Inadvertent actuation block valve for a small modular nuclear reactor

Patent · Tue Dec 06 04:00:00 EST 2022

OSTI ID:1986916

O'Brien, Hugh S.; Velkoff, Jr., William Jeffrey

An inadvertent actuation block valve includes inlet and outlet orifices being in selective fluid communication via a chamber. A disc is disposed within the chamber and a bellows is configured to contract at a predetermined pressure differential between reactor fluid entering a reference pressure orifice and control fluid entering the inlet orifice. When the bellows contracts, the disc engages the outlet orifice and isolates fluid communication between the inlet and outlet orifices. The inadvertent actuation block valve prevents inadvertent opening of an emergency core cooling valve when a reactor is at operating pressure that is above the predetermined set pressure range. The inadvertent actuation block valve permits the emergency cooling valves to open and to remain open when reactor pressure is below the predetermined set pressure range. The inadvertent actuation block valve does not impede long term emergency cooling that occurs when the reactor is at low pressure.

• Research Organization: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation, Farmingdale, NY (United States); NuScale Power LLC, Corvallis, OR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: NE0000633
• Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Corporation (Farmingdale, NY); NuScale Power, LLC (Corvallis, OR)
• Patent Number(s): 11,521,757
• Application Number: 16/294,062
• OSTI ID: 1986916
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English