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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Steam-assisted jet pump

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5490259

This patent describes a nuclear reactor having forced circulation jet pumps for causing pumped flow of reactor water coolant through the core of the reactor in forced circulation. The reactor further includes a steam outlet for providing steam to a power source and a feedwater inlet communicated from a feedwater system for replacing the outflowing steam with a corresponding supply of water coolant for generation into steam, the improvement to the jet pumps comprising: a jet pump having an inlet, a mixer section and a diffuser section the inlet and the diffuser communicated to water coolant to be force circulated within the reactor; a nozzle communicated to the mixer for entraining water coolant into the inlet and transferring momentum to the water coolant in the mixer for discharge of pumped water coolant in forced circulation through the core of the reactor, the nozzle including a first water jet communicated from the feedwater inlet of the nuclear reactor for receiving the feedwater at a temperature below the saturation temperature of the reactor and discharging water in an accelerated fluid stream; pump means communicated to the feedwater inlet for intake from the feedwater system and discharge through the nozzle for introducing feedwater into the reactor. The nozzle further includes a second stream jet communicated from the saturated steam outlet of the reactor.

Assignee:
General Electric Co., San Jose, CA
Patent Number(s):
US 4847043
OSTI ID:
5490259
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English