Nuclear reactor melt-retention structure to mitigate direct containment heating

Patent · 31 December 1990

OSTI ID:867989

Tutu, Narinder K ^[1]; Ginsberg, Theodore ^[2]; Klages, John R ^[3]

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1. Manorville, NY
2. East Setauket, NY
3. Mattituck, NY

A light water nuclear reactor melt-retention structure to mitigate the extent of direct containment heating of the reactor containment building. The structure includes a retention chamber for retaining molten core material away from the upper regions of the reactor containment building when a severe accident causes the bottom of the pressure vessel of the reactor to fail and discharge such molten material under high pressure through the reactor cavity into the retention chamber. In combination with the melt-retention chamber there is provided a passageway that includes molten core droplet deflector vanes and has gas vent means in its upper surface, which means are operable to deflect molten core droplets into the retention chamber while allowing high pressure steam and gases to be vented into the upper regions of the containment building. A plurality of platforms are mounted within the passageway and the melt-retention structure to direct the flow of molten core material and help retain it within the melt-retention chamber. In addition, ribs are mounted at spaced positions on the floor of the melt-retention chamber, and grid means are positioned at the entrance side of the retention chamber. The grid means develop gas back pressure that helps separate the molten core droplets from discharged high pressure steam and gases, thereby forcing the steam and gases to vent into the upper regions of the reactor containment building.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• Assignee: Associated Universities, Inc. (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5049352
• OSTI ID: 867989
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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