Air Filtration For Nuclear Reactor Habitability Area

A system for providing air substantially free from radioactive and toxic contaminates to a nuclear reactor control room habitability area, said system comprising:

• at least one stored energy power source;
• and
• a pair of redundant emergency air filtration units, each structured and operable to provide air free from radioactive and toxic contaminates to the habitability area, each emergency air filtration system comprises;
• a housing connected to an outside air source via inlet ductwork and to the habitability area via outlet ductwork,
• a filter train within the housing, the filter train including a plurality of air filters, and
• a pair of redundant fan assemblies, each operable, via the stored energy power source, to generate an air flow from the outside air source into the habitability area by drawing air in from the inlet ductwork, forcing the air through the filter train to filter out radioactive and/or toxic contaminates, and forcing the filtered air out through the outlet ductwork into the habitability area, each fan assembly including a motor that is located within the air flow to heat and dry the air flow.

A method for providing air substantially free from radioactive and toxic contaminates to a nuclear reactor control room habitability area, said method comprising:

• disabling a fresh air supply subsystem when radioactive and/or toxic contaminates are released from the nuclear reactor, the fresh air supply subsystem structured and operable to provide replenishment air to the habitability area during normal operation of the nuclear reactor;
• providing electrical power from at least one stored energy power source to at least one of a pair of redundant emergency air filtration units when the radioactive and/or toxic contaminates are released from the nuclear reactor;
• generating an air flow from an outside air source, through the at least one emergency air filtration unit and into the habitability area utilizing the electrical power from the at least one stored energy power source to operate a respective motor of at least one of a pair of redundant fan assemblies included in each emergency air filtration unit, each motor located within the air flow and operable to turn a fan of the respective fan assembly to generate the air flow;
• filtering the air flow to remove radioactive and/or toxic contaminates therein by drawing air from the outside air source into the at least one emergency air filtration unit via inlet ductwork of the respective emergency air filtration unit, forcing the air through a filter train of the respective emergency air filtration unit to filter out the radioactive and/or toxic contaminates, and forcing the filtered air out through outlet ductwork of the respective emergency air filtration unit into the habitability area;
• and
• heating and drying the air flow utilizing heat generated by the operation of the respective motor located within the air flow.