Evacuated containment vessel for nuclear reactor
AssigneeNuScale Power, LLC
InventorsJose N. Reyes, Jr., John T. Groome
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a containment vessel configured to prohibit a release of a coolant, and a reactor vessel mounted inside the containment vessel. An outer surface of the reactor vessel is exposed to below atmospheric pressure, wherein substantially all gases are evacuated from the containment vessel.
Claims20
A method of operating a power module including a reactor vessel and a containment vessel, wherein the containment vessel surrounds the reactor vessel and forms a containment region outside of the reactor vessel, the method comprising:
- during a normal mode of operation of the power module, heating and circulating a coolant through a reactor core positioned inside of the reactor vessel;
- and
- during an emergency mode of operation of the power module—
- venting at least a portion of the coolant out of the reactor vessel and into the containment region;
- stopping venting of the portion of the coolant when a pressure in the containment region exceeds a threshold value;
- and
- flowing at least a portion of the coolant vented into the containment region from the containment vessel back into the reactor vessel through a one-way flow valve positioned between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel.
A method of operating a power module including a reactor vessel and a containment vessel surrounding the reactor vessel, the method comprising:
- heating and circulating a coolant through a reactor core positioned inside of the reactor vessel;
- detecting an emergency condition;
- and after detecting the emergency condition—
- venting at least a portion of the coolant out of the reactor vessel and into the containment vessel through a first valve positioned between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel;
- stopping venting of the portion of the coolant through the first valve when a pressure in the containment vessel exceeds a threshold value;
- and
- flowing at least a portion of the coolant vented into the containment vessel from the containment vessel back into the reactor vessel through a second valve positioned between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel, wherein the second valve is positioned to inhibit the coolant from flowing therethrough from the reactor vessel to the containment vessel.
A method of operating a power module including a reactor vessel and a containment vessel that surrounds the reactor vessel, the method comprising:
- during a normal mode of operation of the power module, heating and circulating a coolant through a reactor core positioned inside of the reactor vessel;
- and
- during an emergency mode of operation of the power module—
- releasing, through a first valve, at least a portion of the coolant in vapor form out of the reactor vessel and into the containment vessel until a pressure in the containment vessel at least partially equilibrates with a pressure in the reactor vessel;
- stopping releasing of the portion of the coolant through the first valve when the pressure in the containment vessel exceeds a threshold value;
- and
- flowing at least a portion of the coolant released into the containment vessel from the containment vessel back into the reactor vessel through a second valve positioned between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel, wherein the second valve is positioned to inhibit the coolant from flowing therethrough from the reactor vessel to the containment vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.