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US 4,225,390 AGranted
Boron control system for a nuclear power plant
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsWilliam W. Brown, Martinus R. Van der Schoot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ion exchangers which reversibly store borate ions in a temperature dependent process are combined with evaporative boric acid recovery apparatus to provide a boron control system for controlling the reactivity of nuclear power plants. A plurality of ion exchangers are operated sequentially to provide varying amounts of boric acid to a nuclear reactor for load follow operations. Evaporative boric acid recovery apparatus is utilized for major changes in the boron concentration within the nuclear reactor.
Claims11
A nuclear reactor control system comprising:
- a nuclear reactor having a coolant containing a neutron absorber circulating therethrough,
- at least one ion exchanger flow-coupled with said nuclear reactor;
- said ion exchanger having basic anion exchange resins therein capable of chemically storing a material having the property of capturing neutrons, said ion exchange resins being temperature dependent with respect to their storage capacity of neutron capturing material;
- at least one heat exchanger flow-coupled to the ion exchanger and the reactor for varying the temperature of the coolant influent to said ion exchanger;
- means selectively connecting the outlet of said ion exchanger with said reactor for supplying coolant effluent therefrom to the reactor to accommodate reactor load follow operations;
- and
- at least one evaporator capable of concentrating a solution of said neutron capturing material flow-coupled to the ion exchanger for selectively receiving the coolant effluent from said ion exchanger,
- means connecting said evaporator with a high concentration tank and a low concentration tank to thereby provide separate solutions having a high concentration of neutron capturing material and a low concentration of neutron capturing material;
- and
- means separately connected to said high and low concentration tanks for separately supplying the effluent therefrom to said reactor to accommodate major changes in reactor load.
7 more elements
A process for controlling the amount of neutron-capturing material in reactor coolant, which comprises:
- diverting a predetermined quantity of fluid containing a neutron-capturing material from the primary cooling system of a nuclear reactor;
- selectively heating or cooling said fluid quantity dependent upon whether the amount of homogeneously dispersed neutron-capturing material within the reactor is to be, respectively, increased or decreased;
- conveying said fluid quantity through an ion exchanger having a temperature dependent absorption capacity for the neutron-capturing material to either remove or release neutron-capturing material;
- periodically returning at least portions of said fluid quantity from the ion exchanger to said reactor cooling system for load follow purposes;
- periodically conveying at least a portion of said fluid quantity from the ion exchanger to evaporating means to provide separate solutions of neutron-capturing material of high and low concentrations;
- and
- selectively supplying each of said solutions to said reactor to accommodate major changes in reactor load.
4 more elements
A process for controlling the amount of neutron-capturing material in reactor coolant, which comprises;
- diverting a predetermined quantity of fluid containing a neutron-capturing material from the primary cooling system of a nuclear reactor;
- selectively heating or cooling said fluid quantity of fluid dependent upon whether the amount of homogeneously dispersed neutron-capturing material within the reactor is to be, respectively, increased or decreased;
- conveying said fluid quantity through an ion exchanger having a temperature dependent absorption capacity for neutron-capturing material to either remove or release neutron-capturing material;
- testing the effluent from said ion exchanger to determine the amount of neutron-capturing material in solution;
- and periodically and sequentially diverting the fluid to other ion exchangers, each diversion being indicated by the step of testing;
- returning a portion of the effluent from said ion exchangers to said cooling system to accommodate reactor load follow operations;
- periodically conveying at least a portion of said effluent from said ion exchangers to evaporating means to provide separate solutions of neutron-capturing material of high and low concentrations;
- and
- selectively supplying each of said solutions to said reactor to accommodate major changes in reactor load.
6 more elements
A nuclear reactor control system comprising:
- a nuclear reactor having a primary coolant system containing a coolant having a neutron absorber therein;
- means for varying the quantity of neutron absorber in said coolant;
- said means comprising multiple parallel connected ion exchangers having basic an ion exchange resins therein capable of chemically storing a material having the property of capturing neutrons, said ion exchanger resins being temperature dependent with respect to their storage capacity of neutron capturing material;
- heat exchange means flow-coupled with said reactor coolant system and said ion exchanger for varying the temperature of a portion of coolant withdrawn from the reactor prior to supplying it to said ion exchangers, said coolant selectively being heated or cooled depending on whether the amount of neutron absorber in the coolant is to be increased or decreased;
- a volume control tank and liquid evaporator means connected to the outlet of said ion exchangers to receive the effluent therefrom,
- separate valve means between said ion exchangers outlet and the volume control tank and between the ion exchangers outlet and said evaporator means, said valve means being selectively operable to discharge the effluent from the ion exchangers into said volume control tank for return to the reactor coolant system or into said evaporator means depending on the amount of neutron absorber to remain in said coolant;
- a primary water storage tank connected through valve means directly with said reactor coolant system for selectively furnishing water thereto as coolant is withdrawn from the system;
- and
- means connecting the discharge side of said evaporator means with the primary water storage tank;
- whereby upon closing the valve means to said evaporator means and to said primary water storage tank, the portion of coolant from the reactor coolant system is circulated through said ion exchangers to effect slight changes in neutron absorber in said coolant, and to effect large changes in the neutron absorber in said coolant, the valve means to the primary water storage tank is opened and to the volume control tank closed, and the valve means to said evaporator means opened, thereby permitting circulation of reactor coolant through said ion exchangers and evaporator means for changing the neutron absorber content therein while simultaneously supplying water from the primary storage tank to the coolant system to replace the amount of coolant withdrawn therefrom.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.