Passive shut-down heat removal system

Patent · Tue Oct 25 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6119677

Hundal, R; Sharbaugh, J E

An improved shut-down heat removal system of a liquid metal nuclear reactor of the type having a vessel for holding hot and cold pools of liquid sodium is disclosed herein. Generally, the improved system comprises a redan or barrier within the reactor vessel which allows an auxiliary heat exchanger to become immersed in liquid sodium from the hot pool whenever the reactor pump fails to generate a metal-circulating pressure differential between the hot and cold pools of sodium. This redan also defines an alternative circulation path between the hoot and cold pools of sodium in order to equilibrate the distribution of the decay heat from the reactor core. The inventions may take the form of a redan or barrier that circumscribes the inner wall of the reactor vessel, thereby defining an annular space therebetween. In this embodiment, the bottom of the annular space communicates with the cold pool of sodium, and the auxiliary heat exchanger is placed in this annular space just above the drawn-down level that the liquid sodium assumes during normal operating conditions. Alternatively, the redan of the invention may include a pair of vertically oriented, concentrically disposed standpipes having a piston member disposed between them that operates somewhat like a pressure-sensitive valve. In both embodiments, the cessation of the pressure differential that is normally created by the reactor pump causes the auxiliary heat exchanger to be immersed in liquid sodium from the hot pool. Additionally, the redan in both embodiments forms a circulation flow path between the hot and cold pools so that the decay heat from the nuclear core is uniformly distributed within the vessel.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4780270
• OSTI ID: 6119677
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220200 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Components & Accessories
220400* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
42 ENGINEERING
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
ALKALI METALS
CONTAINERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY RECOVERY
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT RECOVERY
METALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
PRESSURE VESSELS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
REACTORS
RECOVERY
SHUTDOWNS
SODIUM
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMAL POWER PLANTS