Emergency core cooling system
Abstract
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.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Rockwell International Corp., Canoga Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864461
- Patent Number(s):
- 4367194
- Application Number:
- 06/189534
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC14-79ET37109
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1980 Sep 22
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- emergency; core; cooling; liquid; metal; cooled; fast; breeder; reactor; provided; vessel; contains; comprising; array; fuel; assemblies; plurality; blanket; immersed; pool; coolant; primary; pump; conduits; circulating; converging-diverging; venturi; nozzle; intermediate; throat; section; fluid; communication; sodium; normal; operation; flows; flowing; running; residual; heat; causes; flow; outwardly; providing; means; removing; decay; venturi nozzle; coolant flows; throat section; decay heat; breeder reactor; fuel assemblies; fast breeder; normal operation; reactor vessel; liquid metal; reactor core; fluid flow; liquid sodium; coolant flow; fluid communication; metal cooled; residual heat; primary coolant; fluid flowing; metal coolant; blanket assemblies; emergency core; core cooling; cooled fast; /376/976/
Citation Formats
Schenewerk, William E., and Glasgow, Lyle E. Emergency core cooling system. United States: N. p., 1983.
Web.
Schenewerk, William E., & Glasgow, Lyle E. Emergency core cooling system. United States.
Schenewerk, William E., and Glasgow, Lyle E. Sat .
"Emergency core cooling system". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864461.
@article{osti_864461,
title = {Emergency core cooling system},
author = {Schenewerk, William E. and Glasgow, Lyle E.},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1983},
month = {1}
}