Multiple-path flow restrictor nozzle
AssigneeGE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
InventorsJoel Patrick Melito, Randy Morris Brown, Zhe Zhang, Robin D. Sprague, Adrian M. Mistreanu, Gerald A. Deaver
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow restrictor nozzle for a pressurized vessel of a nuclear reactor may comprise a nozzle body including an inlet face and an outlet face. The nozzle body may define a plurality of internal flow paths extending from the inlet face to the outlet face. Each of the plurality of internal flow paths may include a convergent section, a throat section, and a divergent section.
Claims20
A flow restrictor nozzle for a pressurized vessel of a nuclear reactor, comprising:
- a nozzle body including an inlet face and an outlet face, the nozzle body being a monolithic structure defining a plurality of internal flow paths extending from the inlet face to the outlet face, each of the plurality of internal flow paths including a convergent section, a throat section, and a divergent section, the plurality of internal flow paths including a central flow path and peripheral flow paths surrounding the central flow path, the throat section of the central flow path being father from the inlet face of the nozzle body than the throat section of each of the peripheral flow paths.
A method of restricting a flow from a pressurized vessel of a nuclear reactor, comprising:
- securing a flow restrictor nozzle to the pressurized vessel, the flow restrictor nozzle having a nozzle body including an inlet face and an outlet face, the nozzle body being a monolithic structure defining a plurality of internal flow paths extending from the inlet face to the outlet face, each of the plurality of internal flow paths including a convergent section, a throat section, and a divergent section, the plurality of internal flow paths including a central flow path and peripheral flow paths surrounding the central flow path, the throat section of the central flow path being father from the inlet face of the nozzle body than the throat section of each of the peripheral flow paths;
- and
- directing the flow from the pressurized vessel through the plurality of internal flow paths of the flow restrictor nozzle.
A method of manufacturing a flow restrictor nozzle for a pressurized vessel of a nuclear reactor, comprising:
- fabricating a nozzle body including an inlet face and an outlet face, the nozzle body being a monolithic structure defining a plurality of internal flow paths extending from the inlet face to the outlet face, each of the plurality of internal flow paths including a convergent section, a throat section, and a divergent section, the plurality of internal flow paths including a central flow path and peripheral flow paths surrounding the central flow path;
- independently shaping, sizing, and positioning the convergent section of each of the plurality of internal flow paths on the inlet face based on predicted pressure variances of the pressurized vessel, the throat section of the central flow path being father from the inlet face of the nozzle body than the throat section of each of the peripheral flow paths;
- and
- independently spacing the throat section of each of the plurality of internal flow paths relative to the inlet face to mitigate acoustic wave reinforcement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.