Collecting and recirculating condensate in a nuclear reactor containment
Abstract
An arrangement passively cools a nuclear reactor in the event of an emergency, condensing and recycling vaporized cooling water. The reactor is surrounded by a containment structure and has a storage tank for cooling liquid, such as water, vented to the containment structure by a port. The storage tank preferably is located inside the containment structure and is thermally coupleable to the reactor, e.g. by a heat exchanger, such that water in the storage tank is boiled off to carry away heat energy. The water is released as a vapor (steam) and condenses on the cooler interior surfaces of the containment structure. The condensed water flows downwardly due to gravity and is collected and routed back to the storage tank. One or more gutters are disposed along the interior wall of the containment structure for collecting the condensate from the wall. Piping is provided for communicating the condensate from the gutters to the storage tank.
- Inventors:
-
- Murrysville Boro, PA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 868975
- Patent Number(s):
- 5255296
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp. (Pittsburgh, PA)
- 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:
- AC03-90SF18495
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- collecting; recirculating; condensate; nuclear; reactor; containment; arrangement; passively; cools; event; emergency; condensing; recycling; vaporized; cooling; water; surrounded; structure; storage; tank; liquid; vented; preferably; located; inside; thermally; coupleable; heat; exchanger; boiled; carry; energy; released; vapor; steam; condenses; cooler; interior; surfaces; condensed; flows; downwardly; due; gravity; collected; routed; gutters; disposed; wall; piping; provided; communicating; water flows; water flow; cooling liquid; interior wall; reactor containment; located inside; storage tank; containment structure; heat energy; cooling water; heat exchange; nuclear reactor; heat exchanger; interior surface; interior surfaces; flows downwardly; /376/
Citation Formats
Schultz, Terry L. Collecting and recirculating condensate in a nuclear reactor containment. United States: N. p., 1993.
Web.
Schultz, Terry L. Collecting and recirculating condensate in a nuclear reactor containment. United States.
Schultz, Terry L. Fri .
"Collecting and recirculating condensate in a nuclear reactor containment". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/868975.
@article{osti_868975,
title = {Collecting and recirculating condensate in a nuclear reactor containment},
author = {Schultz, Terry L},
abstractNote = {An arrangement passively cools a nuclear reactor in the event of an emergency, condensing and recycling vaporized cooling water. The reactor is surrounded by a containment structure and has a storage tank for cooling liquid, such as water, vented to the containment structure by a port. The storage tank preferably is located inside the containment structure and is thermally coupleable to the reactor, e.g. by a heat exchanger, such that water in the storage tank is boiled off to carry away heat energy. The water is released as a vapor (steam) and condenses on the cooler interior surfaces of the containment structure. The condensed water flows downwardly due to gravity and is collected and routed back to the storage tank. One or more gutters are disposed along the interior wall of the containment structure for collecting the condensate from the wall. Piping is provided for communicating the condensate from the gutters to the storage tank.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1993},
month = {1}
}