Method and apparatus for enhancing reactor air-cooling system performance
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorAnstein Hunsbedt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An enhanced decay heat removal system for removing heat from the inert gas-filled gap space between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel of a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. Multiple cooling ducts in flow communication with the inert gas-filled gap space are incorporated to provide multiple flow paths for the inert gas to circulate to heat exchangers which remove heat from the inert gas, thereby introducing natural convection flows in the inert gas. The inert gas in turn absorbs heat directly from the reactor vessel by natural convection heat transfer.
Claims19
A liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor comprising a containment vessel, a reactor vessel surrounded by said containment vessel with an inert gas-filled gap space therebetween, a nuclear fuel core arranged inside said reactor vessel, a heat collector cylinder surrounding said containment vessel with a space therebetween, a silo surrounding said heat collector cylinder, an air inlet duct and an air outlet duct in flow communication with atmospheric air external to said reactor, a cold air downcomer gap in flow communication with said air inlet duct and extending between said heat collector cylinder and said silo, a hot air riser gap in flow communication with said cold air downcomer gap and said air outlet duct and extending between said heat collector cylinder and said containment vessel, an inert gas inlet duct and an inert gas outlet duct in flow communication with said inert gas-filled gap space, an inert gas downcomer duct in flow communication with said inert gas inlet duct and an inert gas riser duct in flow communication with said inert gas outlet duct and with said inert gas downcomer duct, wherein said inert gas downcomer duct and said air outlet duct share a common wall made of heat conductive material for removing heat from said inert gas by heat exchange with atmospheric air, wherein said inert gas downcomer duct and said inert gas riser duct are not annular.
A system for removing heat from a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor in which a reactor vessel is surrounded by a containment vessel with a fluid-filled gap space therebetween, comprising:
- a fluid outlet duct in flow communication with said fluid-filled gap space;
- a fluid inlet duct in flow communication with said fluid-filled gap space;
- a fluid riser duct in flow communication with said fluid outlet duct;
- a fluid downcomer duct in flow communication with said fluid inlet duct and said fluid riser duct;
- and
- air circulation flowpath means in flow communication with atmospheric air external to said reactor, wherein said air circulation flowpath means has a first section in heat exchange relationship with said containment vessel and a second section in heat exchange relationship with said fluid downcomer duct, whereby heat is removed from fluid in said fluid downcomer duct by heat exchange with atmospheric air in said air circulation flowpath means, wherein said fluid gas downcomer duct and said fluid riser duct are not annular.
In a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor comprising a containment vessel, a reactor vessel surrounded by said containment vessel with an inert gas-filled gap space therebetween, a nuclear fuel core arranged inside said reactor vessel, a heat collector cylinder surrounding said containment vessel with a space therebetween, a silo surrounding said heat collector cylinder, first and second air inlet ducts in flow communication with atmospheric air external to said reactor, first and second air outlet ducts in flow communication with atmospheric air external to said reactor, a cold air downcomer gap in flow communication with said first and second air inlet ducts and extending between said heat collector cylinder and said silo, a hot air riser gap in flow communication with said cold air downcomer gap and said first and second air outlet ducts and extending between said heat collector cylinder and said containment vessel, the improvement comprising first and second inert gas circulation loops in flow communication with said inert gas-filled gap space, said first inert gas circulation loop being in heat exchange relationship with said first air outlet duct and said second inert gas circulation loop being in heat exchange relationship with said second air outlet duct, and first through fourth baffles arranged vertically in said insert gas-filled gap space, said first through fourth baffles, in conjunction with said reactor vessel and said containment vessel, defining first through fourth channels for the flow of inert gas, said first and second channels being in flow communication with respective ends of said first inert gas circulation loop, and said third and fourth channels being in flow communication with respective ends of said second inert gas circulation loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.