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US 4,057,465 AGranted
Nuclear reactor auxiliary heat removal system
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsRobert E. Thompson, Bill L. Pierce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auxiliary heat removal system to remove residual heat from gas-cooled nuclear reactors. The reactor coolant is expanded through a turbine, cooled in a heat exchanger,and compressed by a compressor before reentering the reactor coolant. The turbine powers both the compressor and the pump which pumps a second fluid through the heat exchanger to cool the reactor coolant. A pneumatic starter is utilized to start the turbine, thereby making the auxiliary heat removal system independent of external power sources.
Claims16
An auxiliary heat removal system for use in a gas-cooled nuclear reactor system to remove residual heat retained in the reactor core after reactor shutdown comprising:
- a first recycling flow loop for conducting gaseous primary cooling fluid heated by said reactor core, said first flow loop including said reactor core, a gas turbine, a first heat exchanging means, and a compression means connected in series therein, and first conduit means for transporting said primary fluid from said core to said gas turbine, said first heat exchanging means, and said compression means in series, and for returning said primary fluid to said reactor core;
- a second flow loop for conducting a second cooling fluid, said second flow loop including a fluid pump, second conduit means for transporting said second fluid from said fluid pump to said first heat exchanging means, and means for removing heat from said second cooling fluid, said second fluid being in thermal communication with said primary fluid in said first heat exchanging means;
- said fluid pump and said compression means being mechanically coupled to, and driven by, said gas turbine;
- and
- starter means for initiating operation of said gas turbine, said starter means being responsive to preselected conditions of said nuclear reactor system and comprising:
- a pneumatic starter;
- a container of starter fluid in fluid communication with said starter, said starter fluid being pressurized within said container, and;
- a starter valve disposed in the flow path between said pneumatic starter and said container, said starter valve controlling the flow of said starter fluid from said container to said pneumatic starter.
5 more elements
An auxiliary heat removal system for use in a gas-cooled nuclear reactor system to remove residual heat retained in the reactor core after reactor shutdown comprising:
- a first recycling flow loop for conducting gaseous primary cooling fluid heated by said reactor core, said first flow loop including said reactor core, a gas turbine, a first heat exchanging means, and a compression means connected in series therein, and first conduit means for transporting said primary fluid from said core to said gas turbine, said first heat exchanging means, and said compression means in series, and for returning said primary fluid to said reactor core;
- a second flow loop for conducting a second cooling fluid, said second flow loop including a fluid pump, second conduit means for transporting said second fluid from said fluid pump to said first heat exchanging means, and means for removing heat from said second fluid, said second fluid being in thermal communication with said primary fluid in said first heat exchanging means;
- said fluid pump and said compression means being mechanically coupled to, and driven by, said gas turbine;
- starter means for initiating operation of said gas turbine, said starter means being responsive to preselected conditions of said nuclear reactor system;
- and
- a plurality of temperature-dependent flow controllers parallelly installed in said first conduit means between said core and said gas turbine, said flow controllers regulating the quantity of said primary fluid being supplied to said gas turbine.
3 more elements
An auxiliary heat removal system for use in a gas-cooled nuclear reactor system to remove residual heat retained in the reactor core after reactor shutdown, comprising:
- a first recycling flow loop for conducting gaseous primary cooling fluid heated by said reactor core, said first flow loop including said reactor core, a gas turbine, a first heat exchanging means, and a compression means connected in series therein, and first conduit means for transporting said primary fluid from said core to said gas turbine, said first heat exchaning means, and said compression means in series, and for returning said primary fluid to said reactor core;
- a second flow loop for conducting a second cooling fluid, said second flow loop including a fluid pump, second conduit means for transporting said second fluid from said fluid pump to said first heat exchanging means, and means for removing heat from said second cooling fluid, said second fluid being in thermal communication with said primary fluid in said first heat exchanging means;
- said fluid pump and said compression means being mechanically coupled to, and driven by, said gas turbine;
- starter means for initiating operation of said gas turbine, said starter means being responsive to preselected conditions of said nuclear reactor system;
- a supporting turbine connected in parallel with said gas turbine, said supporting turbine being of the gaseous-powered variety, said primary fluid flowing through said supporting turbine, said supporting turbine being driven by said, primary fluid said supporting turbine being larger than said gas turbine, said supporting turbine requiring higher primary fluid temperatures for operation than said gas turbine, whereby as said primary fluid temperature decreases, said supporting turbine ceases operating prior to said gas turbine ceasing operating;
- and
- supporting turbine starting means for initiating operation of said supporting turbine.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.