GATE VALVES FOR FUSION APPLICATIONS-RADIAL-DIRECTED, FLUID-PRESSURE-LOADED, ALL-METAL-SEALED DOUBLE GATES

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FUSION REACTOR-COMPATIBLE VALVE SHOULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARD PROVIDING VACUUM HARDWARE FOR NEXT-GENERATION TRITIUM-BURNING DEVICES AND SHOULD FIND APPLICATION IN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AND ELSEWHERE. IT IS PLANNED TO DESIGN IN PHASE I AND BUILD AND TEST IN PHASE II A SERIES OF LARGE GATE VALVES UP TO 1 M DIAMETER THAT MEET THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: (1) DOUBLE GATE SEALS THAT CAN BE DIFFERENTIALLY PUMPED; (2) AN ACTUATING MECHANISM THAT IS NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE GATE-SEAL LOADING; (THESE TWO POINTS RESULT IN A LARGE WEIGHT (HENCE COST) SAVINGS). (3) A VALVE BODY THAT IS NOT REQUIRED TO REACT TO THE GATE-SEAL LOADING BECAUSE OF RADIAL-DIRECTED SEAL FORCE; (4) SCALING THAT IS LIMITED ONLY BY THE ATMOSPHERIC LOADING OF THE GATE PLATES; (5) A GATE SHAPE THAT IS NOT NECESSARILYROUND; (6) OPERABILITY WITH A MINIMUM NUMBER OF LIMITED SIZE PARTICULATES BECAUSE OF THE USE OF A DOUBLE GATE WITH DIFFERENTIAL PUMPING; (7) A LEAK RATE (UNDIFFERENTIALLY PUMPED AND BARRING FOREIGN BODIES OF TOO LARGE A SIZE) THAT BECOMES ASYMPTOTIC TO A SPECIFIED LEVEL AFTER A NUMBER OF CLOSURE CYCLES; (8) NO ORGANIC MATERIALS SO THE VALVE WILL BE TRITIUM COMPATIBLE AND RADIATION HARDENED.