Abstract:
A nuclear reactor system is disclosed which provides an auxiliary cooling system and improved safety in the event of corrosion failure. The reactor comprises an inner reactor vessel containing a reactor core and a liquid fuel, and an outer containment vessel, with an intermediate space between the vessels being filled with a protective material. The protective material is at least partly in a solid state during normal operation of the reactor, and is liquefied by increasing temperatures within the reactor vessel due to abnormal operating conditions and provides enhanced cooling in the liquid state. The protective material and/or the coolant of a heat exchanger may dilute the liquid fuel during corrosive failure, and may optionally be provided with neutron absorbing material to prevent a fission chain reaction from occurring outside the reactor vessel.
Abstract:
A nuclear steam supply system utilizing gravity-driven natural circulation for primary coolant flow through a fluidly interconnected reactor vessel and a steam generating vessel. In one embodiment, the steam generating vessel includes a plurality of vertically stacked heat exchangers operable to convert a secondary coolant from a saturated liquid to superheated steam by utilizing heat gained by the primary coolant from a nuclear fuel core in the reactor vessel. The secondary coolant, may be working fluid associated with a Rankine power cycle turbine-generator set in some embodiments. The steam generating vessel and reactor vessel may each be comprised of vertically elongated shells, which in one embodiment are arranged in lateral adjacent relationship. In one embodiment, the reactor vessel and steam generating vessel are physically discrete self-supporting structures which may be physically Iocated in the same containment vessel.
Abstract:
A passive containment air cooling system for a nuclear power plant that enhances air flow over a metal containment that houses the reactor system to improve heat transfer out of the containment. The heat transfer is improved by employing swirl vanes to mix the air as it rises over the walls of the containment due to natural circulation and a vortex engine proximate an exit along the cooling air path to increase the quantity of air drawn along the containment.
Abstract:
A cooling system to remove decay heat removal from a nuclear core of a nuclear reactor when the nuclear reactor cesses to operate due to unforeseen conditions such as, for example, loss of electrical power to pumps circulating the primary coolant in the nuclear reactor. The cooling has a conduit structure that defines a sealed closed circuit through which a cooling fluid circulates through natural convection. In some embodiments, the cooling system of the present disclosure is always functioning. That is, the cooling system continuously extracts heat from the nuclear core. In these embodiments, the cooling system does not need to be actuated in any way when the nuclear reactor shuts down unexpectedly. In other embodiments, the cooling system can be turned on automatically upon loss of electrical power.
Abstract:
A component cooling water system for a nuclear power plant. In one embodiment, the system includes an inner containment vessel housing a nuclear reactor and an outer containment enclosure structure. An annular water reservoir is formed between the containment vessel and containment enclosure structure which provides a heat sink for dissipating thermal energy. A shell-less heat exchanger is provided having an exposed tube bundle immersed in water held within the annular water reservoir. Component cooling water from the plant flows through the tube bundle and is cooled by transferring heat to the annular water reservoir. In one non-limiting embodiment, the tube bundle may be U-shaped
Abstract:
A component cooling water system for a nuclear power plant. In one embodiment, the system includes an inner containment vessel housing a nuclear reactor and an outer containment enclosure structure. An annular water reservoir is formed between the containment vessel and containment enclosure structure which provides a heat sink for dissipating thermal energy. A shell-less heat exchanger is provided having an exposed tube bundle immersed in water held within the annular water reservoir. Component cooling water from the plant flows through the tube bundle and is cooled by transferring heat to the annular water reservoir. In one non-limiting embodiment, the tube bundle may be U-shaped
Abstract:
An integral pressurized water reactor that combines all of the components typically associated with a nuclear steam supply system, such as the steam generator, reactor coolant pumps, pressurizer and the reactor, into a single reactor pressure vessel. The reactor pressure vessel is itself enclosed in a containment pressure vessel that also houses a number of safety systems, such as the core make-up tanks, the primary side of residual heat removal heat exchangers, an automatic depressurization system and a recirculation system that enables continuous core cooling through natural circulation over an extended period of time. Actuation of the passive systems is done by single actuation of valves, powered from redundant batteries.
Abstract:
La présente invention concerne un système pour assurer l'évacuation de la puissance résiduelle d'un réacteur nucléaire (100) à eau pressurisée. Le système comporte une réserve d'eau (102), au moins un générateur de vapeur, dit module GV (119), dans lequel l'eau primaire chauffée par le cœur (113) circule soit de façon forcée lors du fonctionnement en puissance, soit en circulation naturelle en situation d'arrêt de la pompe primaire, au moins un condenseur (105) logé dans l'enceinte de confinement (101). Le condenseur inclut un récupérateur (106) apte à récupérer l'eau condensée et une liaison condenseur (110, 107, 111) pour assurer la circulation d'eau en circuit fermé entre la réserve (102) et le condenseur (105). Le système comporte aussi des moyens (112) pour la mise en circulation de l'eau secondaire entre le module GV (119) et le condenseur (105), lesdits moyens s'activant sans apport extérieur d'énergie électrique, lorsqu'un paramètre de fonctionnement caractéristique d'un échauffement excessif de l'eau primaire atteint un certain seuil, de sorte que l'eau primaire chauffée par le cœur (113) et circulant dans le module GV vaporise l'eau secondaire, une liaison chaude (123) assurant la circulation naturelle de la vapeur issue du module GV (119) vers le condenseur (105), le condenseur (105) étant apte à condenser la vapeur d'eau circulant dans la liaison chaude (123) par contact thermique avec l'eau de la liaison condenseur (110, 107, 111) en circulation naturelle et une liaison froide (124) assurant la circulation par gravité de l'eau issue du récupérateur (106) vers le module GV (119).
Abstract:
A method of storing a chimney assembly of a reactor pressure vessel during a nuclear reactor outage may include detaching a chimney barrel with upper chimney partitions therein from a top guide assembly of the reactor pressure vessel. A height of the upper chimney partitions is less than a height of the chimney barrel so as to leave a plenum region in a top section of the chimney barrel. The top guide assembly includes lower chimney partitions therein. The lower chimney partitions are removed from the top guide assembly and inserted into the plenum region of the chimney barrel so as to be on the upper chimney partitions. As a result, the chimney assembly can be stored in a relatively compact form during a reactor outage. The chimney assembly may be a combination of at least the chimney barrel, the upper chimney partitions, and the lower chimney partitions.