Gas-cooled nuclear reactor

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:865675

Peinado, Charles O ^[1]; Koutz, Stanley L ^[2]

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1. La Jolla, CA
2. San Diego, CA

A gas-cooled nuclear reactor includes a central core located in the lower portion of a prestressed concrete reactor vessel. Primary coolant gas flows upward through the core and into four overlying heat-exchangers wherein stream is generated. During normal operation, the return flow of coolant is between the core and the vessel sidewall to a pair of motor-driven circulators located at about the bottom of the concrete pressure vessel. The circulators repressurize the gas coolant and return it back to the core through passageways in the underlying core structure. If during emergency conditions the primary circulators are no longer functioning, the decay heat is effectively removed from the core by means of natural convection circulation. The hot gas rising through the core exits the top of the shroud of the heat-exchangers and flows radially outward to the sidewall of the concrete pressure vessel. A metal liner covers the entire inside concrete surfaces of the concrete pressure vessel, and cooling tubes are welded to the exterior or concrete side of the metal liner. The gas coolant is in direct contact with the interior surface of the metal liner and transfers its heat through the metal liner to the liquid coolant flowing through the cooling tubes. The cooler gas is more dense and creates a downward convection flow in the region between the core and the sidewall until it reaches the bottom of the concrete pressure vessel when it flows radially inward and up into the core for another pass. Water is forced to flow through the cooling tubes to absorb heat from the core at a sufficient rate to remove enough of the decay heat created in the core to prevent overheating of the core or the vessel.

• Research Organization: GA TECHNOLOGIES INC
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76SF70046
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4554129
• OSTI ID: 865675
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

gas-cooled
nuclear
reactor
central
core
located
portion
prestressed
concrete
vessel
primary
coolant
gas
flows
upward
overlying
heat-exchangers
stream
generated
normal
operation
return
flow
sidewall
pair
motor-driven
circulators
bottom
pressure
repressurize
passageways
underlying
structure
emergency
conditions
functioning
decay
heat
effectively
removed
means
natural
convection
circulation
hot
rising
exits
top
shroud
radially
outward
metal
liner
covers
entire
inside
surfaces
cooling
tubes
welded
exterior
direct
contact
interior
surface
transfers
liquid
flowing
cooler
dense
creates
downward
region
reaches
inward
pass
water
forced
absorb
sufficient
rate
remove
created
prevent
overheating
natural convection
central core
coolant gas
radially inward
decay heat
gas flows
liquid coolant
direct contact
normal operation
gas flow
reactor vessel
pressure vessel
nuclear reactor
interior surface
coolant flow
hot gas
primary coolant
radially outward
cooled nuclear
prestressed concrete
metal liner
cooling tubes
gas-cooled nuclear
effectively removed
cooling tube
coolant flowing
gas rising
cooler gas
emergency conditions
gas coolant
concrete surfaces
convection circulation
flows radially
flows upward
metal line
concrete reactor
convection flow
effectively remove
/376/976/