Apparatus for insulating hot sodium in pool-type nuclear reactors
AssigneeElectric Power Research Institute, Inc.
InventorsJohn E. Sharbaugh, Wesley L. Howarth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for insulating hot sodium in a reactor vessel in a pool-type nuclear reactor. The apparatus includes a flow isolated plenum in the reactor vessel for holding a stagnant quantity of sodium. The flow isolated plenum is located between a second plenum for holding hot sodium and the structural load bearing members of the reactor. The flow isolated plenum forms a thermally insulating field barrier between the hot sodium and the structural members.
Claims10
In a pool-type nuclear reactor which uses liquid sodium as a coolant, comprising a vertically extending main reactor vessel;
- a generally horizontally extending structural load bearing arrangement located within and extending across said vessel;
- a reactor core located directly on top of and being supported by said arrangement;
- a first plenum located within and generally horizontally across said vessel above said load bearing arrangement and core for containing a relatively turbulent supply of liquid sodium;
- and a second plenum located within said vessel above and directly adjacent to said load bearing arrangement around said core such that the latter and said second plenum together separate said first plenum and load bearing arrangement from one another, said second plenum containing a stagnant quantity of sodium serving as a thermally insulating fluid barrier between the first plenum and said load bearing arrangement.
A reactor as in claim 7 wherein said first plenum receives hot sodium discharging upward from the reactor core during operation.
In a pool-type nuclear reactor which uses liquid sodium as a coolant, said reactor comprising:
- a vertically extending main reactor vessel;
- a reactor core located within said vessel;
- a generally horizontally extending structural load bearing arrangement located within and extending across the vessel below said core for supporting the latter;
- an upper generally horizontally extending plenum located with said vessel above said load bearing arrangement and around a top section of said core for containing a supply of hot liquid sodium;
- a generally horizontally extending lower plenum located within said vessel below said structural arrangement for containing a supply of cooler liquid sodium;
- means including at least one heat exchanger and one circulation pump for providing a continuous stream of liquid sodium from said lower plenum through said core and thereafter to and through said heat exchanger and into said upper plenum whereby the sodium in each of the upper and lower plenums is in a state of turbulence;
- and an intermediate plenum located within said vessel between said upper plenum and said load bearing arrangement and around said core for containing a stagnant quantity of sodium serving as a thermally insulating fluid barrier between the upper plenum on one side thereof and the load bearing arrangement and lower plenum on the other side thereof, said upper plenum and intermediate plenum being in sufficient fluid communication with one another to eliminate any pressure drop therebetween while maintaining the stagnant nature of the sodium within the intermediate plenum, regardless of the turbulence in the upper plenum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.