Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors
Abstract
A passive decay-heat removal system for a water-cooled nuclear reactor employs a closed heat transfer loop having heat-exchanging coils inside an open-topped, insulated box located inside the reactor vessel, below its normal water level, in communication with a condenser located outside of containment and exposed to the atmosphere. The heat transfer loop is located such that the evaporator is in a position where, when the water level drops in the reactor, it will become exposed to steam. Vapor produced in the evaporator passes upward to the condenser above the normal water level. In operation, condensation in the condenser removes heat from the system, and the condensed liquid is returned to the evaporator. The system is disposed such that during normal reactor operations where the water level is at its usual position, very little heat will be removed from the system, but during emergency, low water level conditions, substantial amounts of decay heat will be removed.
- Inventors:
-
- Oak Ridge, TN
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 868107
- Patent Number(s):
- 5076999
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (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:
- AC05-84OR21400
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- passive; decay; heat; removal; water-cooled; nuclear; reactors; decay-heat; reactor; employs; closed; transfer; loop; heat-exchanging; coils; inside; open-topped; insulated; box; located; vessel; below; normal; water; level; communication; condenser; outside; containment; exposed; atmosphere; evaporator; position; drops; steam; vapor; produced; passes; upward; operation; condensation; removes; condensed; liquid; returned; disposed; operations; removed; emergency; conditions; substantial; amounts; water-cooled nuclear; water level; decay heat; located inside; nuclear reactors; reactor vessel; nuclear reactor; heat transfer; located outside; heat removal; cooled nuclear; substantial amount; reactor operation; normal reactor; condensed liquid; reactor operations; vapor produced; substantial amounts; transfer loop; passes upward; closed heat; passive decay; /376/976/
Citation Formats
Forsberg, Charles W. Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors. United States: N. p., 1991.
Web.
Forsberg, Charles W. Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors. United States.
Forsberg, Charles W. Tue .
"Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868107.
@article{osti_868107,
title = {Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors},
author = {Forsberg, Charles W},
abstractNote = {A passive decay-heat removal system for a water-cooled nuclear reactor employs a closed heat transfer loop having heat-exchanging coils inside an open-topped, insulated box located inside the reactor vessel, below its normal water level, in communication with a condenser located outside of containment and exposed to the atmosphere. The heat transfer loop is located such that the evaporator is in a position where, when the water level drops in the reactor, it will become exposed to steam. Vapor produced in the evaporator passes upward to the condenser above the normal water level. In operation, condensation in the condenser removes heat from the system, and the condensed liquid is returned to the evaporator. The system is disposed such that during normal reactor operations where the water level is at its usual position, very little heat will be removed from the system, but during emergency, low water level conditions, substantial amounts of decay heat will be removed.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}