Boiling reactor

Patent · Tue Dec 14 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6535407

Hannerz, K

Boiling reactor comprising a reactor core and a pressure vessel enclosing said reactor core and being provided with at least one conduit for discharged steam and at least one conduit for feed water and during normal operation being filled with water up to a certain normal level, the steam pressure in the pressure vessel having a substantially constant value of at least 5 mpa. The pressure vessel is surrounded by a waterfilled pool with a water volume above the reactor core which is considerably greater than the water volume within the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel is a concrete vessel having an internal thermal insulation. The reactor comprises emergency cooling pipes with valves connecting the reactor vessel to the pool. The valves are normally closed. The pipes are positioned at different levels. The emergency cooling valves are adapted to be controlled in dependence on the water level in the reactor vessel in such a way that they are opened when the water level is below a certain minimum level. When the valves are opened, steam is flowing out of the reactor vessel through the upper emergency cooling pipe, whereas water is flowing from the pool into the reactor vessel through the lower emergency cooling pipes as soon as the difference in static pressure in the pool between lower emergency cooling pipe and upper emergency cooling pipe is greater than the pressure drop of the steam flux passing through the latter. Emergency cooling is achieved entirely without the use of pumps.

• Assignee: Asea-Atom Ab (Sweden)
• Patent Number(s): US 4363780
• OSTI ID: 6535407
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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