Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors

Patent Application · Mon Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:10160510

Forseberg, C W

This document describes passive decay-heat removal system for a water-cooled nuclear reactor which employs a closed heat transfer loop having heat-exchanging coils inside an open-topped, insulated evaporator located inside the reactor vessel, below its normal water level, in communication with a condenser located outside of containment and exposed to the atmosphere. The heat transfer loop is located such that the evaporator is in a position where, when the water level drops in the reactor, it will become exposed to steam. Vapor produced in the evaporator passes upward to the condenser above the normal water level. In operation, condensation in the condenser removes heat from the system, and the condensed liquid is returned to the evaporator. The system is disposed such that during normal reactor operations where the water level is at its usual position, very little heat will be removed from the system, but during emergency, low water level conditions, substantial amounts of decay heat will be removed.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): PATENTS-US-A7596155
• Application Number: ON: DE92016381; PAN: 7-596,155
• OSTI ID: 10160510
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
AFTER-HEAT REMOVAL
PWR TYPE REACTORS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
INVENTIONS
220900
210100
210200
POWER REACTORS
NONBREEDING
LIGHT-WATER MODERATED
BOILING WATER COOLED
POWER REACTORS
NONBREEDING
LIGHT-WATER MODERATED
NONBOILING WATER COOLED