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US 5,426,681 AGranted
Boiling water reactor with combined active and passive safety systems
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorMomtaz M. Aburomia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A boiling water reactor having an optimum combination of active and passive safety systems. By combining three active divisions (I,II,III)of the boiling water reactor with a passive fourth division, the resulting design achieves improved plant reliability in addition to on-line maintenance of the emergency core-cooling systems. Included in the passive division is a new component, the reactor heat removal condenser (48), to be used in conjunction with pressure release valves (50) to provide backup depressurization of the reactor pressure vessel and backup heat removal and inventory control. The operating pressure of the heat removal condenser is maintained in the range of 100-200 psi.
Claims12
A boiling water reactor comprising:
- a primary containment vessel;
- a reactor pressure vessel surrounded by said primary containment vessel;
- a nuclear fuel core arranged inside said reactor pressure vessel;
- a pool of water located inside said primary containment vessel and outside said reactor pressure vessel;
- a condenser pool of water located outside and above said primary containment vessel;
- a residual heat removal condenser submerged in said condenser pool and having an input and an output;
- a first flowpath from said reactor pressure vessel to said input of said residual heat removal condenser;
- a release valve placed in said first flowpath for selectively opening said first flowpath to the flow of steam from said reactor pressure vessel to said residual heat removal condenser, said release valve being designed to constrict the flow of high-pressure steam from said reactor pressure vessel to said residual heat removal condenser;
- and
- a second flowpath for carrying condensed steam from said residual heat removal condenser to said pool located inside said primary containment vessel, said second flowpath having an output submerged in said pool located inside said primary containment,
- wherein the operating pressure of said residual heat removal condenser is maintained in the range of 100-200 psi.
8 more elements
A boiling water reactor comprising:
- a primary containment vessel;
- a reactor pressure vessel surrounded by said primary containment vessel;
- a nuclear fuel core arranged inside said reactor pressure vessel;
- a suppression pool of water located inside said primary containment vessel and outside said reactor pressure vessel;
- a gravity-driven cooling system pool of water located inside said primary containment vessel and outside said reactor pressure vessel at an elevation above said nuclear fuel core;
- a condenser pool of water located outside and above said primary containment vessel;
- a residual heat removal condenser submerged in said condenser pool and having an input which is not in flow communication with the interior of said primary containment vessel;
- a first flowpath from said reactor pressure vessel to said input of said residual heat removal condenser;
- a release valve placed in said first flowpath for selectively opening said first flowpath to the flow of steam from said reactor pressure vessel to said residual heat removal condenser, said release valve being designed to constrict the flow of high-pressure steam from said reactor pressure vessel to said residual heat removal condenser;
- and
- a second flowpath for carrying condensed steam from said residual heat removal condenser to said gravity-driven cooling system pool,
- wherein the operating pressure of said residual heat removal condenser is maintained in the range of 100-200 psi.
9 more elements
A boiling water reactor comprising:
- a primary containment vessel;
- a reactor pressure vessel surrounded by said primary containment vessel;
- a nuclear fuel core arranged inside said reactor pressure vessel;
- a pool of water located inside said primary containment vessel and outside said reactor pressure vessel;
- a condenser pool of water located outside and above said primary containment vessel;
- a residual heat removal condenser submerged in said condenser pool and having an input and an output;
- a first flowpath from said reactor pressure vessel to said input of said residual heat removal condenser;
- a release valve placed in said first flowpath for selectively opening said first flowpath to the flow of steam from said reactor pressure vessel to said residual heat removal condenser;
- means for constricting the flow of high-pressure steam from said reactor pressure vessel to said residual heat removal condenser;
- and
- a second flowpath for carrying condensed steam from said residual heat removal condenser to said pool located inside said primary containment vessel, said second flowpath having an output submerged in said pool located inside said primary containment,
- wherein the operating pressure of said residual heat removal condenser is maintained in the range of 100-200 psi.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.