Electric penetration assemblies are utilized to pass electric conductors through the containment walls of nuclear reactors. A typical penetration assembly may include a header plate which can receive several penetration modules, each module being installed in a hole of the header plate and secured therein by gas tight seals. One or more electrical conductors pass through each module. In order to assure that there is not outward radiation leakage through the modules, high pressure gas is applied to each of the module-receiving holes and to portions of each electrical conductor contained in the module.
One prior art electrical penetration module utilizes a disk of permeable material such as silicon, commonly referred to as a reticulate, through which the electrical conductors or wires extend. A quantity of epoxy is molded around the reticulate and portions of the wires extend from each face of the reticulate. A radial hole is typically drilled through the epoxy into the reticulate so that pressured gas applied to the outside of the module passes through the hole and permeates the reticulate. Thus, pressured gas is applied around the periphery of the wires and therefore to any leakage paths developing around the wires. This type of prior art module is relatively costly to manufacture, the high cost being primarily attributable to the machining typically required after the epoxy is molded.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds