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Title: Pressurizer tank upper support

Abstract

A pressurizer tank in a pressurized water nuclear reactor is mounted between structural walls of the reactor on a substructure of the reactor, the tank extending upwardly from the substructure. For bearing lateral loads such as seismic shocks, a girder substantially encircles the pressurizer tank at a space above the substructure and is coupled to the structural walls via opposed sway struts. Each sway strut is attached at one end to the girder and at an opposite end to one of the structural walls, and the sway struts are oriented substantially horizontally in pairs aligned substantially along tangents to the wall of the circular tank. Preferably, eight sway struts attach to the girder at 90.degree. intervals. A compartment encloses the pressurizer tank and forms the structural wall. The sway struts attach to corners of the compartment for maximum stiffness and load bearing capacity. A valve support frame carrying the relief/discharge piping and valves of an automatic depressurization arrangement is fixed to the girder, whereby lateral loads on the relief/discharge piping are coupled directly to the compartment rather than through any portion of the pressurizer tank. Thermal insulation for the valve support frame prevents thermal loading of the piping and valves.more » The girder is shimmed to define a gap for reducing thermal transfer, and the girder is free to move vertically relative to the compartment walls, for accommodating dimensional variation of the pressurizer tank with changes in temperature and pressure.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. O'Hara Township, Allegheny County, PA
  2. Kiski Township, Armstrong County, PA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
869124
Patent Number(s):
5278880
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:
pressurizer; tank; upper; support; pressurized; water; nuclear; reactor; mounted; structural; walls; substructure; extending; upwardly; bearing; lateral; loads; seismic; shocks; girder; substantially; encircles; space; coupled; via; opposed; sway; struts; strut; attached; opposite; oriented; horizontally; pairs; aligned; tangents; wall; circular; preferably; eight; attach; 90; degree; intervals; compartment; encloses; forms; corners; maximum; stiffness; load; capacity; valve; frame; carrying; relief; discharge; piping; valves; automatic; depressurization; arrangement; fixed; whereby; directly; portion; thermal; insulation; prevents; loading; shimmed; define; gap; reducing; transfer; free; move; vertically; relative; accommodating; dimensional; variation; changes; temperature; pressure; substantially horizontal; pressurizer tank; seismic shock; thermal transfer; load bearing; pressurized water; support frame; thermal insulation; nuclear reactor; water nuclear; oriented substantially; structural walls; coupled directly; thermal loading; thermal load; struts attach; extending upwardly; lateral loads; structural wall; /376/

Citation Formats

Baker, Tod H, and Ott, Howard L. Pressurizer tank upper support. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Baker, Tod H, & Ott, Howard L. Pressurizer tank upper support. United States.
Baker, Tod H, and Ott, Howard L. Sat . "Pressurizer tank upper support". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869124.
@article{osti_869124,
title = {Pressurizer tank upper support},
author = {Baker, Tod H and Ott, Howard L},
abstractNote = {A pressurizer tank in a pressurized water nuclear reactor is mounted between structural walls of the reactor on a substructure of the reactor, the tank extending upwardly from the substructure. For bearing lateral loads such as seismic shocks, a girder substantially encircles the pressurizer tank at a space above the substructure and is coupled to the structural walls via opposed sway struts. Each sway strut is attached at one end to the girder and at an opposite end to one of the structural walls, and the sway struts are oriented substantially horizontally in pairs aligned substantially along tangents to the wall of the circular tank. Preferably, eight sway struts attach to the girder at 90.degree. intervals. A compartment encloses the pressurizer tank and forms the structural wall. The sway struts attach to corners of the compartment for maximum stiffness and load bearing capacity. A valve support frame carrying the relief/discharge piping and valves of an automatic depressurization arrangement is fixed to the girder, whereby lateral loads on the relief/discharge piping are coupled directly to the compartment rather than through any portion of the pressurizer tank. Thermal insulation for the valve support frame prevents thermal loading of the piping and valves. The girder is shimmed to define a gap for reducing thermal transfer, and the girder is free to move vertically relative to the compartment walls, for accommodating dimensional variation of the pressurizer tank with changes in temperature and pressure.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1994},
month = {1}
}