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Title: Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability

Abstract

A passive and inherent shutdown heat removal method with a backup air flow path which allows decay heat removal following a postulated double vessel leak event in a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. The improved reactor design incorporates the following features: (1) isolation capability of the reactor cavity environment in the event that simultaneous leaks develop in both the reactor and containment vessels; (2) a reactor silo liner tank which insulates the concrete silo from the leaked sodium, thereby preserving the silo's structural integrity; and (3) a second, independent air cooling flow path via tubes submerged in the leaked sodium which will maintain shutdown heat removal after the normal flow path has been isolated.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Los Gatos, CA
  2. Saratoga, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
General Electric Co., Boston, MA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
869834
Patent Number(s):
5406602
Assignee:
General Electric Company (San Jose, CA)
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:  
AC03-89SF17445
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
passive; air; cooling; liquid; metal-cooled; reactor; double; vessel; leak; accommodation; capability; inherent; shutdown; heat; removal; method; backup; flow; path; allows; decay; following; postulated; event; nuclear; improved; design; incorporates; features; isolation; cavity; environment; simultaneous; leaks; containment; vessels; silo; liner; tank; insulates; concrete; leaked; sodium; preserving; structural; integrity; independent; via; tubes; submerged; maintain; normal; isolated; reactor design; liquid metal-cooled; reactor cavity; decay heat; containment vessel; nuclear reactor; liquid metal; flow path; air flow; structural integrity; heat removal; cooled nuclear; air cooling; metal-cooled nuclear; cooling flow; containment vessels; inherent shutdown; normal flow; vessel leak; improved reactor; metal-cooled reactor; cooled reactor; double vessel; /376/

Citation Formats

Hunsbedt, Anstein, and Boardman, Charles E. Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Hunsbedt, Anstein, & Boardman, Charles E. Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability. United States.
Hunsbedt, Anstein, and Boardman, Charles E. Sun . "Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869834.
@article{osti_869834,
title = {Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability},
author = {Hunsbedt, Anstein and Boardman, Charles E},
abstractNote = {A passive and inherent shutdown heat removal method with a backup air flow path which allows decay heat removal following a postulated double vessel leak event in a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. The improved reactor design incorporates the following features: (1) isolation capability of the reactor cavity environment in the event that simultaneous leaks develop in both the reactor and containment vessels; (2) a reactor silo liner tank which insulates the concrete silo from the leaked sodium, thereby preserving the silo's structural integrity; and (3) a second, independent air cooling flow path via tubes submerged in the leaked sodium which will maintain shutdown heat removal after the normal flow path has been isolated.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995}
}