Emergency core cooling system

Patent · Tue Jan 04 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6489510

Glasgow, L E; Schenewerk, W E

A liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor provided with an emergency core cooling system includes a reactor vessel which contains a reactor core comprising an array of fuel assemblies and a plurality of blanket assemblies. The reactor core is immersed in a pool of liquid metal coolant. The reactor also includes a primary coolant system comprising a pump and conduits for circulating liquid metal coolant to the reactor core and through the fuel and blanket assemblies of the core. A converging -diverging venturi nozzle with an intermediate throat section is provided in between the assemblies and the pump. The intermediate throat section of the nozzle is provided with at least one opening which is in fluid communication with the pool of liquid sodium. In normal operation, coolant flows from the pump through the nozzle to the assemblies with very little fluid flowing through the opening in the throat. However, when the pump is not running, residual heat in the core causes fluid from the pool to flow through the opening in the throat of the nozzle and outwardly through the nozzle to the assemblies, thus providing a means of removing decay heat.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4367194
• OSTI ID: 6489510
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ALKALI METALS
BREEDER REACTORS
COOLANTS
DESIGN
ECCS
ELEMENTS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
METALS
NOZZLES
PUMPS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR PROTECTION SYSTEMS
REACTORS
SODIUM