Use of isolation condenser and/or feedwater to limit core flow, core power, and pressure in a boiling water reactor
AssigneeGE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
InventorsCharles Lee Heck, Michael M. Cook
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AssigneeGE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
InventorsCharles Lee Heck, Michael M. Cook
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus of limiting power of a boiling water nuclear reactor system includes a reactor pressure vessel, a reactor core disposed in the reactor pressure vessel, a core shroud surrounding the reactor core, a downcomer region disposed between an inner surface of the reactor pressure vessel and the core shroud, a steam line connected to an upper end of the reactor pressure vessel and a condenser system that receives steam from the reactor pressure vessel. A portion of the condenser system condensate is returned to the reactor pressure vessel of the boiling water reactor inside the core barrel above the core rather than into the downcomer. Returning the condensate in this way increases the effectiveness of an isolation condenser system or if the condensate is a portion of the feedwater from the main condenser it provides an effective means to regulate core flow and core power.
A method of limiting power of a boiling water nuclear reactor system having a reactor pressure vessel, a reactor core disposed in the reactor pressure vessel, a core shroud immediately adjacent to and surrounding the reactor core, a downcomer region immediately adjacent to and surrounding the core shroud and disposed between an inner surface of the reactor pressure vessel and the core shroud, a first steam line connected directly to an upper end of the reactor pressure vessel and to a turbine, a first condenser system receiving steam from the turbine, a second steam line not connected to a turbine, the second steam line connected directly to the upper end of the reactor pressure vessel and to a second condenser system, the second condenser system is an isolation condenser system that is separate from the first condenser system, wherein steam from the reactor pressure vessel passes through the second steam line to the second condenser system, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.