Natural circulating passive cooling system for nuclear reactor containment structure

A passive cooling, natural circulation system for the containment structure of a nuclear reactor plant which is isolated from contaminated material within the reactor containment and provides overpressure protection within the containment housing, consisting essentially of the combination of a nuclear reactor assembly including a containment housing surrounding a pressure vessel having a heat producing core of fissionable fuel enclosed therein and at least one conduit in fluid communication with the interior of the pressure vessel extending out therefrom, a drywell chamber adjacent to said pressure vessel, a suppression pool chamber for retaining a cooling liquid and having a conduit providing fluid communication between said drywell chamber and suppression pool chamber, and a cooling system being closed to contaminating radioactive fission products from within the nuclear reactor containment housing and consisting of a heat transferring container holding a volatile liquid positioned within the drywell chamber and said heat transferring container having a pipe passing therethrough and making a fluid circuit with the pressure vessel whereby excessive thermal energy from the pressure vessel is carried within the pipe through the heat transferring container, and a condensing container connected in closed circuit fluid communication through at least one duct to the heat transferring container whereby the thermal energy from the pressure vessel is conveyed from the heat transferring container to the condensing container said cooling system consisting of the heat transferring container and the condensing container with their connecting fluid communication duct being closed to isolate the cooling system from contaminated material within the containment housing.

A passive cooling, natural circulation system for the containment structure of a nuclear reactor plant which is isolated from containment material within the reactor containment and provides overpressure protection within the containment housing, consisting essentially of the combination of a nuclear reactor assembly including a containment housing surrounding a pressure vessel having a heat producing core of fissionable fuel enclosed therein and at least one conduit in fluid communication with the interior of the pressure vessel extending out therefrom, a drywell chamber adjacent to said pressure vessel, a suppression pool chamber for retaining a cooling liquid and having a conduit providing fluid communication between said drywell chamber and suppression pool chamber, and a cooling system being closed to contaminating radioactive fission products from within the nuclear reactor containment housing and consisting of a heat transferring container holding a volatile liquid positioned within the drywell chamber and said heat transferring container having a pipe passing therethrough and making a fluid circuit with the pressure vessel whereby excessive thermal energy from the pressure vessel is carried within the pipe through the heat transferring container, and a condensing container submerged in a liquid pool within a compartment which is connected in closed circuit fluid communication through at least one duct to the heat transferring container whereby the thermal energy from the pressure vessel is conveyed from the heat transferring container to the condensing container said cooling system consisting of the heat transferring container and the condensing container with their connecting fluid communicating duct being closed to isolate the cooling system from contaminated material within the containment housing.