Abstract: An improved liquid metal nuclear reactor construction has a reactor core and a generally cylindrical reactor vessel for holding a large pool of low pressure liquid metal coolant and housing the core within the pool. The reactor vessel has an open top end, a closed flat bottom end wall and a continuous cylindrical closed side wall interconnecting the top end and bottom end wall. The reactor also has a generally cylindrical concrete containment structure surrounding the reactor vessel and being formed by a cylindrical side wall spaced outwardly from the reactor vessel side wall and a flat base mat spaced below the reactor vessel bottom end wall. A central support pedestal is anchored to the containment structure base mat and extends upwardly therefrom to the reactor vessel and upwardly therefrom to the reactor core so as to support the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and the lower end of the reactor core in spaced apart relationship above the containment structure base mat.

Abstract: A control valve for cyclic duty steam turbines having a one piece bonnet configuration which has been designed to minimize the affects of and withstand expected cyclic stresses during hot, warm and cold startup conditions of turbines utilized for peak loading.

Abstract: Apparatus for machining a stop valve seat ring while the valve remains piped to a turbine comprises a pair of spiders with adjustable arms which fit within the valve and a shaft rotatably supported by the spiders and driven through a gear train by a motor attached to one of the spiders, the shaft having a tool support which holds and is capable of moving a single edge cutting tool axially to machine the seat ring.

Abstract: A locking system for attaching a circular array of side entry steam turbine blades to a rotor disc utilizing a circumferential groove in the outer periphery of the disc and a notch in one side of a blade platform to form an opening for receiving a pin which prevents the blade from sliding in the side entry slots in the disc and the next blade installed on the rotor captures a pin in the preceding blade except the last blade assembled in the array or closing blade has a kerf in the platform which registers with the circumferential groove in the disc and a locking key fitting into the kerf and groove to hold the last blade in place and the locking key being captured in the kerf and groove by a strip of metal passing through a slit in the locking key and an opening formed in the platforms.

Abstract: In launching a missile from a launch tube, variable launch energy can be obtained by providing combustible products in the products of combustion from a gas generator and controlling the temperature and amount of oxygen present in the launch chamber to control the amount of secondary combustion in the launch chamber to provide a predetermined total launch energy and missile muzzle velocity.

Abstract: A flexible coupling for joining two rotating shafts, the coupling having opposed hubs one attached to each shaft, the hubs each having an annular array of radical grooves on opposing faces thereof and a plurality of generally rectangular shaped laminated graphite epoxy plates with radially extended projections which are provided with an integral laminated elastomer/metal shear sandwich structure and are held in the radial grooves by restraint fittings attached to the hubs.

Abstract: A system for deaerating water utilized to flood a bore of a turbine rotor which is to be ultrasonically inspected in which the bore is inclined and evacuated and heated water enters the bore and impinges on a surface that breaks up the influent stream of water to substantially increase its surface area to assist in the deaeration, the bore being connected to a trough partially filled with heated water to a level above the bore to maintain the flooded condition of the bore during the ultrasonic inspection.

Abstract: An adapter for a Bader grinder which permits rapid and easy change from vertical to horizontal grinding wherein the adapter has a quick mounting base portion with two pivoted arms each having a wheel rotatably mounted on the distal end and means for adjusting the angular position of the wheels with respect to the base. The contact wheel is generally oriented horizontally and its support arm is pivotally mounted on the distal end of the base to provide a horizontally moving belt to the workpiece.

Abstract: A steam turbine having a chamber in the inlet end thereof adjacent the thrust balance piston and dummy ring formed so that the temperature is substantially reduced while the pressure is only slightly reduced to optimize the pressure temperature affect on the balance piston and rotor utilizing labyrinth seals and a static seal together with vent ports in fluid communication with the chamber and an area downstream of the first row of rotatable blades to provide a more efficient and reliable turbine.

Abstract: A shock absorbing support pad system for a missile utilizing a pad formed from two spaced apart arcuate sheets and a plurality of chevron-shaped struts extending between the sheets and made integral therewith, an arcuate metal plate having a plurality of closely disposed bell-shaped protrusions with their domes removed adhesively attached to the inner arcuate sheet and a sheet of foam sandwiched between two Kevlar sheets which are stitched together and disposed between the metal plate and the missile to distribute the load over small irregularities on the missile surface and insure separation of the pad from the missile after launch.

Abstract: A lathe for machining a balloon-shaped pocket in a turbine rotor comprising a carriage disposed on ways to move axially along the bed of the lathe, a cross-feed mounted on the carriage, the cross-feed moving toward and away from the axis of the lathe and a tear-dropped shaped tool holder for holding a single-edged cutting tool disposed on the cross-feed in such a manner that the cutting tip of the single-edge tool moves in a circular arc and cooperates with the cross-feed to cut a balloon-shaped pocket in a turbine rotor.

Abstract: A circular array of rotatable blades formed from blades having an integral shroud with a leading planar surface and a trailing planar surface, the leading planar surface being generally parallel to an axial radial plane passing through the center of the root of the blade and the trailing planar surface, if extended, intersecting the axial radial plane passing through the center of the root of the blade to form an angle generally equal in degrees to 360 divided by the number of blades forming the circular array.

Abstract: An inflatable seal for an annular cavity which is to be filled with magnetic rubber mold material utilized to inspect surfaces lining the cavity. The seal comprises an oblong tubular member sealed on each end and formed into a circle with the sealed ends engaged to form a circular ring. A conduit connects into the tubular member so that the seal may be inflated and deflated and a plurality of conduits pass through the tubular member a predetermined distance to position the seal within the cavity and provide means for supplying rubber mold material to the seal portion of the cavity and bleed air or evacuate the cavity as the rubber mold material is being injected thereto.

Abstract: An inlet flow distributor comprising multiple chambers and a flow splitter which can be freely inserted through the feedwater inlet nozzle and assembled and attached to the nozzle in such a manner that each chamber receives a portion of the influent feedwater and distributes it at controlled peak velocities and in a predetermined pattern to the shell through a pair of perforated plates having offset perforations in order to reduce vibration of tubes adjacent thereto.

Abstract: A flow control device for providing a substantially uniform and vortex-free inflow and distribution of feedwater to a steam generator having a tube bundle for a primary fluid disposed in a shell provided in the feedwater inlet nozzle including a diffuser structure, with a number of diffuser channels adapted to restrict outflow of water from the generator shell during a break in a feedwater pipe connected to the inlet nozzle and baffle means associated with said diffuser structure to deflect the feedwater flow in a radial direction about the inlet nozzle, the baffle means being arranged closely adjacent the inlet nozzle between the downstream ends of the diffuser channels and the tube bundle enclosed by the shell.

Abstract: A method of separating the two exhausts of a low pressure double flow turbine so that the turbine can be directly connected to a zoned or multi pressure condenser having a shell side low pressure chamber with influent cooling water in the tubes disposed therein and a shell side higher pressure chamber with effluent cooling water in the tubes disposed therein and utilizing structural elements within the turbine and baffling to form low leakage seals between the two chambers.

Abstract: A low pressure double flow stream turbine is connected to a condenser and partition plates are disposed within the condenser and turbine to flow to two separate chambers and cooling water flows in series through tubes in the separate chambers producing different back pressures, the last row of rotating blades which discharge into the lower pressure chamber are longer than the last row of blades which discharge into the higher pressure chamber resulting in an improvement in the heat rate of the turbine.

Abstract: A heat limiting tubular sleeve extending over only a portion of a tube having a generally uniform outside diameter, the sleeve being open on both ends, having one end thereof larger in diameter than the other end thereof and having a wall thickness which decreases in the same direction as the diameter of the sleeve decreases so that the heat transfer through the sleeve and tube is less adjacent the large diameter end of the sleeve than adjacent the other end thereof.

Abstract: A torpedo launcher for a submarine, wherein the torpedo tube is encircled a cylindrical enclosure and a sack is disposed in the cylindrical enclosure and the sack is in fluid communication with the breech end of the torpedo tube. The torpedo tube and sack are filled with seawater and pressurized air is rapidly supplied to the cylindrical enclosure to eject the torpedo from the torpedo tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for mapping the inner surface of a cylinder utilizing a laser to align a spider disposed within the cylindrical surface, the spider having a rotatable arm with a finger connected to a linear variable differential transducer. The finger being biased outwardly and the arm is rotated 360.degree. from a predetermined angular position, the spider and arm are moved axially predetermined increments and signals indicative of the axial and annular position of the arm and the extension of the finger are recorded and processed to map the internal surface of the cylinder.