Reactor building assembly and method of operation

Patent · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:6481219

Fennern, L E; Caraway, H A; Hsu, Li C

A reactor building assembly is described comprising: a reactor pressure vessel containing a reactor core for generating heat in the form of steam; a containment vessel enclosing said pressure vessel; a first enclosure surrounding said containment vessel and spaced laterally therefrom to define a first chamber there between, and having a top and a bottom; a second enclosure surrounding said first enclosure and spaced laterally therefrom to define a second chamber there between, and having a top and a bottom; a building inlet for receiving into said second chamber fresh air from outside said second enclosure; a building outlet for discharging stale air from said first chamber; a transfer duct disposed through said first enclosure selectively joining in flow communication said first and second chambers; said building inlet being disposed at said second enclosure top, said building outlet being disposed at said first enclosure top, and said transfer duct being disposed adjacent said first enclosure bottom for allowing said fresh air to flow downwardly by gravity through said second chamber and through said transfer duct into said first chamber for cooling said first chamber, said stale air flowing upwardly by natural buoyancy for discharger from said first chamber through said building outlet; an exhaust stack disposed above said building outlet and in flow communication therewith for channeling upwardly said stale air from said first chamber for discharge into the surrounding environs; and a passive first driving means for increasing flow of said stale air from said building outlet comprising: an isolation pool containing isolation water; an isolation condenser disposed in said isolation pool, and joined in flow communication with said reactor pressure vessel for receiving primary steam therefrom, said primary steam being cooled in said isolation condenser for heating said isolation water to generate secondary steam.

• Assignee: General Electric Company, San Jose, CA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5215708; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-901308
• OSTI ID: 6481219
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 19 Jun 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
CONTAINMENT BUILDINGS
DESIGN
REACTORS
AIR FLOW
COOLING
DUCTS
GASEOUS WASTES
POSITIONING
PRESSURE VESSELS
STACKS
STEAM
VENTILATION SYSTEMS
BUILDINGS
CONTAINERS
CONTAINMENT
FLUID FLOW
GAS FLOW
WASTES
220200* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Components & Accessories