but also reveal a possible sensitivity to nuisance effects that could limit environments or conditions under which the technique is effective

Sealing of investigation boreholes, Phase 4 - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pusch, Roland [Drawrite AB, Luleaa Technical University, Luleaa (Sweden); Ramqvist, Gunnar [El-Tekno AB, Figeholm (Sweden); Bockgaard, Niclas [Golder Associates, Goeteborg (Sweden); Ekman, Lennart [LE Geokonsult AB, Baelinge (Sweden)

2011-09-15

The report describes the outcome of Phase 4 of the project 'Sealing of investigation boreholes', which deals with 1) characterization and planning of borehole sealing, 2) performance and quality assessment, 3) sealing of large diameter holes, and 4) interaction of clay and concrete plugs. A specific goal was to find ways to characterize, plan and seal of boreholes so that their impact on the overall hydraulic performance of the repository rock can predicted and controlled. The work comprised selection of representative 'reference holes' at the Laxemar and Forsmark sites for development of a general programme for planning and simulating implementation of borehole plugging campaigns, considering also cost issues. A second aim was to define and quantify the role of seals in the reference holes for finding out how important sealing really is. A third was to test a practical way to seal large diameter boreholes and a fourth to find out how concrete matures and performs in contact with smectite clay. The study demonstrated, in conclusion, the need for developing techniques for preparing deep boreholes before lasting seals are installed in them, since poor sealing can short-circuit hydraulically important fracture zones intersected by the holes. The practically oriented sealing activities showed that the technique developed for tight sealing of large-diameter boreholes is practical and feasible. The issue of chemical stability was investigated by testing the performance and constitution of a plug consisting of CBI concrete in contact with smectite-rich seals for almost three years. This study showed that none of them underwent substantial degradation in this period of time, but chemical reactions and thereby generated changes in physical behaviour of the plug components had taken place, particularly in the clay. The rate of degradation is, however, not yet known. It was concluded from this study that it is suitable to carry out a corresponding

Sealing of investigation boreholes, Phase 4 - Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusch, Roland; Ramqvist, Gunnar; Bockgaard, Niclas; Ekman, Lennart

2011-09-01

The report describes the outcome of Phase 4 of the project 'Sealing of investigation boreholes', which deals with 1) characterization and planning of borehole sealing, 2) performance and quality assessment, 3) sealing of large diameter holes, and 4) interaction of clay and concrete plugs. A specific goal was to find ways to characterize, plan and seal of boreholes so that their impact on the overall hydraulic performance of the repository rock can predicted and controlled. The work comprised selection of representative 'reference holes' at the Laxemar and Forsmark sites for development of a general programme for planning and simulating implementation of borehole plugging campaigns, considering also cost issues. A second aim was to define and quantify the role of seals in the reference holes for finding out how important sealing really is. A third was to test a practical way to seal large diameter boreholes and a fourth to find out how concrete matures and performs in contact with smectite clay. The study demonstrated, in conclusion, the need for developing techniques for preparing deep boreholes before lasting seals are installed in them, since poor sealing can short-circuit hydraulically important fracture zones intersected by the holes. The practically oriented sealing activities showed that the technique developed for tight sealing of large-diameter boreholes is practical and feasible. The issue of chemical stability was investigated by testing the performance and constitution of a plug consisting of CBI concrete in contact with smectite-rich seals for almost three years. This study showed that none of them underwent substantial degradation in this period of time, but chemical reactions and thereby generated changes in physical behaviour of the plug components had taken place, particularly in the clay. The rate of degradation is, however, not yet known. It was concluded from this study that it is suitable to carry out a corresponding investigation of the plugs

Enhanced sealing project (ESP): design, construction and monitoring of a full-scale shaft seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, D.; Martino, J.; Kim, C.S.; Holowick, B.; Kwong, G.; Jonsson, E.; Palonen, E.; DeCombarieu, M.

2010-01-01

a result of this opportunity, these four organizations have partnered to support a package of work managed by AECL that will see the NRCan-funded construction of the shaft seal enhanced through the installation of a suite of monitoring instruments in the main shaft seal. However, the ventilation raise seal will not be instrumented. Each of the participants have provided technical input to the design of the seal and the sensor suite installed, providing this construction with a very well defined scope and focus, as well as an opportunity to test a variety of sensors under repository-like conditions. A challenge not previously dealt with in an underground laboratory is the issue of dealing with very long cable lengths (> 300 m) necessary to reach from the sensor installation point to a location where a logger can be installed and monitored. This has been dealt with by using a combination of three data logging techniques, including a watertight pressure-resistant logger, a sacrificial logger that is required to last only until water reaches it and selection of sensors that are capable of tolerating long cable lengths. The main shaft of the URL at the location of the seal is circular, having been excavated using careful drill and blast techniques. The seal itself consists of two keyed, conical sectioned, concrete sections 3-m-thick by 5- to 6-m diameter that confine a 6-m-thick swelling clay section. The lower concrete section, based approximately 279 m below the ground surface consists of reinforced low-heat, low-pH, high performance concrete that is intended to have minimal chemical influence on its surroundings. The clay segment of the seal consists of a mixture of Wyoming bentonite and sand-sized aggregate that is densely compacted using conventional compaction techniques. This bentonite-sand material provides a substantial self-sealing capacity to the installation and will minimize mass transport into the fracture zone. The upper concrete segment consists of a

Report of tests carried out on Viton O-ring seals to assess suitability for operation over the temperature range -400 C to +2200 C when used in Package Design 2863B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

To satisfy the requirements of US Regulatory bodies the O-ring seals in the containment vessels of Package Design 2863B have to be shown to operate satisfactorily (i.e. remain leaktight) at the extremes of temperature that they are expected to experience during both normal and hypothetical accident conditions of transport. For Package Design 2863B this effectively means that the seals must remain leaktight over the temperature range -40 C to + 220 C, but to ensure that an adequate safety margin exists the seals should preferably remain leaktight over the range -50 C to +250 C. This test report describes the procedures and results of tests carried out on Viton seals over the temperature range -50 C to +250 C. The variability of the results at low temperature, by both pressure drop and helium leakage testing, would indicate that the particular formulation of Viton tested cannot be used to provide a reliable leaktight seal at -40 C. Although the results of the pressure drop tests at high temperature were satisfactory, insufficient testing has been carried out using helium leakage testing to draw a firm conclusion about the high temperature performance of the material tested

Upgrading elastomer seals for nuclear service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wittich, K C; Wensel, R; LaRose, R; Kuran, S

1995-06-01

Pumps, valves and instruments in nuclear plants have historically contained whatever elastomer each equipment supplier traditionally used for corresponding non-nuclear service. The proliferation of elastomer compounds, and their sometimes uncertain reliability, is now being reduced by upgrading and standardizing on a handful of compounds that have each been verified to be high performers for their class of service conditions. The objective is to make cost-effective improvements in the reliability and integrity of equipment in Canadian-designed nuclear plants. The effort focuses on elastomer seals and includes: understanding sealing fundamentals, developing relevant data for superior compounds for each service, and improving quality assurance methods, including handling and inspection guidelines. In practice, discussions with plant personnel and review of plant records are the first step. Two severe-service examples are given where these needs have been met by the following progression of activities: inspecting and laboratory testing of seals removed from service, preliminary and qualification testing of improvements, introduction into service, and monitoring the upgraded seals during phase-in periods. Large gains in reliability and integrity have been demonstrated for simulated normal and accident service conditions of heat, radiation and other deteriorative influences. Significant savings in maintenance costs are also projected. (author). 2 refs., 6 figs.

Upgrading elastomer seals for nuclear service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittich, K.C.; Wensel, R.; LaRose, R.; Kuran, S.

1995-06-01

Pumps, valves and instruments in nuclear plants have historically contained whatever elastomer each equipment supplier traditionally used for corresponding non-nuclear service. The proliferation of elastomer compounds, and their sometimes uncertain reliability, is now being reduced by upgrading and standardizing on a handful of compounds that have each been verified to be high performers for their class of service conditions. The objective is to make cost-effective improvements in the reliability and integrity of equipment in Canadian-designed nuclear plants. The effort focuses on elastomer seals and includes: understanding sealing fundamentals, developing relevant data for superior compounds for each service, and improving quality assurance methods, including handling and inspection guidelines. In practice, discussions with plant personnel and review of plant records are the first step. Two severe-service examples are given where these needs have been met by the following progression of activities: inspecting and laboratory testing of seals removed from service, preliminary and qualification testing of improvements, introduction into service, and monitoring the upgraded seals during phase-in periods. Large gains in reliability and integrity have been demonstrated for simulated normal and accident service conditions of heat, radiation and other deteriorative influences. Significant savings in maintenance costs are also projected. (author). 2 refs., 6 figs

Upgrading elastomer seals for nuclear service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittich, K.C.; Wensel, R.; Larose, R.; Kuran, S.

1998-01-01

Pumps, valves and instruments in nuclear plants have historically contained whatever elastomer each equipment supplier traditionally used for corresponding non-nuclear service. The proliferation of elastomer compounds, and their sometimes uncertain reliability, is now being reduced by upgrading and standardizing on a handful of compounds that have each been verified to be high performers for their class of service conditions. The objective is to make cost-effective improvements in the reliability and integrity of equipment in Canadian-designed nuclear plants. The effort focuses on elastomer seals and includes: understanding sealing fundamentals, developing relevant data for superior compounds for each service, and improving quality assurance methods, including handling and inspection guidelines. In practice, discussion with plant personnel and review of plant records are the first step. Two severe-service examples are given where these needs have been met by the following progression of activities: inspecting and laboratory testing of seals removed from service, preliminary and qualification testing of improvements, introduction into service, and monitoring the upgraded seals during phase-in periods. Large gains in reliability and integrity have been demonstrated for simulated normal and accident service conditions of heat, radiation and other deteriorative influences. Significant savings in maintenance costs are also projected. (author)

Breakaway frictions of dynamic O-rings in mechanical seals

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Tom; Kay, Peter

1993-05-01

Breakaway friction of a dynamic O-ring affects the mechanical seal's response to large axial shaft movement and face wear. However, little data exist to help designers. Therefore, a test rig was developed to measure breakaway friction. The research quantitatively shows the effects of lubrication with silicone grease and a change of surface finish. By using the Taguchi statistical experimental design method, the significance of test parameters was evaluated with a minimum number of tests. It was found that fluid pressure, dwell time, and O-ring percentage squeeze affect O-ring breakaway friction more than the O-ring cross sectional diameter and axial sliding speed within the range of values tested. The authors showed that breakaway friction increased linearly with pressure. However, O-rings made of different materials had significantly different increase rates, even if they had nominally the same durometer hardness. Breakaway friction also increased with logarithm of dwell time. Again, the increase rate depended strongly on the specific O-ring material tested. These observations led the authors to believe that the typical approach of generalizing data based on generic polymer type and durometer was inappropriate.

Laparoscopic prototype for optical sealing of renal blood vessels

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Luke A.; Hutchens, Thomas C.; Larson, Eric R.; Gonzalez, David A.; Chang, Chun-Hung; Nau, William H.; Fried, Nathaniel M.

2017-02-01

Energy-based, radiofrequency and ultrasonic devices provide rapid sealing of blood vessels during laparoscopic procedures. We are exploring infrared lasers as an alternative for vessel sealing with less collateral thermal damage. Previous studies demonstrated vessel sealing in an in vivo porcine model using a 1470-nm laser. However, the initial prototype was designed for open surgery and featured tissue clasping and light delivery mechanisms incompatible with laparoscopic surgery. In this study, a laparoscopic prototype similar to devices in surgical use was developed, and tests were conducted on porcine renal blood vessels. The 5-mm-OD prototype featured a traditional Maryland jaw configuration. Laser energy was delivered through a 550-μm-core fiber and side-delivery from the lower jaw, with beam dimensions of 18-mm-length x 1.2-mm-width. The 1470-nm diode laser delivered 68 W with 3 s activation time. A total of 69 porcine renal vessels with mean diameter of 3.3 +/- 1.7 mm were tested, ex vivo. Vessels smaller than 5 mm were consistently sealed (48/51) with burst pressures greater than malignant hypertension blood pressure (180 mmHg), averaging 1038 +/- 474 mmHg. Vessels larger than 5 mm were not consistently sealed (6/18), yielding burst pressures of only 174 +/- 221 mmHg. Seal width, thermal damage zone, and thermal spread averaged 1.7 +/- 0.8, 3.4 +/- 0.7, and 1.0 +/- 0.4 mm. A novel optical laparoscopic prototype with 5-mm- OD shaft integrated within a standard Maryland jaw design consistently sealed vessels less than 5 mm with minimal thermal spread. Further in vivo studies are planned to test performance across a variety of vessels and tissues.

Seal design alternatives study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Sambeek, L.L.; Luo, D.D.; Lin, M.S.; Ostrowski, W.; Oyenuga, D.

1993-06-01

This report presents the results from a study of various sealing alternatives for the WIPP sealing system. Overall, the sealing system has the purpose of reducing to the extent possible the potential for fluids (either gas or liquid) from entering or leaving the repository. The sealing system is divided into three subsystems: drift and panel seals within the repository horizon, shaft seals in each of the four shafts, and borehole seals. Alternatives to the baseline configuration for the WIPP seal system design included evaluating different geometries and schedules for seal component installations and the use of different materials for seal components. Order-of-magnitude costs for the various alternatives were prepared as part of the study. Firm recommendations are not presented, but the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives are discussed. Technical information deficiencies are identified and studies are outlined which can provide required information

Pilot cryo tunnel: Attachments, seals, and insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. F.; Ware, G. D.; Ramsey, J. W., Jr.

1974-01-01

Several different tests are described which simulated the actual configuration of a cryogenic wind tunnel operating at pressures up to 5 atmospheres (507 kPa) and temperatures from -320 F (78K) to 120 F (322K) in order to determine compatible bolting, adequate sealing, and effective insulating materials. The evaluation of flange attachments (continuous threaded studs) considered bolting based on compatible flanges, attachment materials, and prescribed bolt elongations. Various types of seals and seal configurations were studied to determine suitability and reusability under the imposed pressure and temperature loadings. The temperature profile was established for several materials used for structural supports.

Sealing properties of cement-based grout materials used in the rock sealing project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onofrei, M; Gray, M N; Pusch, R; Boergesson, L; Karnland, O; Shenton, B; Walker, B

1993-12-01

The Task Force on Sealing Materials and Techniques of the Stripa Project recommended that work be undertaken to study the sealing properties of cement-based grout materials. A new class of cement-based grouts (high-performance grouts) with the ability to penetrate and seal fine fractures in granite was investigated. The materials were selected for their small mean particle size and the ability to be made fluid by a superplasticizer at low water/cementitious-materials ratios. The fundamental physical and chemical properties (such as the particle size and chemical composition) of the materials were evaluated. The rheological properties of freshly mixed grouts, which control the workability of the grouts, were determined together with the properties of hardened materials, which largely control the long-term performance (longevity) of the materials in repository settings. The materials selected were shown to remain gel-like during the setting period, and so the grouts may be expected to remain largely homogenous during and after injection into the rock without separating into solid and liquid phases. The hydraulic conductivity and strength of hardened grouts were determined. The microstructure of the bulk grouts was characterized by a high degree of homogeneity with extremely fine porosity. The low hydraulic conductivity and good mechanical properties are consistent with the extremely fine porosity. The ability of the fractured grouts to self-seal was also observed in tests in which the hydraulic conductivity of recompacted granulated grouts was determined. The laboratory tests were carried out in parallel with investigations of the in situ performance of the materials and with the development of geochemical and theoretical models for cement-based grout longevity. (author). 56 refs., 15 tabs., 98 figs.

Sealing properties of cement-based grout materials used in the rock sealing project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onofrei, M.; Gray, M.N.; Pusch, R.; Boergesson, L.; Karnland, O.; Shenton, B.; Walker, B.

1993-12-01

The Task Force on Sealing Materials and Techniques of the Stripa Project recommended that work be undertaken to study the sealing properties of cement-based grout materials. A new class of cement-based grouts (high-performance grouts) with the ability to penetrate and seal fine fractures in granite was investigated. The materials were selected for their small mean particle size and the ability to be made fluid by a superplasticizer at low water/cementitious-materials ratios. The fundamental physical and chemical properties (such as the particle size and chemical composition) of the materials were evaluated. The rheological properties of freshly mixed grouts, which control the workability of the grouts, were determined together with the properties of hardened materials, which largely control the long-term performance (longevity) of the materials in repository settings. The materials selected were shown to remain gel-like during the setting period, and so the grouts may be expected to remain largely homogenous during and after injection into the rock without separating into solid and liquid phases. The hydraulic conductivity and strength of hardened grouts were determined. The microstructure of the bulk grouts was characterized by a high degree of homogeneity with extremely fine porosity. The low hydraulic conductivity and good mechanical properties are consistent with the extremely fine porosity. The ability of the fractured grouts to self-seal was also observed in tests in which the hydraulic conductivity of recompacted granulated grouts was determined. The laboratory tests were carried out in parallel with investigations of the in situ performance of the materials and with the development of geochemical and theoretical models for cement-based grout longevity. (author). 56 refs., 15 tabs., 98 figs

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Caspian seals of unusual mortality event during 2000 and 2001

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kajiwara, Natsuko; Watanabe, Mafumi; Wilson, Susan; Eybatov, Tariel; Mitrofanov, Igor V.; Aubrey, David G.; Khuraskin, Lev S.; Miyazaki, Nobuyuki; Tanabe, Shinsuke

2008-01-01

Persistent organic pollutants including organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PCDDs/DFs were determined in the blubber of Caspian seals, which died during an outbreak of canine distemper virus in 2000 and 2001. DDTs were the predominant contaminants that ranged from 3.1 to 560 μg/g lipid. A negative correlation was observed between concentration of contaminants and blubber thickness. During spring, as the blubber layer becomes thin after breeding and moulting, seals may face higher risk due to the increased concentration of organochlorines in their bodies. TEQs in the blubber of Caspian seals (10-340 pg TEQ/g) were lower than those in seals from other locations, suggesting that toxic effects of these contaminants are a deal less in the present population and they are unlikely to be linked to mass mortality. The levels of PCBs and pesticides in Caspian seals, however, comparable to those in other aquatic mammals that have suffered from epizootics, might pose a risk of immunosuppression. - POPs in seals are high enough to induce immunosuppression

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Caspian seals of unusual mortality event during 2000 and 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kajiwara, Natsuko [Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan)], E-mail: kajiwara.natsuko@nies.go.jp; Watanabe, Mafumi [Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Wilson, Susan [Tara Seal Research Centre, Co. Down, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Eybatov, Tariel [Geological Institute of the Azerbaijan Republic Academy of Science, Baku (Azerbaijan); Mitrofanov, Igor V. [Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Ecotoxicology, Institution of Zoology, Academgorodok, Almaty 480060 (Kazakhstan); Aubrey, David G. [Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 (United States); Khuraskin, Lev S. [Caspian Fisheries Research Institute, Astrakhan 414056 (Russian Federation); Miyazaki, Nobuyuki [Center for International Cooperation, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 1-15-1 Minamidai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-8639 (Japan); Tanabe, Shinsuke [Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan)

2008-03-15

Persistent organic pollutants including organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PCDDs/DFs were determined in the blubber of Caspian seals, which died during an outbreak of canine distemper virus in 2000 and 2001. DDTs were the predominant contaminants that ranged from 3.1 to 560 {mu}g/g lipid. A negative correlation was observed between concentration of contaminants and blubber thickness. During spring, as the blubber layer becomes thin after breeding and moulting, seals may face higher risk due to the increased concentration of organochlorines in their bodies. TEQs in the blubber of Caspian seals (10-340 pg TEQ/g) were lower than those in seals from other locations, suggesting that toxic effects of these contaminants are a deal less in the present population and they are unlikely to be linked to mass mortality. The levels of PCBs and pesticides in Caspian seals, however, comparable to those in other aquatic mammals that have suffered from epizootics, might pose a risk of immunosuppression. - POPs in seals are high enough to induce immunosuppression.

Salt brickwork as long-term sealing in salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walter, F.; Yaramanci, U.

1993-01-01

Radioactive wastes can be disposed of in deep salt formations. Rock salt is a suitable geologic medium because of its unique characteristics. Open boreholes, shafts and drifts are created to provide physical access to the repository. Long-term seals must be emplaced in these potential pathways to prevent radioactive release into the biosphere. The sealing materials must be mechanically and, most important, geochemically stable within the host rock. Salt bricks made from compressed salt-powder are understood to be the first choice long-term sealing material. Seals built of salt bricks will be ductile. Large sealing systems are built by combining the individual bricks with mortar. Raw materials for mortar are fine-grained halite powder and ground saliferous clay. This provides for the good adhesive strength of the mortar to the bricks and the high shear-strength of the mortar itself. To test the interaction of rock salt with an emplaced long-term seal, experiments will be carried out in situ, in the Asse salt mine in Germany. Simple borehole sealing experiments will be performed in horizontal holes and a complicated drift sealing experiment is planned, to demonstrate the technology of sealing a standard size drift or shaft inside a disturbed rock mass. Especially, the mechanical stability of the sealing system has to be demonstrated

Nuclear waste vault sealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyenge, M.

1980-01-01

A nuclear waste vault must be designed and built to ensure adequate isolation of the nuclear wastes from human contact. Consequently, after a vault has been fully loaded, it must be adequately sealed off to prevent radionuclide migration which may be provided by circulating groundwater. Vault sealing entails four major aspects, i.e.: (a) vault grouting; (b) borehole sealing; (c) buffer packing; and (d) backfilling. Of particular concern in vault sealing are the physical and chemical properties of the sealing material, its long-term durability and stability, and the techniques used for its emplacement. Present sealing technology and sealing materials are reviewed in terms of the particular needs of vault sealing. Areas requiring research and development are indicated

Nozzle seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herman, R.F.

1977-01-01

In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, having an internal hoop from which the heated coolant emerges from the reactor core and passes through to the reactor outlet nozzles, is provided with sealing members operatively disposed between the outlet nozzle and the hoop. The sealing members are biased against the pressure vessel and the hoop and are connected by a leak restraining member establishing a leak-proof condition between the inlet and outlet coolants in the region about the outlet nozzle. Furthermore, the flexible responsiveness of the seal assures that the seal will not structurally couple the hoop to the pressure vessel

Nozzle seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walling, G.A.

1977-01-01

In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, a nuclear reactor pressure vessel, having an internal hoop from which the heated coolant emerges from the reactor core and passes through to the reactor outlet nozzles, is provided with sealing rings operatively disposed between the outlet nozzles and the hoop. The sealing rings connected by flexible members are biased against the pressure vessel and the hoop, establishing a leak-proof condition between the inlet and outlet coolants in the region about the outlet nozzle. Furthermore, the flexible responsiveness of the seal assures that the seal will not structurally couple the hoop to the pressure vessel. 4 claims, 2 figures

Flexible ring seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbes, Claude; Gournier, Andre; Rouaud, Christian; Villepoix, Raymond de.

1976-01-01

The invention concerns a flexible metal ring seal, able to ensure a perfect seal between two bearings due to the crushing and elastic deformation properties akin to similar properties in elastomers. Various designs of seal of this kind are already known, particularly a seal made of a core formed by a helical wire spring with close-wound turns and with high axial compression ratio, closed on itself and having the shape of an annulus. This wire ring is surrounded by at least one envelope having at rest the shape of a toroidal surface of which the generating circle does not close on itself. In a particular design mode, the seal in question can include, around the internal spring, two envelopes of which one in contact with the spring is composed of a low ductility elastic metal, such as mild steel or stainless steel and the other is, on the contrary, made of a malleable metal, such as copper or nickel. The first envelope evenly distributes the partial crushing of the spring, when the seal is tightened, on the second envelope which closely fits the two surfaces between which the seal operates. The stress-crushing curve characteristic of the seal comprises two separate parts, the first with a relatively sharp slope corresponds to the start of the seal compression phase, enabling at least some of these curves to reach the requisite seal threshold very quickly, then, beyond this, a second part, practically flat, where the stress is appreciably constant for a wide operating bracket [fr

Active Infrared Thermography for Seal Contamination Detection in Heat-Sealed Food Packaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karlien D’huys

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Packaging protects food products from environmental influences, assuring quality and safety throughout shelf life if properly performed. Packaging quality depends on the quality of the packaging material and of the closure or seal. A common problem possibly jeopardizing seal quality is the presence of seal contamination, which can cause a decreased seal strength, an increased packaging failure risk and leak formation. Therefore, early detection and removal of seal contaminated packages from the production chain is crucial. In this work, a pulsed-type active thermography method using the heated seal bars as an excitation source was studied for detecting seal contamination. Thermal image sequences of contaminated seals were recorded shortly after sealing. The detection performances of six thermal image processing methods, based on a single frame, a fit of the cooling profiles, thermal signal reconstruction, pulsed phase thermography, principal component thermography and a matched filter, were compared. High resolution digital images served as a reference to quantify seal contamination, and processed thermal images were mapped to these references. The lowest detection limit (equivalent diameter 0.60 mm was obtained for the method based on a fit of the cooling profiles. Moreover, the detection performance of this method did not depend strongly on the time after sealing at which recording of the thermal images was started, making it a robust and generally applicable method.

Nuclear reactor sealing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McEdwards, J.A.

1983-01-01

A liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor sealing system is disclosed. The nuclear reactor includes a vessel sealed at its upper end by a closure head. The closure head comprises at least two components, one of which is rotatable; and the two components define an annulus therebetween. The sealing system includes at least a first and second inflatable seal disposed in series in an upper portion of the annulus. The system further includes a dip seal extending into a body of insulation located adjacent a bottom portion of the closure head. The dip seal comprises a trough formed by a lower portion of one of the components, and a seal blade pendently supported from the other component and extending downwardly into the trough. A body of liquid metal is contained in the trough which submerges a portion of the seal blade. The seal blade is provided with at least one aperture located above the body of liquid metal for providing fluid communication between the annulus intermediate the dip seal and the inflatable seals, and a body of cover gas located inside the vessel. There also is provided means for introducing a purge gas into the annulus intermediate the inflatable seals and the seal blade. The purge gas is introduced in an amount sufficient to substantially reduce diffusion of radioactive cover gas or sodium vapor up to the inflatable seals. The purge gas mixes with the cover gas in the reactor vessel where it can be withdrawn from the vessel for treatment and recycle to the vessel

The IRES electronic seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Autrusson, B.; Brochard, D.; Moreau, J.F.; Martin, J.C.

2001-01-01

In the framework of the French Support Program for the IAEA Safeguards, the 'Institut de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire' (IPSN), developed an electronic seal called Integrated and Reusable Electronic Seal (IRES) that enables independent verification by different inspectorates (IAEA, Euratom, and National Inspectorate). The seal can be remotely interrogated by radio frequency and integrated to other Containment/surveillance systems by serial line RS 485. Data are authenticated and the IRESMAG software manages in the seal reader all functionalities of the seal and records inspection data compatible with the IAEA's Seal Database. To perform this development, IPSN relies on industrial partners: SAPHYMO for the general architecture of the seal and the electronics, THALES for the authentication of data and the security of transmission. The main features of the IRES seal are the following: Interrogation by different inspectorate, allowing independent conclusions; Recording of events, including tampering, in a non-volatile memory; Authentication of data and enhanced security of the communication between the seal and the seal reader; Remote interrogation by an inspector or/and automatic for unattended systems or remote monitoring; Reusable after erasing the seal memory and replacement of the batteries

HMSRP Hawaiian Monk Seal Master Identification Records (seal)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains records of all individually identified Hawaiian monk seals since 1981. These seals were identified by PSD personnel and cooperating scientists...

Design and Test of an Event Detector and Locator for the ReflectoActive Seals System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stinson, Brad J.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this work was to research, design, develop and test a novel instrument for detecting fiber optic loop continuity and spatially locating fiber optic breaches. The work is for an active seal system called ReflectoActive(trademark) Seals whose purpose is to provide real time container tamper indication. A Field Programmable Gate Array was used to implement a loop continuity detector and a spatial breach locator based on a high acquisition speed single photon counting optical time domain reflectometer. Communication and other control features were added in order to create a usable instrument that met defined requirements. A host graphical user interface was developed to illustrate system use and performance. The resulting device meets performance specifications by exhibiting a dynamic range of 27dB and a spatial resolution of 1.5 ft. The communication scheme used expands installation options and allows the device to communicate to a central host via existing Local Area Networks and/or the Internet.

Research on performance of upstream pumping mechanical seal with different deep spiral groove

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Q; Chen, H L; Liu, T; Liu, Y H; Liu, Z B; Liu, D H

2012-01-01

As one new type of mechanical seal, Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal has been widely used in fluid machinery. In this paper, structure of spiral groove is innovatively optimized to improve performance of Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal with Spiral Groove: keeping the dam zone and the weir zone not changed, changing the bottom shape of spiral groove only, substituting different deep spiral groove for equal deep spiral groove. The simulation on Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal with different deep spiral grooves is done using FVM method. According to calculation, the performances of opening force and pressure distribution on seals face are obtained. Five types of spiral grooves are analyzed, namely equal deep spiral groove, circumferential convergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove, circumferential divergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove, radial convergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove and radial divergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove. This paper works on twenty-five working conditions. The results indicate the performances of circumferential divergent 2-ladder different deep spiral groove are better than the others, with more opening force and better stabilization, while with the same leakage. The outcome provides theoretical support for application of Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal with circumferential convergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove.

Research on performance of upstream pumping mechanical seal with different deep spiral groove

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Q.; Chen, H. L.; Liu, T.; Liu, Y. H.; Liu, Z. B.; Liu, D. H.

2012-11-01

As one new type of mechanical seal, Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal has been widely used in fluid machinery. In this paper, structure of spiral groove is innovatively optimized to improve performance of Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal with Spiral Groove: keeping the dam zone and the weir zone not changed, changing the bottom shape of spiral groove only, substituting different deep spiral groove for equal deep spiral groove. The simulation on Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal with different deep spiral grooves is done using FVM method. According to calculation, the performances of opening force and pressure distribution on seals face are obtained. Five types of spiral grooves are analyzed, namely equal deep spiral groove, circumferential convergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove, circumferential divergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove, radial convergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove and radial divergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove. This paper works on twenty-five working conditions. The results indicate the performances of circumferential divergent 2-ladder different deep spiral groove are better than the others, with more opening force and better stabilization, while with the same leakage. The outcome provides theoretical support for application of Upstream Pumping Mechanical Seal with circumferential convergent ladder-like different deep spiral groove.

Sealing devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coulson, R.A.

1980-01-01

A sealing device for minimising the leakage of toxic or radioactive contaminated environments through a biological shield along an opening through which a flexible component moves that penetrates the shield. The sealing device comprises an outer tubular member which extends over a length not less than the maximum longitudinal movement of the component along the opening. An inner sealing block is located intermediate the length of the component by connectors and is positioned in the bore of the outer tubular member to slide in the bore and effect a seal over the entire longitudinal movement of the component. The cross-section of the device may be circular and the block may be of polytetrafluoroethylene or of nylon impregnated with molybdenum or may be metallic. A number of the sealing devices may be combined into an assembly for a plurality of adjacent longitudinally movable components, each adapted to sustain a tensile load, providing the various drives of a master-slave manipulator. (author)

Hermetically Sealed Compressor

Science.gov (United States)

Holtzapple, Mark T.

1994-01-01

Proposed hermetically sealed pump compresses fluid to pressure up to 4,000 atm (400 MPa). Pump employs linear electric motor instead of rotary motor to avoid need for leakage-prone rotary seals. In addition, linear-motor-powered pump would not require packings to seal its piston. Concept thus eliminates major cause of friction and wear. Pump is double-ended diaphragm-type compressor. All moving parts sealed within compressor housing.

Design, development and deployment of special sealing plug for 540 MWe PHWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, G.; Roy, S.; Patel, R.J.

2012-01-01

The coolant channel in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors is a pressure boundary component and is very important for reactor performance and reactor safety. Monitoring the condition of the pressure tube of each coolant channel on a periodic basis is very important. In-Service Inspection (ISI) of the coolant channels in water filled condition is done regularly for 220 MWe PHWR. For the same purpose BARC Channel Inspection System is developed for 540 MWe PHWR also. Special Sealing Plug has been developed to facilitate the channel inspection (in water filled condition) with all necessary safety features at par with normal sealing plug. Special Sealing Plug provides a 50 mm through hole for passage of drive tube of Inspection Head maintaining integrity of PHT. Lot of challenges were faced for developing the Special Sealing Plug and its associated tools. It was a first of its kind design. First ISI of TAPS-4 was conducted successfully using this plug along with associated tools in November 2011. This development has provided immense help to NPCIL in life management of 540 MWe PHWR coolant channels. (author)

Reinforced seal component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeanson, G.M.; Odent, R.P.

1980-01-01

The invention concerns a seal component of the kind comprising a soft sheath and a flexible reinforcement housed throughout the entire length of the sheath. The invention enables O ring seals to be made capable of providing a radial seal, that is to say between two sides or flat collars of two cylindrical mechanical parts, or an axial seal, that is to say between two co-axial axisymmetrical areas. The seal so ensured is relative, but it remains adequately sufficient for many uses, for instance, to ensure the separation of two successive fixed blading compartments of axial compressors used in gas diffusion isotope concentration facilities [fr

Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Radial Lip Seal Geometry on Sealing Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Tok, G.; Parlar, Z.; Temiz, V.

2018-01-01

Sealing elements are often needed in industry and especially in machine design. With the change and development of machine technology from day to day, sealing elements show continuous development and change in parallel with these developments. Many factors influence the performance of the sealing elements such as shaft surface roughness, radial force, lip geometry etc. In addition, the radial lip seals must have a certain pre-load and interference in order to provide a good sealing. This also affects the friction torque. Researchers are developing new seal designs to reduce friction losses in mechanical systems. In the presented study, the effect of the lip seal geometry on sealing performance will be examined numerically. The numerical model created for this purpose will be verified with experimental data firstly. In the numerical model, shaft and seal will be modeled as hyper-elastic in 2D and 3D. NBR (Nitrile Butadiene Rubber) as seal material will be analyzed for the rotating shaft state at constant speed by applying a uniform radial force.

Compilation of current literature on seals, closures, and leakage for radioactive material packagings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warrant, M.M.; Ottinger, C.A.

1989-01-01

This report presents an overview of the features that affect the sealing capability of radioactive material packagings currently certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The report is based on a review of current literature on seals, closures, and leakage for radioactive material packagings. Federal regulations that relate to the sealing capability of radioactive material packagings, as well as basic equations for leakage calculations and some of the available leakage test procedures are presented. The factors which affect the sealing capability of a closure, including the properties of the sealing surfaces, the gasket material, the closure method and the contents are discussed in qualitative terms. Information on the general properties of both elastomer and metal gasket materials and some specific designs are presented. A summary of the seal material, closure method, and leakage tests for currently certified packagings with large diameter seals is provided. 18 figs., 9 tabs

Implementation of multiple measures to improve reactor recirculation pump sealing performance in nuclear boiling water reactor service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loenhout, Gerard van [Flowserve B.V., Etten-Leur (Netherlands). Nuclear Services and Solutions Engineering; Hurni, Juerg

2014-07-01

A modern reactor recirculation pump circulates a large volume of high temperature, very pure water from the reactor pressure vessel back to the core. A crucial technical problem with a recirculation pump, such as a mechanical seal indicating loss of sealing pressure, may result in a power station having to shut down for repair. The paper describes the sudden increase in stray current phenomenon leading to rapid and severe deterioration of the mechanical end face shaft seal in a reactor recirculation pump. This occurred after the installation of a variable frequency converter replacing the original motorgenerator set.

Implementation of multiple measures to improve reactor recirculation pump sealing performance in nuclear boiling water reactor service

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loenhout, Gerard van; Hurni, Juerg

2014-01-01

A modern reactor recirculation pump circulates a large volume of high temperature, very pure water from the reactor pressure vessel back to the core. A crucial technical problem with a recirculation pump, such as a mechanical seal indicating loss of sealing pressure, may result in a power station having to shut down for repair. The paper describes the sudden increase in stray current phenomenon leading to rapid and severe deterioration of the mechanical end face shaft seal in a reactor recirculation pump. This occurred after the installation of a variable frequency converter replacing the original motorgenerator set.

Improving tag/seal technologies: the vulnerability assessment component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, J.L.

1996-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE), specifically the Office of Nonproliferation and National Security, has sponsored the development of numerous tag and seal technologies for high-security/high-valued applications. One important component in this technology development effort has been the continuous integration of vulnerability assessments. The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has been the lead laboratory for vulnerability assessments of fiber-optic-based tag/seal technologies. This paper presents a brief historical overview and the current status of the DOE high-security tag/seal development program and discusses INEL's adversarial role and assessment philosophy. Verification testing criteria used to define ''successful'' tampering attempts/attacks are discussed. Finally, the advantages of integrating a vulnerability assessment into the development of commercial security tag/seals are presented

Reactor vessel sealing plug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dooley, R.A.

1986-01-01

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for sealing the cold leg nozzles of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel from a remote location during maintenance and inspection of associated steam generators and pumps while the pressure vessel and refueling canal are filled with water. The apparatus includes a sealing plug for mechanically sealing the cold leg nozzle from the inside of a reactor pressure vessel. The sealing plugs include a primary and a secondary O-ring. An installation tool is suspended within the reactor vessel and carries the sealing plug. The tool telescopes to insert the sealing plug within the cold leg nozzle, and to subsequently remove the plug. Hydraulic means are used to activate the sealing plug, and support means serve to suspend the installation tool within the reactor vessel during installation and removal of the sealing plug

High pressure shaft seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinson, A.R.; Rogers, V.D.

1980-01-01

In relation to reactor primary coolant pumps, mechanical seal assembly for a pump shaft is disclosed which features a rotating seal ring mounting system which utilizes a rigid support ring loaded through narrow annular projections in combination with centering non-sealing O-rings which effectively isolate the rotating seal ring from temperature and pressure transients while securely positioning the ring to adjacent parts. A stationary seal ring mounting configuration allows the stationary seal ring freedom of motion to follow shaft axial movement up to 3/4 of an inch and shaft tilt about the pump axis without any change in the hydraulic or pressure loading on the stationary seal ring or its carrier. (author)

Does the seal licensing system in Scotland have a negative impact on seal welfare?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laetitia Nunny

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study examined the licensing system that permits seal shooting in Scotland, which was established under Part 6 Conservation of Seals of the Marine (Scotland Act 2010. Four approaches were used: data were collated and analyzed from both the Scottish Government and Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme; a survey was sent to current license holders and informal interviews were conducted with key stakeholder types. Between February 2011 and the end of October 2015, 1229 gray seals and 275 common seals were reported shot under license to the Scottish Government. The numbers of seals reported as shot has reduced year-on-year since the licensing system was put in place. While some license holders, notably fish farms, were using some non-lethal forms of deterrent to reduce seal-related damage, these were often used alongside seal shooting. Of the seals reported as shot to the Scottish Government, only a small percentage were also reported to the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, despite this being a licensing requirement. Only 2.3% of the shot gray seals and 4.5% of the shot common seals were necropsied. There is evidence from these necropsies that some seals had not died instantly or had not been shot in the manner recommended by the Scottish Seal Management Code of Practice. These preliminary results show that more carcasses need to be recovered and necropsied if the welfare implications of current seal shooting practice are to be properly assessed. The current legislation does not specify closed seasons to protect breeding seals and thirty-five per cent of necropsied seals were pregnant gray seals. Seals have also been shot during their lactation periods when pups are dependent on their mothers. This raises significant welfare concerns. The re-introduction of closed seasons specific to each species of seal is recommended along with greater effort to deploy non-lethal methods. Independent assessment of the number of seals being killed

A feasibility test of using smartphones to collect GPS information in face-to-face surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen Olson

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Survey organizations rely on interviewers to make informed and efficient decisions about their efforts in the field, including which housing units they approach to knock on doors, make appointments, and obtain interviews. This paper presents initial findings from a feasibility test on a face to face survey, the US National Survey of Family Growth, in which the interviewers were equipped with GPS-enabled smartphones. This test included an experiment to determine if the use of the GPS-enabled smartphone altered interviewer behavior. We evaluate interviewer compliance with the GPS request, the effects of using the GPS device on interviewer behavior, and the quality of the recorded GPS points as related to interviewer behaviors. This test also included two surveys of interviewers that were completed after using the smartphone. We report results from these surveys and link one set of survey results to interviewer GPS compliance rates. Implications for future use of GPS devices to monitor and understand interviewer travel behavior are discussed.

Reactor coolant pump shaft seal behavior during blackout conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mings, W.J.

1985-01-01

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has classified the problem of reactor coolant pump seal failures as an unresolved safety issue. This decision was made in large part due to experimental results obtained from a research program developed to study shaft seal performance during station blackout and reported in this paper. Testing and analysis indicated a potential for pump seal failure under postulated blackout conditions leading to a loss of primary coolant with a concomitant danger of core uncovery. The work to date has not answered all the concerns regarding shaft seal failure but it has helped scope the problem and focus future research needed to completely resolve this issue

Circumferential shaft seal

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, L. P. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A circumferential shaft seal comprising two sealing rings held to a rotating shaft by means of a surrounding elastomeric band is disclosed. The rings are segmented and are of a rigid sealing material such as carbon or a polyimide and graphite fiber composite.

The Cambridge Car Memory Test: a task matched in format to the Cambridge Face Memory Test, with norms, reliability, sex differences, dissociations from face memory, and expertise effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennett, Hugh W; McKone, Elinor; Tavashmi, Raka; Hall, Ashleigh; Pidcock, Madeleine; Edwards, Mark; Duchaine, Bradley

2012-06-01

Many research questions require a within-class object recognition task matched for general cognitive requirements with a face recognition task. If the object task also has high internal reliability, it can improve accuracy and power in group analyses (e.g., mean inversion effects for faces vs. objects), individual-difference studies (e.g., correlations between certain perceptual abilities and face/object recognition), and case studies in neuropsychology (e.g., whether a prosopagnosic shows a face-specific or object-general deficit). Here, we present such a task. Our Cambridge Car Memory Test (CCMT) was matched in format to the established Cambridge Face Memory Test, requiring recognition of exemplars across view and lighting change. We tested 153 young adults (93 female). Results showed high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .84) and a range of scores suitable both for normal-range individual-difference studies and, potentially, for diagnosis of impairment. The mean for males was much higher than the mean for females. We demonstrate independence between face memory and car memory (dissociation based on sex, plus a modest correlation between the two), including where participants have high relative expertise with cars. We also show that expertise with real car makes and models of the era used in the test significantly predicts CCMT performance. Surprisingly, however, regression analyses imply that there is an effect of sex per se on the CCMT that is not attributable to a stereotypical male advantage in car expertise.

Research on seal control systems for international nuclear safeguard and the vulnerability assessment on the seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hongjian; Liu Tianshu; Cao Fangfang; Xu Chunyan

2014-01-01

Safeguard seals, also called Tamper-indicating devices (TIDs), are widely used to detect tampering or unauthorized entry in the international safeguard and security systems, Seal control systems consist of seal implementing plan, seal development and the vulnerability assessment on tbe seals, effective implementing procedures and methods of the seals. The vulnerability assessment contents of safeguard seals, thermo-shrinked film seals being as an example, and seals control systems in the implementation program are researched. The seal control systems discuss task assignment, seals management flow and seals program data flow to promote applying effectively seals. The vulnerability assessment program of seals studies assurance level to some different tampering techniques and measures. The researches must promote utilizing seals effectively for nuclear security, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, radioactive waste management, and the nuclear material accounting and control. (authors)

NRC Information No. 88-04: Inadequate qualification and documentation of fire barrier penetration seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, C.E.

1992-01-01

The current NRC review was prompted by reports, inspection findings, allegations, and other information that indicated the possibility that NRC requirements for fire barrier penetration seals were not being met in all aspects. The review included: evaluations of fire barrier penetration seal specifications and procedures developed by licensees, licensee agents, and licensee contractors; evaluations of various fire barrier penetration seal tests and test data; and inspections of various fire barrier penetrations seal designs and installations. The types of concerns identified to date and mentioned below are related to weaknesses in the implementation of NRC requirements and guidelines as related to fire barrier penetration seal design qualification. The NRC review also has identified a current practice that can affect the qualification status of installed seals. Plant modifications are being made that require running new cable and conduits through existing penetration seals. These modifications are generally being made without an associated technical review to ensure that the resulting penetration seal design configuration or design parameters are consistent with those validated by initial qualification tests. Over a period of time, numerous minor modifications to the same area could cumulatively result in a degraded fire barrier rating

Low temperature behaviour of elastomers in seals; Tieftemperaturverhalten von Elastomeren im Dichtungseinsatz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaunich, Matthias

2012-04-25

Elastomeric seals are of high importance as machine parts and construction elements, but in spite of this the low temperature limit for the use of a seal was not fully understood. Hence, the required safety relevant evaluation of the lowest acceptable operating seal temperature is difficult. Therefore the presented work was aimed to understand the temperature dependent material behaviour of representative elastomers and to conclude from this knowledge the low temperature limit down to which such seals could safely fulfil the desired requirements. Starting with the published statement that a seal can safely work below its glass transition temperature the influence of the glass-rubber-transition was investigated. At first the glass-rubber-transition temperatures of the selected elastomers were determined applying several techniques to allow a comparison with the behaviour of the seals during component tests. Furthermore a new method to characterise the low temperature behaviour of elastomers was developed that emulates the key features of the standardised compression set test used for seal materials. In comparison to the standardized test this new method allows a much faster measurement that can be automatically performed. Using a model based data analysis an extrapolation of the results to different temperatures can be performed and therefore the necessary measuring expenditure can be additionally reduced. For the temperature dependent characterisation of the failure process of real seals a measurement setup was designed and the materials behaviour was investigated. By use of the results of all applied characterisation techniques the observed dependence of the failure temperature on the degree of compression could be explained for the investigated seals under static load. Additionally information about the behaviour of such seals under dynamic load could be gained from the time dependent material behaviour by use of the time temperature superposition relationship

Using eye tracking to test for individual differences in attention to attractive faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Valuch, Christian; Pflüger, Lena S; Wallner, Bernard; Laeng, Bruno; Ansorge, Ulrich

2015-01-01

We assessed individual differences in visual attention toward faces in relation to their attractiveness via saccadic reaction times. Motivated by the aim to understand individual differences in attention to faces, we tested three hypotheses: (a) Attractive faces hold or capture attention more effectively than less attractive faces; (b) men show a stronger bias toward attractive opposite-sex faces than women; and (c) blue-eyed men show a stronger bias toward blue-eyed than brown-eyed feminine faces. The latter test was included because prior research suggested a high effect size. Our data supported hypotheses (a) and (b) but not (c). By conducting separate tests for disengagement of attention and attention capture, we found that individual differences exist at distinct stages of attentional processing but these differences are of varying robustness and importance. In our conclusion, we also advocate the use of linear mixed effects models as the most appropriate statistical approach for studying inter-individual differences in visual attention with naturalistic stimuli.

Using eye tracking to test for individual differences in attention to attractive faces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian eValuch

2015-02-01

Full Text Available We assessed individual differences in visual attention toward faces in relation to their attractiveness via saccadic reaction times (SRTs. Motivated by the aim to understand individual differences in attention to faces, we tested three hypotheses: (a Attractive faces hold or capture attention more effectively than less attractive faces; (b men show a stronger bias toward attractive opposite-sex faces than women; and (c blue-eyed men show a stronger bias toward blue-eyed than brown-eyed feminine faces. The latter test was included because prior research suggested a high effect size. Our data supported hypotheses (a and (b but not (c. By conducting separate tests for disengagement of attention and attention capture, we found that individual differences exist at distinct stages of attentional processing but these differences are of varying robustness and importance. In our conclusion, we also advocate the use of linear mixed effects models as the most appropriate statistical approach toward studying inter-individual differences in visual attention with naturalistic stimuli.

The IRES electronic seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gourlez, P.; Funk, P.; Brochard, D.; Moreau, J.F.; Martin, J.C.

2001-01-01

In the framework of the French Support Program for the IAEA Safeguards, the 'Institut de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire' (IPSN), developed an electronic seal called Integrated and Reusable Electronic Seal (IRES) that enables independent verification by different inspectorates (IAEA, Euratom, and National Inspectorate) Furthermore, a bilateral co-ordination between Euratom and French domestic safeguards takes place in some French facilities regarding a common approach concerning the seals especially in case of crisis situation. The seal can be remotely interrogated by radio frequency and integrated to other Containment/surveillance systems by serial line RS 485. Data are authenticated and the IRESMAG software manages in the seal reader all functionalities of the seal and records inspection data compatible with the IAEA's Seal Database

Troubleshooting ProSeal LMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bimla Sharma

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Supraglottic devices have changed the face of the airway management. These devices have contributed in a big way in airway management especially, in the difficult airway scenario significantly decreasing the pharyngolaryngeal morbidity. There is a plethora of these devices, which has been well matched by their wider acceptance in clinical practice. ProSeal laryngeal mask airway (PLMA is one such frequently used device employed for spontaneous as well as controlled ventilation. However, the use of PLMAat tunes maybe associated with certain problems. Some of the problems related with its use are unique while others are akin to the classic laryngeal mask airway (eLMA. However, expertise is needed for its safe and judicious use, correct placement, recognition and management of its various malpositions and complications. The present article describes the tests employed for proper confirmation of placementto assess the ventilatooy and the drain tube functions of the mask, diagnosis of various malpositions and the management of these aspects. All these areas have been highlighted under the heading of troubleshooting PLMA. Many problems can be solved by proper patient and procedure selection, maintaining adequate depth of anaesthesia, diagnosis and management of malpositions. Proper fixation of the device and monitoring cuff pressure intraopera-tively may bring down the incidence of airway morbidity.

Uncertainties in sealing a nuclear waste repository in partially saturated tuff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillerson, J.R.; Fernandez, J.A.; Hinkebein, T.E.

1989-01-01

Sealing a nuclear waste repository in partially saturated tuff presents unique challenges to assuring performance of sealing components. Design and performance of components for sealing shafts, ramps, drifts, and exploratory boreholes depend on specific features of both the repository design and the site; of particular importance is the hydrologic environment in the unsaturated zone, including the role of fracture flow. Repository design features important to sealing of a repository include the size and location of shaft and ramp accesses, excavation methods, and the underground layout features such as grade (drainage direction) and location relative to geologic structure. Uncertainties about seal components relate to the postclosure environment for the seals, the emplacement methods, the material properties, and the potential performance of the components. An approach has been developed to reduce uncertainties and to increase confidence in seal performance; it includes gathering extensive site characterization data, establishing conservative design requirements, testing seal components in laboratory and field environments, and refining designs of both the seals and the repository before seals are installed. 9 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs

Effect of bar sealing parameters on OPP/MCPP heat seal strength

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2007-11-01

Full Text Available The effect of bar sealing parameters on the heat seal strength of oriented polypropylene (OPP/metallic cast polypropylene (MCPP laminate film was investigated. Based on the results obtained from the parametric study, a bar sealing process window was developed. All points drop within the process window are combinations of platen temperature and dwell time that produce acceptable heat seal. Optimum combinations are indicated by the lower border of the window. The plateau initiation temperature, Tpi of OPP/MCPP laminate film used in the present study occurred before the final melting temperature, Tmf of the sealant material. The highest achievable heat seal strength was at the plateau region, and the corresponding failure modes were delaminating, tearing or combine failure modes (delaminating and tearing. Minimum pressure level of 1.25 bars is necessary to bring the laminate interface into intimate contact in order to effect sealing.

Comparative study on two different seal surface structure for reactor pressure vessel sealing behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jun; Xiong Guangming; Deng Xiaoyun

2014-01-01

The seal surface structure is very important to reactor pressure vessel (RPV) sealing behavior. In this paper, two 3-D RPV sealing analysis finite models have been established with different seal surface structures, in order to study the influence of two structures. The separation of RPV upper and lower flanges, bolt loads and etc. are obtained, which are used to evaluate the sealing behavior of the RPV. Meanwhile, the comparative analysis of safety margin of two seal surface structural had been done, which provides the theoretical basis for RPV seal structure design optimization. (authors)

Salt repository sealing materials development program: 5-year work plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, L.B.

1986-06-01

This plan covers 5 years (fiscal years 1986 through 1990) of work in the repository sealing materials program to support design decisions and licensing activities for a salt repository. The plan covers a development activity, not a research activity. There are firm deliverables as the end points of each part of the work. The major deliverables are: development plans for code development and materials testing; seal system components models; seal system performance specifications; seal materials specifications; and seal materials properties ''handbook.'' The work described in this plan is divided into three general tasks as follows: mathematical modeling; materials studies (salt, cementitious materials, and earthen materials); and large-scale testing. Each of the sections presents an overview, status, planned activities, and summary of program milestones. This plan will be the starting point for preparing the development plans described above, but is subject to change if preparation of the work plan indicates that a different approach or sequence is preferable to achieve the ultimate goal, i.e., support of design and licensing

Dampers for Stationary Labyrinth Seals

Science.gov (United States)

El-Aini, Yehia; Mitchell, William; Roberts, Lawrence; Montgomery, Stuart; Davis, Gary

2011-01-01

Vibration dampers have been invented that are incorporated as components within the stationary labyrinth seal assembly. These dampers are intended to supplement other vibration-suppressing features of labyrinth seals in order to reduce the incidence of high-cycle-fatigue failures, which have been known to occur in the severe vibratory environments of jet engines and turbopumps in which labyrinth seals are typically used. A vibration damper of this type includes several leaf springs and/or a number of metallic particles (shot) all held in an annular seal cavity by a retaining ring. The leaf springs are made of a spring steel alloy chosen, in conjunction with design parameters, to maintain sufficient preload to ensure effectiveness of damping at desired operating temperatures. The cavity is vented via a small radial gap between the retaining ring and seal housing. The damping mechanism is complex. In the case of leaf springs, the mechanism is mainly friction in the slippage between the seal housing and individual dampers. In the case of a damper that contains shot, the damping mechanism includes contributions from friction between individual particles, friction between particles and cavity walls, and dissipation of kinetic energy of impact. The basic concept of particle/shot vibration dampers has been published previously; what is new here is the use of such dampers to suppress traveling-wave vibrations in labyrinth seals. Damping effectiveness depends on many parameters, including, but not limited to, coefficient of friction, mode shape, and frequency and amplitude of vibrational modes. In tests, preloads of the order of 6 to 15 lb (2.72 to 6.8 kilograms) per spring damper were demonstrated to provide adequate damping levels. Effectiveness of shot damping of vibrations having amplitudes from 20 to 200 times normal terrestrial gravitational acceleration (196 to 1,960 meters per square second) and frequencies up to 12 kHz was demonstrated for shot sizes from 0.032 to

Seals in motion

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brasseur, Sophie Marie Jacqueline Michelle

2017-01-01

The harbour seal Phoca vitulina and the grey seal Halichoerus grypus have been inhabitants of the Wadden Sea since millennia. Prehistoric findings indicate the presence of both species around 5000 BC. This changed dramatically in the mid Middle-Ages as around 1500 AC, the grey seal disappeared from

Gas sealing welding method and device for nuclear fuel rod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seki, Masayuki; Nishiyama, Motokuni; Kamimura, Katsuichiro; Yagi, Eiji; Nakase, Tsuyoshi; Kobogata, Sadao; Taniguchi, Jun-ichi; Uesugi, Yoshisaku.

1995-01-01

An end plug and a cladding tube are held by clamping, respectively, by opposing movable electrode and static electrode. The movable electrode is forwarded toward the static electrode. The end plug and the cladding tube are abutted and held at a slight gap between their end faces. A region to be welded is surrounded by a pressurizing chamber and the side of the chamber is evacuated and He gas is filled in the cladding tube. Then, one of the electrodes is forwarded, to seal the abutted end faces of the end plug and the cladding tube. Then, pressure and welding current required for welding are applied to the abutted ends, and He gas is sealed in the vessel. The displacement of pressurization caused by slipping when the required pressure is applied to the abutted ends is detected by a sensor, and the operation of the welding control device for starting current supply is terminated by the detection signals. Abutment accuracy between the abutment of the cladding tube and the end plug as a nuclear fuel rod can be ensured, to further improve and stabilize the welding quality. (N.H.)

An in vitro evaluation of the apical sealing ability of new polymeric endodontic filling systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Onay, Emel Olga; Ungor, Mete; Unver, Saadet; Ari, Hale; Belli, Sema

2009-08-01

The objective of this study was to compare the short-term sealing abilities of recently introduced polymeric endodontic filling systems. Root canals of 120 extracted and decoronated human single-rooted teeth were instrumented using crown-down technique with HERO Shaper rotary instruments. The roots were divided randomly into 8 groups (6 experimental and 2 control groups of 15 roots each) and filled with different combinations of core and sealer as follows: group 1, RealSeal/Resilon; group 2, RealSeal/Herofill; group 3, Hybrid Root Seal/Resilon; group 4, Hybrid Root Seal/Herofill; group 5, MM-Seal/Resilon; group 6, MM-Seal/Herofill; group 7, positive controls (Herofill only); group 8, negative controls. Apical leakage quantity was evaluated after 1 week by using a fluid filtration model. For each sample, measurements of fluid movement were recorded at 2-minute intervals for a total of 8 minutes, and then averaged. The data were calculated and analyzed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Tukey test. Significance was set at P less than .05. Multiple paired comparisons (Tukey test) showed that, of all the groups, MM-Seal/Herofill combination exhibited the least microleakage, and RealSeal/Herofill combination ranked second in this regard. The mean leakage values for the RealSeal/Resilon and MM-Seal/Resilon combinations were both significantly higher than the means for the other 4 experimental groups (P < .01). Hybrid Root Seal combined with Resilon resulted in significantly less microleakage than Hybrid Root Seal combined with Herofill (P = .001). The results suggest that the sealing properties of epoxy-resin-based sealer (MM-Seal) combined with gutta-percha (Herofill) are superior to those of methacrylate-based sealers (Hybrid Root Seal and Realseal) combined with Resilon.

Methylmercury poisoning in the harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ronald, K [Univ. of Guelph, Ont.; Tessaro, S V; Uthe, J F; Freeman, H C; Frank, R

1977-07-01

Hematological and blood chemistry values were examined in harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) exposed to daily oral dosages of methylmercuric chloride (MMC). Two seals, exposed to 0.25 mg MMC/kg body weight/day for 60 and 90 days, respectively, died not show abnormal blood values. Two other seals exposed to 25.0 mg MMC/kg body weight/day died on day 20 and 26 of exposure. Blood parameters indicated toxic hepatitis, uremia and renal failure. Total mercury and methylmercury values in the tissues of the experimental animals indicated that harp seals can tolerate high levels of mercury in the brain and that the observed renal and hepatic dysfunction were related to the high accumulation of mercury in these tissues. Tests of renal function are useful in cases of severe methylmercury poisoning.

Retrofit of AECL CAN6 seals into the Pickering shutdown cooling pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhodes, D.; Metcalfe, R.; Brown, G.

1997-01-01

The existing mechanical seals in the shutdown cooling (SDC) pumps at the eight-unit Pickering Nuclear Generating Station have caused as least seven forced outages in the last fifteen years. The SDC pumps were originally intended to run only during shutdowns, mostly at low pressure, except for short periods during routine testing of SDC isolation valves while the plant is operating at full pressure to verify that the emergency core injection system is available. Unfortunately, in practice, some SDC pumps must be run much more frequently than this to prevent overheating or freezing of components in the system while the plant is at power. This more severe service has decreased seal lifetime from about 8000 running hours to about 3000 running hours. Rather than tackling the difficult task of eliminating on-power running of the pumps, Pickering decided to install a more robust seal design that could withstand this. Through the process of competitive tender, AECL's CAN6 seal was chosen. This seal has a successful history in similarly demanding conditions in boiling water reactors in the USA. To supplement this and demonstrate there would be no 'surprises,' a 2000-hour test program was conducted. Testing consisted of simulating all the expected conditions, plus some special tests under abnormal conditions. This has given assurance that the seal will operate reliably in the Pickering shutdown cooling pumps. (author)

Retrofit of AECL CAN6 seals into the Pickering shutdown cooling pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhodes, D.; Metcalfe, R.; Brown, G.; Kiameh, P.; Burchett, P.

1997-01-01

The existing mechanical seals in the shutdown cooling (SDC) pumps at the eight-unit Pickering Nuclear Generating Station have caused at least seven forced outages in the last fifteen years. The SDC pumps were originally intended to run only during shutdowns, mostly at low pressure, except for short periods during routine testing of SDC isolation valves while the plant is operating at full pressure to verify that the emergency core injection system is available. Unfortunately, in practice, some SDC pumps must be run much more frequently than this to prevent overheating or freezing of components in the system while the plant is at power. This more severe service has decreased seal lifetime from about 8000 running hours to about 3000 running hours. Rather than tackling the difficult task of eliminating on-power running of the pumps, Pickering decided to install a more robust seal design that could withstand this. Through the process of competitive tender, AECL's CAN6 seal was chosen. This seal has a successful history in similarly demanding conditions in boiling water reactors in the USA. To supplement this and demonstrate there would be no 'surprises,' a 2000-hour test program was conducted. Testing consisted of simulating all the expected conditions, plus some special tests under abnormal conditions. This has given assurance that the seal will operate reliably in the Pickering shutdown cooling pumps. (author)

Modeling the effect of seal leakage on spontaneous heating in a longwall gob area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, A.C.; Yuan, L. [National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Office of Mine Safety and Health Research

2010-07-01

Three coal mines in the United States with a history of spontaneous combustion use a bleederless ventilation system as a control measure. In a bleederless system, one of the headgate entries is used as the tailgate entry of the succeeding panel and is isolated from the gob of the active panel by gob seals that are installed in the headgate entry as the face advances. An active longwall panel using a Y-type bleederless ventilation system was simulated in this study. As longwall mining progresses, some seals are known to leak. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to study the effect of seal leakage on spontaneous heating of coal in the longwall gob area. The simulation results showed that under typical bleederless ventilation conditions, the maximum temperature in the gob increased with an increase in leakage rate. The maximum temperature occurred at the headgate side corner at the back end of the panel. When only 1 or 2 seals were leaking, the maximum temperature occurred around the seal. The results demonstrate that complex interactions between pressure differential and gob permeability at different locations in the gob cause ventilation pathways. The interactions depend greatly on gob permeability and seal leakage rates. 8 refs., 1 tab., 14 figs.

Repository seal materials performance for a SALT Repository Project 5-year code/model development plan: Draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-06-01

This document describes an integrated laboratory testing and model development effort for the seal system for a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt. The testing and modeling efforts are designed to determine seal material response in the repository environment, to provide models of seal system components for performance assessment, and to assist in the development of seal system designs. A code/model development and performance analysis program will be performed to predict the short- and long-term response of seal materials and seal components. The results from these analyses will be used to support the material testing activities on this contract and to support performance assessment activities that are conducted in other parts of the Salt Repository Project (SRP). 48 refs., 15 figs., 4 tabs

Measurement system for the integrated tightness tests of the hermetically sealed rooms at the Paks nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taubner, R.; Techy, Zs.; Voeroes, L. (Villamosenergiaipari Kutato Intezet, Budapest (Hungary))

1982-01-01

One condition for granting start-up permission is the performance of integrated tightness. The testing method agrees with that developed by the Soviet partner in 1979. The measuring principle is based on the temporal change in the quantity of a medium contained in a hermetically sealed space determined from the value of the absolute pressure. In this study the preliminary investigations on the installation of the testing system and the measurement program are presented.

Main-coolant-pump shaft-seal guidelines. Volume 3. Specification guidelines. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fair, C.E.; Greer, A.O.

1983-03-01

This report presents a set of guidelines and criteria to aid in the generation of procurement specifications for Main Coolant Pump Shaft Seals. The noted guidelines are developed from EPRI sponsored nuclear power plant seal operating experience studies, a review of pump and shaft seal literature and discussions with pump and seal designers. This report is preliminary in nature and could be expanded and finalized subsequent to completion of further design, test and evaluation efforts

Brush seal performance measurement system

OpenAIRE

Aksoy, Serdar; Akşit, Mahmut Faruk; Aksit, Mahmut Faruk; Duran, Ertuğrul Tolga; Duran, Ertugrul Tolga

2009-01-01

Brush seals are rapidly replacing conventional labyrinth seals in turbomachinery applications. Upon pressure application, seal stiffness increases drastically due to frictional bristle interlocking. Operating stiffness is critical to determine seal wear life. Typically, seal stiffness is measured by pressing a curved shoe to brush bore. The static-unpressurized measurement is extrapolated to pressurized and high speed operating conditions. This work presents a seal stiffness measurement syste...

Seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welsher, R.A.G.

1982-01-01

An aperture through a biological shield is sealed by a flexible sheath having a beading at one end located on an annular member slidable in the aperture such that the beading bears in sealing engagement against the sides of the aperture. The annular member is retained by a retractable latch and can be rejected by pushing it out of the aperture using a replacement annular member with a replacement sheath thereon to butt against the annular member to be rejected. The replacement annular member may be mounted on a tubular device having an outer co-axial member for operating the latch when the replacement annular member butts against the annular member to be rejected. Applications include effecting a seal between a remote handling equipment and a wall through which the equipment extends. (author)

An Investigation of the Integrity of Cemented Casing Seals with Application to Salt Cavern Sealing and Abandonment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfeifle, T.W.; Mellegard, K.D.; Skaug, N.T.; Bruno, M.S.

2001-04-19

This research project was pursued in three key areas. (1) Salt permeability testing under complex stress states; (2) Hydraulic and mechanical integrity investigations of the well casing shoe through benchscale testing; and (3) Geomechanical modeling of the fluid/salt hydraulic and mechanical interaction of a sealed cavern.

Tunnel sealing: concept and feasibility evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenner, R.P.; Eppinger, G.; Mettler, K.

1991-01-01

This report discusses first the aim and purpose of tunnel seals as well as the requirements which should be satisfied. The basic seal concept is a zoned plug consisting of key zones and intermediate zones. The key zones act as barrier elements and will be placed into sections of competent and sound rock. The main function of the intermediate zones is that of a support and the requirements for sealing efficiency may be somewhat relaxed. Three sealing concepts have been devised for both the key zones and the intermediate zones. They differ in the materials used for the seal and in the placement method. For the key zones highly compacted bentonite is recommended, but also cement-based materials, such as standard concrete or prepact concrete are considered suitable. For the intermediate zones, the use of pumped concrete with subsequent grouting of the roof zone is favourable, but also a combination of concrete with a sand/gravel mixture or with properly compacted excavation material is feasible. The concepts introduced can all be realized by conventional tunnelling methods. Excavation by tunnel boring machine is most advantageous as it minimizes disturbance of the rock caused by the cavity-forming process. By employing simple material models, it can be shown that the depth of the excavation disturbed zone can be minimized if support of the tunnel is provided as early as possible after excavation. The cutting of a groove in the tunnel wall along the key zone can further contribute to reduce the depth of the excavation-disturbed zone. In order to ensure the quality of a seal, the quantities of the materials used can be checked and the work procedures to place the seal can be supervised. For the latter the experiences obtained from a large-scale test should be available. Finally, it is also shown that when considering safety analytical aspects, the proposed sealing concepts represent adequate solutions in spite of the probably increased permeability in the excavation

An integrated approach to fire penetration seal program management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rispoli, R.D.

1996-01-01

This paper discusses the utilization of a P.C. based program to facilitate the management of Entergy Operations Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO) fire barrier penetration seal program. The computer program was developed as part of a streamlining process to consolidate all aspects of the ANO Penetration Seal Program under one system. The program tracks historical information related to each seal such as maintenance activities, design modifications and evaluations. The program is integrated with approved penetration seal design details which have been substantiated by full scale fire tests. This control feature is intended to prevent the inadvertent utilization of an unacceptable penetration detail in a field application which may exceed the parameters tested. The system is also capable of controlling the scope of the periodic surveillance of penetration seals by randomly selecting the inspection population and generating associated inspection forms. Inputs to the data base are required throughout the modification and maintenance process to ensure configuration control and maintain accurate data base information. These inputs are verified and procedurally controlled by Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) personnel. The implementation of this system has resulted in significant cost savings and has minimized the allocation of resources necessary to ensure long term program viability

Mechanical seals qualification procedure of the main pumps of nuclear power plants in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchdahl, D.; Martin, R.; Girault, J.M.

1992-12-01

Many important pumps in the nuclear power plants are equipped with mechanical seals. The good behaviour and reliability of mechanical seals depend specially on the quality and the stability of an interface of several microns. Peripheral speed reaches 50 m/s and pressure 5 MPa, shaft diameter may be 200 mm. Any failure of the mechanical seals may stop the production of electricity or may compromise nuclear safety. As far back as 1970, EDF has conducted qualification actions for the most important mechanical seals in terms of availability and safety. A qualification of mechanical seals needs three steps: - constructor test (tuning) at normal conditions, -qualification test on test rig at EDF/DER (semi-industrial) at normal, exceptional and incidental conditions lasting about 1500 h, - industrial qualification test in nuclear power station over one year. Several supplying sources are absolutely necessary. Any pump may receive mechanical seals from at least two different suppliers. A compromise had to be found to restrict the suppliers' number down to three. This choice concerned three high technology suppliers. A consistent modification procedure had been developed (references file procedure). For each power plant series, about ten types of mechanical seals are concerned. The selection criteria are the higher loads factors P, Vg or the safety related importance. This expensive approach is useful for EDF, many functional failures have been detected before the serial mechanical seals installation in the power plants. (authors). 1 annexe

Electronic seal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musyck, E.

1981-01-01

An electronic seal is presented for a volume such as container for fissile materials. The seal encloses a lock for barring the space as well as a device for the detection and the recording of the intervention of the lock. (AF)

Face-gear drives: Design, analysis, and testing for helicopter transmission applications

Science.gov (United States)

Litvin, F. L.; Wang, J.-C.; Bossler, R. B., Jr.; Chen, Y.-J. D.; Heath, G.; Lewicki, D. G.

1992-01-01

The use of face-gears in helicopter transmissions was explored. A light-weight, split-torque transmission design utilizing face-gears is described. Face-gear design and geometry were investigated. Topics included tooth generation, limiting inner and outer radii, tooth contact analysis, contact ratio, gear eccentricity, grinding, and structural stiffness. Design charts were developed to determine minimum and maximum face-gear inner and outer radii. An analytical study showed that the face-gear drive is relatively insensitive to gear misalignment with respect to transmission errors, but the tooth contact is affected by misalignment. A method of localizing the bearing contact to permit operation with misalignment was explored. Two new methods for grinding of the face-gear tooth surfaces were also investigated. The proper choice of shaft stiffness enabled good load sharing in the split-torque transmission design. Face-gear experimental studies were also conducted. These tests demonstrated the feasibility of face-gears in high-speed, high-load applications such as helicopter transmissions.

Aging and lifetime prediction of O-ring seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koemmling, Anja

2017-01-01

In some applications, elastomer seals have to remain leak tight over extended time periods (up to several decades) as an exchange of the seals is not practical. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to predict the lifetime of such seals reliably. For this reason, ageing experiments with O-rings and sheets based on hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) and fluorocarbon rubber (FKM) were performed over up to two years at different temperatures. For investigating the changes of material properties during ageing, measurements of i.a. hardness and tensile behaviour as well as dynamic-mechanical and thermogravimetric analyses were conducted. For assessing the relaxation and recovery behaviour of the ageing seals, compression stress relaxation and compression set experiments were performed. Furthermore, leakage rate was measured to detect seal failure. By examining the aged samples, both the property changes and the responsible degradation mechanisms were characterised. Additionally, the most suitable approach for lifetime predictions should be determined using the large database of results from different test methods performed at several ageing times and temperatures. This included identifying an end-of-lifetime criterion that correlates with leakage and thus seal failure. Regarding the property changes and degradation mechanisms of HNBR, a pronounced embrittlement was observed due to dominant crosslinking reactions during ageing. These also resulted in a decrease of oxygen permeability, leading to a reduction of the oxygen transport into the interior sample (mainly of the thicker O-rings). This resulted in diffusion-limited oxidation effects (DLO effects), meaning that the interior of the sample aged less strongly than regions close to the surface. During ageing of EPDM, both chain scission and crosslinking occurred, which became noticeable in deteriorated tensile properties and decreased compression force as well as

Study of the static airtightness mechanisms of metal seals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tlili, A.

2013-01-01

The thesis aims to better understand the sealing mechanisms in contact at the interface between a metal gasket and clamps. The proposed approach is based on the development of a numerical model of the clamping seal by incorporating the laws' behavior of materials that will be determined by micro instrumented indentation testing. This model is particularly interested in identifying ways of providing the fluid leak to be sealed and to determine leakage rates resulting from the identified paths, as well as the evolution of the conductance of the interface over time. Particular attention will be paid to the roughness of the surfaces, changing leak paths at different levels depending on the tightening of the seal and gas flow rates in the different types of defects. The study was conducted in Pierrelatte's Sealing laboratory that develops metal seals for the aerospace, nuclear and scientific research. The thesis focuses on real surfaces and was supplemented by measurements of helium leaks using a press which applies different loads at different gas pressures and different roughness. (author) [fr

Long-term sealing of openings in salt formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walter, F.; Stockmann, N.; Yaramanci, U.; Laurens, J.F.

1993-01-01

Radioactive wastes can be disposed of in deep salt formations. Rock salt is a suitable geologic medium because of its unique characteristics. Open boreholes, shafts and drifts are created to provide physical access to the repository. Long-term seals must be emplaced in those potential pathways to prevent radioactive release to the biosphere. The sealing materials must be mechanically and, most important, geochemically stable within the host rock. Salt bricks made of compressed salt-powder are understood to be the first choice long-term sealing material. Seals built from salt bricks will be ductile. The permeability of the salt bricks is assumed to be in the order of 2*10 -15 m 2 . Large sealing systems are built by combining the individual bricks with mortar. Raw materials for mortar are fine-grained halite powder and ground saliferous clay. The permeability of the mortar decreases with its salt content to approx. 2*10 -14 m 2 . Moistened saliferous clay may show temporary swelling. Sealing experiments will be carried out in the Asse salt mine. Long-term seals will be built into holes of 1 m diameter. The contact and merging of the brick-wall with the surrounding rock salt will be investigated in long-term tests. Within the in situ sealing program a number of geophysical methods are applied. Acoustic emission measurements are used to study the effects of high pressure gas injection and a geoelectrical observation program is aiming to estimate the permeability in and around the long-term seal. High frequency electromagnetic methods contribute to the knowledge of the petrophysical rock properties. 11 refs., 12 figs