Staged depressurization system

Patent · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:868997

Schulz, Terry L ^[1]

---

1. Murrysville Boro, Westmoreland County, PA

A nuclear reactor having a reactor vessel disposed in a containment shell is depressurized in stages using depressurizer valves coupled in fluid communication with the coolant circuit. At least one sparger submerged in the in-containment refueling water storage tank which can be drained into the containment sump communicates between one or more of the valves and an inside of the containment shell. The depressurizer valves are opened in stages, preferably at progressively lower coolant levels and for opening progressively larger flowpaths to effect depressurization through a number of the valves in parallel. The valves can be associated with a pressurizer tank in the containment shell, coupled to a coolant outlet of the reactor. At least one depressurization valve stage openable at a lowest pressure is coupled directly between the coolant circuit and the containment shell. The reactor is disposed in the open sump in the containment shell, and a further valve couples the open sump to a conduit coupling the refueling water storage tank to the coolant circuit for adding water to the coolant circuit, whereby water in the containment shell can be added to the reactor from the open sump.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-90SF18495
• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5259008
• OSTI ID: 868997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/376/
added
adding
adding water
associated
circuit
communicates
communication
conduit
containment
containment shell
coolant
coolant circuit
coolant level
coupled
coupled directly
couples
coupling
depressurization
depressurization valve
depressurized
depressurizer
directly
disposed
drained
effect
flowpaths
fluid
fluid communication
in-containment
in-containment refueling
inside
larger
levels
lowest
lowest pressure
nuclear
nuclear reactor
openable
outlet
parallel
preferably
pressure
pressurizer
pressurizer tank
progressively
reactor
reactor vessel
refueling
refueling water
shell
sparger
stage
staged
staged depressurization
stages
storage
storage tank
submerged
sump
tank
valve
valves
vessel
vessel disposed
water
water storage
whereby