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Title: Nuclear reactor vessel fuel thermal insulating barrier

Abstract

The reactor vessel of a nuclear reactor installation which is suspended from the cold leg nozzles in a reactor cavity is provided with a lower thermal insulating barrier spaced from the reactor vessel that has a hemispherical lower section that increases in volume from the center line of the reactor to the outer extent of the diameter of the thermal insulating barrier and smoothly transitions up the side walls of the vessel. The space between the thermal insulating harrier and the reactor vessel forms a chamber which can be flooded with cooling water through passive valving to directly cool the reactor vessel in the event of a severe accident. The passive inlet valve for the cooling water includes a buoyant door that is normally maintained sealed under its own weight and floats open when the cavity is Hooded. Passively opening steam vents are also provided.

Inventors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Cranberry Township, PA)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1083026
Patent Number(s):
8,401,142
Application Number:
11/743,844
Assignee:
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Cranberry Township, PA)
DOE Contract Number:  
FC07-05ID14636
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS

Citation Formats

Keegan, C. Patrick, Scobel, James H., and Wright, Richard F. Nuclear reactor vessel fuel thermal insulating barrier. United States: N. p., 2013. Web.
Keegan, C. Patrick, Scobel, James H., & Wright, Richard F. Nuclear reactor vessel fuel thermal insulating barrier. United States.
Keegan, C. Patrick, Scobel, James H., and Wright, Richard F. 2013. "Nuclear reactor vessel fuel thermal insulating barrier". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1083026.
@article{osti_1083026,
title = {Nuclear reactor vessel fuel thermal insulating barrier},
author = {Keegan, C. Patrick and Scobel, James H. and Wright, Richard F.},
abstractNote = {The reactor vessel of a nuclear reactor installation which is suspended from the cold leg nozzles in a reactor cavity is provided with a lower thermal insulating barrier spaced from the reactor vessel that has a hemispherical lower section that increases in volume from the center line of the reactor to the outer extent of the diameter of the thermal insulating barrier and smoothly transitions up the side walls of the vessel. The space between the thermal insulating harrier and the reactor vessel forms a chamber which can be flooded with cooling water through passive valving to directly cool the reactor vessel in the event of a severe accident. The passive inlet valve for the cooling water includes a buoyant door that is normally maintained sealed under its own weight and floats open when the cavity is Hooded. Passively opening steam vents are also provided.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1083026}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Industrial technique
patent, December 1977


Reactor containment facilities
patent, March 1994


Remote visual inspection system
patent, January 1984