Abstract: A circumferential seal system wherein both low differential pressure circumferential seals and high differential pressure circumferential seals are utilized to provide the proper sealing for various wind box plenum zones supplying combustion air to a rotary combustor utilized to effectively burn solid municipal waste and maintain acceptable levels of CO even when there are large swings in the moisture content and heating value of the solid municipal waste.

Abstract: An annealing apparatus is described which is designed, manufactured, preassembled and tested at a factory in equal-sized, longitudinal, self-contained segments. In a typical arrangement each segment is one-quarter of the total unit. Each segment includes a support frame, an arcuate heater shell covered with a plurality of heaters and thermocouples, heater and thermocouple connectors, a segmented upper flange, a utility flange and connectors for attaching adjacent segments. Each segment is transported to the nuclear reactor, fit through the equipment hatch of the containment building and assembled in the reactor vessel with the remaining segments using a crane in the building. Appropriate connections for the individual heaters and thermocouples of each segment are made by personnel introduced into the building and are led out the top of the annealing apparatus to a control station.

Abstract: An improved debris tolerant seal for a rotary combustor is disposed on the inlet end ring header so as to extend radially inwardly therefrom and cooperates with a parallel spaced apart surface and diverging surface on an adjacent refractory ring to form a seal which will not become jammed with waste materials and allows for radial and axial thermal expansion of the rotary combustor.

Abstract: A temperature monitoring device for measuring the temperature at a surface of a body, composed of: at least one first thermocouple and a second thermocouple; support members supporting the thermocouples for placing the first thermocouple in contact with the body surface and for maintaining the second thermocouple at a defined spacing from the body surface; and a calculating circuit connected to the thermocouples for receiving individual signals each representative of the temperature reading produced by a respective one of the first and second thermocouples and for producing a corrected temperature signal having a value which represents the temperature of the body surface and is a function of the difference between the temperature reading produced by the first thermocouple and a selected fraction of the temperature reading provided by the second thermocouple.

Abstract: A cylindrical coffer dam assembly is described for use in temporary shielding personnel from nuclear reactor stored internals' radiation. The coffer dam is made up of substantially equal segments small enough to pass through the equipment hatch of the reactor containment building. The segments are pre-fabricated at a factory, transported to the plant, introduced individually into the containment building, and assembled together in sealing relation at the operating floor into a complete coffer dam. The coffer dam is moved to the reactor vessel and connected to the reactor vessel upper flange in sealing relation. The coffer dam can be disconnected, disassembled, removed and re-used at other nuclear reactors.

Abstract: A temporary hot cell and related method for handling high radiation level sources having wall, ceiling and floor structures comprised at least in part of temporary structures forming an enclosure to reduce to acceptable levels radiation of the surround from high level radiation sources handled within the enclosure. Preferably one or more manipulator arms extended through a wall structure of the enclosure to permit handling of the high level radiation sources within the enclosure by an operator located external to the enclosure. A window is positioned in the wall structure of the enclosure to allow an external operator to view handling of the radiation sources. The hot cell preferably also has a false floor, a filter and vent system sheeting to cover portions of the inner surface of the temporary structure forming the enclosure hot cell.