Pressurizer passive steam relief and quench spray system

Patent · Tue May 13 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5665242

Magee, R D; Asztalos, M J; Trinh, V D

A cooling system is described of the pressurized water type for a nuclear reactor including: a reactor pressure vessel; primary liquid coolant circulation loops for the reactor pressure vessel with the loops being in communication within the reactor pressure vessel to form a closed primary reactor cooling system, and with each loop including a hot leg and a cold leg leading respectively from and to the reactor pressure vessel, a steam generator having its input connected to the respective hot leg and its output connected to the respective cold leg, and a coolant pump connected in the respective cold leg; a vertical pressurizer vessel which is partially filled with liquid coolant; a coolant connection from the lower end of the pressurizer vessel to the hot leg of one of the loops; a heater for heating the liquid coolant in the lower portion of the pressurizer vessel so as to produce a pressure in the upper portion of the pressurizer vessel, and hence in the primary cooling system, such that the coolant in the system does not boil; and means, connected to the upper end of the pressurizer vessel, for reducing the pressure in the pressure vessel; the improvement wherein the means for reducing the pressure in the pressurizer vessel comprises: a coolant spray nozzle in the upper end of the pressurizer vessel. A closed coolant tank is disposed vertically above the pressurizer vessel and contains liquid coolant which is subcooled at the pressure within the primary cooling system; a pressure outlet in the upper end of the pressurizer vessel; first and second coolant connections for the coolant tank, with the first coolant connection being at the bottom of the tank and the second coolant connection being near the top of the tank; and pressure responsive valve means, responsive to the pressure in the pressurizer vessel reaching a predetermined value, for connecting the first and second coolant connections to the nozzle and to the pressure outlet, respectively.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4588548
• OSTI ID: 5665242
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
BOILERS
CONTAINERS
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
COOLANTS
COOLING
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FEEDWATER
FLOW REGULATORS
HEATERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NOZZLES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRESSURE CONTROL
PRESSURE VESSELS
PRESSURIZERS
PRIMARY COOLANT CIRCUITS
PUMPS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTORS
STEAM GENERATORS
SUBCOOLING
VALVES
VAPOR GENERATORS
WATER
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS