Abstract: A fluid actuator characterized by a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) feedback mechanism driven off the actuator screw shaft for indicating actuator position. A protective clutch mechanism prevents possible damage to the LVDT or actuator in the event that the actuator stroke exceeds the design stroke of the LVDT.

Abstract: A feedwater sparger assembly, and more particularly a thermal sleeve device, to prevent relatively cold feedwater from contacting the vulnerable surfaces of a feedwater nozzle in a boiling water nuclear reactor. Inner and outer concentric tubular thermal sleeve members (42,56) span the distance between the sparger (12) and a substantially cylindrical transition surface (34) machined into the feedwater nozzle (14) or pipe (22). At the first ends (46,64) of the tubular members, adjacent the transition surface (34), a packing means (50), is deformed against the transition surface (34). The second ends (60,62) of the tubular members are operatively connected to the sparger (12). One of the tubular members (42,56) is rigidly connected to the sparger (12) and the other tubular member is mounted on the sparger such that it can be longitudinally moved relative to the rigidly connected member.

Abstract: A nuclear fuel assembly comprises a bundle of elongated fuel rods distributed at nodes of a regular lattice and a structure for retaining said fuel rods. The structure has a lower end piece, and upper end pieces, tie rods connecting said end pieces and grids distributed along the tie rods for maintaining the fuel rods at the nodes. The structure consists of two substructures slidable with respect to each other in the direction of the fuel rods. Springs located between the two substructures spread apart the two end pieces for respective abutment against a lower core plate and an upper core plate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling charged particles. The charged particles comprise electrons and positive ions. A magnetic field having only point cusps is used to confine injected electrons and so to generate a negative potential well. Positive ions injected into the negative potential well are trapped therein. The preferred means for generating the magnetic field is current-carrying elements arranged at positions corresponding to the edges of any of several truncated regular polyhedrons.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor includes a plurality of upstanding guide thimbles and a plurality of control rods received in the guide thimbles and supported for movement relative to the thimbles between inserted and withdrawn positions. The control rods each include a tubular cladding member and an end plug attached to a lower end of the member. The improvement relates to the end plug having a stabilizing configuration which reduces lateral vibratory motion and contact between the control rod and its respective guide thimble. The end plug has an asymmetrical shape which places its terminal tip end in a position offset to one side of the central axis of the control rod and its end plug. As a result of interaction of the asymmetrical plug tip with coolant flowing along the control rod, a lateral steady-state force is imparted to the end plug which maintains the control rod end plug pressed against the wall of tis respective guide thimble. Several different asymmetrical configurations can be employed on the end plug.

Abstract: The seal for turning valve bodies, in particular for valves in radioactive lants, is composed of a molded element of flexible graphite which is coated with a thin, flexible tantalum layer. The tantalum enclosure surrounds the graphite molded element, preferably all around. The tantalum layer is sufficiently thin so that it remains flexible.

Abstract: A high temperature reactor having a reactor core filled with spherical fuel elements is provided comprising a graphite side reflector including at least one nose-like projection protruding radially into the reactor core from said graphite said reflector, said at least one nose-like projection including a vertically disposed cavity adapted to receive discrete absorber material elements introduced into said reactor core as well as a vertically disposed continuous opening which permits communication between said cavity and the core of the reactor, and sealing means positioned in said continuous opening and cooperatively engaged with the portion of said nose-like projections defining said vertically disposed continuous opening, said sealing means being so configured and so cooperatively engaged so as to permit gaseous communication between said cavity and said core while preventing passage of said discrete absorber material elements through said continuous passage.

Abstract: There is disclosed an hydrostatic transmission having a control and regulating device for adjusting the driving torque with superimposed output power limit regulation, the transmission comprising a drive unit comprising an hydraulic pump having a variable output, and an hydraulic motor arranged to be operated by the hydraulic pump; a servo-adjusting device arranged to control the output of the hydraulic pump in order to adjust the working pressure in the transmission, said device comprising a servo piston arranged for two-way adjustment of the hydraulic pump in two directions, and a control valve arranged to subject the servo-piston to an adjusting pressure so that the piston can adjust the operation of the hydraulic pump; a servo-valve spool provided in said control valve and arranged, in dependence upon the desired direction of adjustment of the hydraulic pump, to be subjected on the one hand to a control pressure and on the other hand to the working pressure prevailing in the transmission or a regulating p

Abstract: There are provided container vessels for the production and transportation of short-lived isotopes by irradiation from an accelerator, comprising a hermetically sealed container with a window in one of its walls which fits the exit window of such accelerator, and through which a suitable material contained in the said container vessel can be irradiated. There is also provided a method for the production of such short-lived positron sources for use in tomography, which comprises attaching a container vessel defined above adjacent to the exit window of an acceletator, irradiating a suitable material in said container, detaching the said container and working up the positron source in a radiochemistry laboratory.

Abstract: A cylinder block for a multi-cylinder hydraulic or hydrostatic piston device is provided having a control layer comprising a sintered friction metal layer sintered onto the cylinder block under the simultaneous action of pressure and heat. The end surface of the cylinder block is first provided with an electrodeposited metal layer. The electrodeposited layer has a crystal lattice constant compatible with the sintered layer and the material of the cylinder block. The cylinder block is preferably made from steel or aluminum and the electrodeposited layer is preferably copper or nickel. After the friction metal layer, preferably bronze, is sintered onto the electrodeposited layer, the cylinder block is treated to improve the strength and wear characteristics of the cylinder block without injuring the sliding friction characteristics of the sintered friction metal layer.

Abstract: A nuclear reactor includes a plurality of upstanding guide thimbles and a plurality of control rods received in the guide thimbles and supported for movement relative to the thimbles between inserted and withdrawn positions. The control rods each include a tubular cladding member and an end plug attached to a lower end of the member. The improvement relates to an wear sleeve disposed on the end plug so as to provide a contact interface between the control rod and its respective guide thimble. The sleeve is composed of material similar to that of the guide thimble and attached to the end plug by an interlock connection. The interlock connection includes a circumferential groove formed in the end plug and a circumferential protuberance swaged or mechanically roll formed in the sleeve so as to extend into the end plug groove.

Abstract: A nuclear fusion apparatus comprises a central support stay device having a central support stay portion and a plurality of radial portions radially extending from the central support stay portion and circumferentially spaced from each other at predetermined angles, a plurality of poloidal coils disposed in the circumferential direction of the central support stay device and supported by the radial portions, and a plurality of toroidal coils radially disposed around the central support stay device and adjacent the radial outer ends of the radial portions.

Abstract: A high concentration of positive molecular ions of hydrogen or deuterium gas is extracted from a positive ion source having a short path length of extracted ions, relative to the mean free path of the gas molecules, to minimize the production of other ion species by collision between the positive ions and gas molecules. The ion source has arrays of permanent magnets to produce a multi-cusp magnetic field in regions remote from the plasma grid and the electron emitters, for largely confining the plasma to the space therebetween. The ion source has a chamber which is short in length, relative to its transverse dimensions, and the electron emitters are at an even shorter distance from the plasma grid, which contains one or more extraction apertures.

Abstract: In a nuclear reactor installation with a small high temperature reactor (26) all of the components of the primary loop, together with the control and shutdown installations (82, 92, 114, 116; 194, 198, 200) are located inside a steel pressure vessel (16) and may be installed and dismantled from above. This makes an economical subterranean construction possible.

Abstract: This invention provides a high power closing switch having a fast operating speed in the bypass of a main circuit switch for reducing the load share of the main circuit switch provided between a load coil and a power source circuit provided in a nuclear fusion reactor to simplify the construction of the main circuit switch formed heretofore of a number of parallel switches to reduce the value of the resistor of a clover circuit, thereby reducing the discharge current of the capacitor of the power source circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reactor internals hold down spring and upper head region cooling passage. The hold down spring utilizes a plurality of stacks of Belleville spring washers to provide spring load and deflection capability to hold down the reactor vessel internals. Each spring assembly includes a generally leak tight means for passing an adjustable coolant flow to the upper reactor vessel head region in order to maintain that region at inlet coolant temperature. The spring assemblies are angularly spaced about a core barrel support flange to cooperate with coolant flow passage formed therein.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transmission having an input shaft coupled to a motor unit on one side of the transmission and a braking device located on the other side of the unit. Planetary gear trains are located together on one side of the gear box with shafts coupled to the drive wheels or tracks extending through the braking unit on one side and through the gear box on the other. The gear box is connected to the planetary gear train by an output shaft and housing which is also connected to the braking device. Finally, a steering device is located within the transmission housing and serves to controllably interconnect the planetary gear of the planetary gear trains. This advantageously permits the brake unit to be mounted outside of the transmission housing which includes the planetary gear trains, the gear box and the steering device.

Abstract: A torque converter includes a coaxially mounted pump impeller, turbine, and stator, each of which includes an outer shell, an inner shell, and vanes extending between the outer shell and the inner shell having edges which define an inlet and outlet. The pump impeller outlet is proximate to the turbine inlet, the turbine outlet is proximate to the stator inlet, and the stator outlet is proximate to the pump impeller inlet. The outer and inner shells cooperate to define outer and inner toroidal surfaces, which together define a hollow toroidal hydraulic fluid circulation path. The ratio between the axial extent and the radical extent of a section of the outer toroidal surface is less than approximately 0.9.

Abstract: A device for aiding a player playing the game of blackjack which includes an outer housing with a first and a second labelled window. The first window is labelled to indicate that a symbol for the dealer's up card value is displayed therein. The second window is labelled with a plurality of indicia signifying the possible values which are assigned to the player's card combinations. The device also has a carriage rotatably mounted inside the outer housing, and a chart is displayed on the surface of the carriage. A set of symbols which stand for the dealer's up card appear on the top of the chart, and a number of other symbols which indicate proper decisions by the player appear on the remainder of the chart. A knob at either end of the carriage retains the carriage in the outer housing and allows the player to hold the device and rotate the carriage by manipulating one of the knobs using only one hand.

Abstract: A fusion reactor is provided having a near spherical-shaped plasma with a modest central opening through which straight segments of toroidal field coils extend that carry electrical current for generating a toroidal magnet plasma confinement fields. By retaining only the indispensable components inboard of the plasma torus, principally the cooled toroidal field conductors and in some cases a vacuum containment vessel wall, the fusion reactor features an exceptionally small aspect ratio (typically about 1.5), a naturally elongated plasma cross section without extensive field shaping, requires low strength magnetic containment fields, small size and high beta. These features combine to produce a spherical torus plasma in a unique physics regime which permits compact fusion at low field and modest cost.