Refueling water storage tank (RWST) with tailored passive emergency core cooling (ECC) flow

Patent · Tue Jun 28 04:00:00 EDT 2022

OSTI ID:1893089

Watson, Ronald C.; Malloy, III, John D.

A nuclear reactor comprises a pressure vessel containing a nuclear reactor core. A reactor core cooling system comprises a standpipe including a plurality of orifices in fluid communication with a refueling water storage tank (RWST) to drain water from the RWST into the standpipe, and an injection line configured to drain water from the standpipe to the pressure vessel. In some embodiments the standpipe is disposed in the RWST, while in other embodiments the standpipe is disposed outside of the RWST and cross-connection pipes connect the plurality of orifices with the RWST. The reactor core cooling system may further comprise a valve configured to control flow through one orifice of the plurality of orifices in fluid communication with the RWST based on water level in the standpipe. The valve may comprise a float valve having its float disposed in the standpipe.

• Research Organization: BWXT mPower, Inc., Charlotte, NC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: NE0000583
• Assignee: BWXT mPower, Inc. (Charlotte, NC)
• Patent Number(s): 11,373,768
• Application Number: 14/169,192
• OSTI ID: 1893089
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English