Modular assembly for supporting, straining, and directing flow to a core in a nuclear reactor

Patent · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:862938

Pennell, William E ^[1]

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1. Greensburg, PA

A reactor core support arrangement for supporting, straining, and providing fluid flow to the core and periphery of a nuclear reactor during normal operation. A plurality of removable inlet modular units are contained within permanent liners in the lower supporting plate of the reactor vessel lower internals. During normal operation (1) each inlet modular unit directs main coolant flow to a plurality of core assemblies, the latter being removably supported in receptacles in the upper portion of the modular unit and (2) each inlet modular unit may direct bypass flow to a low pressure annular region of the reactor vessel. Each inlet modular unit may include special fluid seals interposed between mating surfaces of the inlet modular units and the core assemblies and between the inlet modular units and the liners, to minimize leakage and achieve an hydraulic balance. Utilizing the hydraulic balance, the modular units are held in the liners and the assemblies are held in the modular unit receptacles by their own respective weight. Included as part of the permanent liners below the horizontal support plate are generally hexagonal axial debris barriers. The axial debris barriers collectively form a bottom boundary of a secondary high pressure plenum, the upper boundary of which is the bottom surface of the horizontal support plate. Peripheral liners include radial debris barriers which collectively form a barrier against debris entry radially. During normal operation primary coolant inlet openings in the liner, below the axial debris barriers, pass a large amount of coolant into the inlet modular units, and secondary coolant inlet openings in the portion of the liners within the secondary plenum pass a small amount of coolant into the inlet modular units. The secondary coolant inlet openings also provide alternative coolant inlet flow paths in the unlikely event of blockage of the primary inlet openings. The primary inlet openings have characteristics which limit the entry of debris and minimize the potential for debris entering the primary inlets blocking the secondary inlets from inside the modular unit.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Madison, Pa. (USA)
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4053358
• OSTI ID: 862938
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/976/
achieve
alternative
amount
annular
annular region
arrangement
assemblies
assembly
axial
balance
barrier
barriers
below
blockage
blocking
bottom
bottom surface
boundary
bypass
characteristics
collectively
collectively form
contained
coolant
coolant flow
coolant inlet
core
core assemblies
core support
debris
direct
directing
directs
entering
entry
event
flow
flow path
flow paths
fluid
fluid flow
form
held
hexagonal
horizontal
hydraulic
included
inlet
inlet flow
inlet modular
inlets
inside
internals
interposed
latter
leakage
limit
liner
liners
main
mating
mating surface
mating surfaces
minimize
minimize leakage
modular
modular assembly
modular unit
modular units
movably supported
normal
normal operation
nuclear
nuclear reactor
openings
operation
pass
pass flow
paths
peripheral
periphery
permanent
plate
plenum
plurality
portion
potential
pressure
primary
primary coolant
provide
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providing fluid
radial
radially
reactor
reactor core
reactor vessel
receptacles
region
removable
removably
removably supported
respective
seals
secondary
special
straining
support
support arrangement
support plate
supported
supporting
surface
surfaces
unit
units
unlikely
unlikely event
upper
upper portion
utilizing
vessel
weight