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Title: Control of reactor coolant flow path during reactor decay heat removal

Abstract

An improved reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system for a sodium cooled nuclear reactor is disclosed. The sodium cooled nuclear reactor is of the type having a reactor vessel liner separating the reactor hot pool on the upstream side of an intermediate heat exchanger and the reactor cold pool on the downstream side of the intermediate heat exchanger. The improvement includes a flow path across the reactor vessel liner flow gap which dissipates core heat across the reactor vessel and containment vessel responsive to a casualty including the loss of normal heat removal paths and associated shutdown of the main coolant liquid sodium pumps. In normal operation, the reactor vessel cold pool is inlet to the suction side of coolant liquid sodium pumps, these pumps being of the electromagnetic variety. The pumps discharge through the core into the reactor hot pool and then through an intermediate heat exchanger where the heat generated in the reactor core is discharged. Upon outlet from the heat exchanger, the sodium is returned to the reactor cold pool. The improvement includes placing a jet pump across the reactor vessel liner flow gap, pumping a small flow of liquid sodium from the lower pressure cold pool intomore » the hot pool. The jet pump has a small high pressure driving stream diverted from the high pressure side of the reactor pumps. During normal operation, the jet pumps supplement the normal reactor pressure differential from the lower pressure cold pool to the hot pool. Upon the occurrence of a casualty involving loss of coolant pump pressure, and immediate cooling circuit is established by the back flow of sodium through the jet pumps from the reactor vessel hot pool to the reactor vessel cold pool. The cooling circuit includes flow into the reactor vessel liner flow gap immediate the reactor vessel wall and containment vessel where optimum and immediate discharge of residual reactor heat occurs.« less

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Los Gatos, CA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
General Electric Co., Boston, MA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
866703
Patent Number(s):
US 4767594
Assignee:
General Electric Company (San Jose, CA)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-85NE37937
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
control; reactor; coolant; flow; path; decay; heat; removal; improved; vessel; auxiliary; cooling; sodium; cooled; nuclear; disclosed; type; liner; separating; hot; pool; upstream; intermediate; exchanger; cold; downstream; improvement; gap; dissipates; core; containment; responsive; casualty; including; loss; normal; paths; associated; shutdown; main; liquid; pumps; operation; inlet; suction; electromagnetic; variety; discharge; generated; discharged; outlet; returned; placing; jet; pump; pumping; pressure; driving; stream; diverted; supplement; differential; occurrence; involving; immediate; circuit; established; wall; optimum; residual; occurs; vessel liner; vessel wall; decay heat; reactor coolant; normal operation; reactor pressure; containment vessel; reactor vessel; heat exchange; nuclear reactor; heat exchanger; reactor core; pressure differential; flow path; liquid sodium; coolant flow; heat removal; heat generated; cooled nuclear; hot pool; reactor heat; auxiliary cooling; jet pump; coolant liquid; normal reactor; cold pool; cooling circuit; sodium pumps; vessel auxiliary; sodium cooled; coolant pump; intermediate heat; reactor pump; core heat; improved reactor; sodium pump; /376/976/

Citation Formats

Hunsbedt, Anstein N. Control of reactor coolant flow path during reactor decay heat removal. United States: N. p., 1988. Web.
Hunsbedt, Anstein N. Control of reactor coolant flow path during reactor decay heat removal. United States.
Hunsbedt, Anstein N. 1988. "Control of reactor coolant flow path during reactor decay heat removal". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/866703.
@article{osti_866703,
title = {Control of reactor coolant flow path during reactor decay heat removal},
author = {Hunsbedt, Anstein N},
abstractNote = {An improved reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system for a sodium cooled nuclear reactor is disclosed. The sodium cooled nuclear reactor is of the type having a reactor vessel liner separating the reactor hot pool on the upstream side of an intermediate heat exchanger and the reactor cold pool on the downstream side of the intermediate heat exchanger. The improvement includes a flow path across the reactor vessel liner flow gap which dissipates core heat across the reactor vessel and containment vessel responsive to a casualty including the loss of normal heat removal paths and associated shutdown of the main coolant liquid sodium pumps. In normal operation, the reactor vessel cold pool is inlet to the suction side of coolant liquid sodium pumps, these pumps being of the electromagnetic variety. The pumps discharge through the core into the reactor hot pool and then through an intermediate heat exchanger where the heat generated in the reactor core is discharged. Upon outlet from the heat exchanger, the sodium is returned to the reactor cold pool. The improvement includes placing a jet pump across the reactor vessel liner flow gap, pumping a small flow of liquid sodium from the lower pressure cold pool into the hot pool. The jet pump has a small high pressure driving stream diverted from the high pressure side of the reactor pumps. During normal operation, the jet pumps supplement the normal reactor pressure differential from the lower pressure cold pool to the hot pool. Upon the occurrence of a casualty involving loss of coolant pump pressure, and immediate cooling circuit is established by the back flow of sodium through the jet pumps from the reactor vessel hot pool to the reactor vessel cold pool. The cooling circuit includes flow into the reactor vessel liner flow gap immediate the reactor vessel wall and containment vessel where optimum and immediate discharge of residual reactor heat occurs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/866703}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988}
}