Passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors with backup coolant flow path

Patent · Tue Jun 29 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:6470858

Hunsbedt, A; Boardman, C E

A dual passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear fission reactors is described, comprising the combination of: a reactor vessel for containing a pool of liquid metal coolant with a core of heat generating fissionable fuel substantially submerged therein, a side wall of the reactor vessel forming an innermost first partition; a containment vessel substantially surrounding the reactor vessel in spaced apart relation having a side wall forming a second partition; a first baffle cylinder substantially encircling the containment vessel in spaced apart relation having an encircling wall forming a third partition; a guard vessel substantially surrounding the containment vessel and first baffle cylinder in spaced apart relation having a side wall forming a forth partition; a sliding seal at the top of the guard vessel edge to isolate the dual cooling system air streams; a second baffle cylinder substantially encircling the guard vessel in spaced part relationship having an encircling wan forming a fifth partition; a concrete silo substantially surrounding the guard vessel and the second baffle cylinder in spaced apart relation providing a sixth partition; a first fluid coolant circulating flow course open to the ambient atmosphere for circulating air coolant comprising at lent one down comer duct having an opening to the atmosphere in an upper area thereof and making fluid communication with the space between the guard vessel and the first baffle cylinder and at least one riser duct having an opening to the atmosphere in the upper area thereof and making fluid communication with the space between the first baffle cylinder and the containment vessel whereby cooling fluid air can flow from the atmosphere down through the down comer duct and space between the forth and third partitions and up through the space between the third and second partition and the riser duct then out into the atmosphere; and a second fluid coolant circulating flow.

• Assignee: General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5223210
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-745808
• OSTI ID: 6470858
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
AIR FLOW
CONTAINERS
CONTAINMENT
CONTAINMENT SYSTEMS
COOLANTS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
DUCTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTOR VESSELS
REACTORS