Internal dry containment vessel for a nuclear reactor
AssigneeState of Oregon acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education on behalf of Oregon State University
InventorsJose N. Reyes, Jr., John T. Groome
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power module assembly includes a reactor core immersed in a coolant and a reactor vessel housing the coolant and the reactor core. An internal dry containment vessel submerged in liquid substantially surrounds the reactor vessel in a gaseous environment. During an over-pressurization event the reactor vessel is configured to release the coolant into the containment vessel and remove a decay heat of the reactor core through condensation of the coolant on an inner surface of the containment vessel.
Claims30
A power module assembly comprising:
- a reactor core immersed in a primary coolant;
- a reactor vessel housing the primary coolant and the reactor core, wherein an inner surface of the reactor vessel is exposed directly to the primary coolant during normal operation of the power module assembly;
- an internal dry containment vessel in direct contact with and completely submerged in liquid, wherein the containment vessel substantially surrounds the reactor vessel in a below atmospheric pressure condition, wherein an outer surface of the reactor vessel is exposed directly to the below atmospheric pressure condition during the normal operation of the power module assembly, and wherein the containment vessel is configured to prohibit a release of the primary coolant out of the containment vessel;
- and
- a vent configured to controllably release the primary coolant into the containment vessel as primarily steam during an over-pressurization event.
A power module comprising:
- a containment vessel in contact with and substantially submerged in a liquid, wherein during normal operation of the power module, the containment vessel is configured to prohibit a release of a primary coolant out of the containment vessel, and wherein during normal operation of the power module, the containment vessel is maintained at a below atmospheric pressure condition;
- a reactor vessel mounted inside the containment vessel, wherein during normal operation of the power module, substantially all thermal insulation of the reactor vessel is provided by the below atmospheric pressure condition;
- a reactor core submerged in the primary coolant;
- and
- a steam vent connected to the reactor vessel, wherein when the reactor core becomes over-heated the steam vent controllably releases the primary coolant as primarily steam into the containment vessel, wherein the steam condenses on an inner surface of the containment vessel and forms a pool of primary coolant extending between the inner surface of the containment vessel and an outer surface of the reactor vessel, and wherein the entire inner surface of the containment vessel is dry during the normal operation of the power module and prior to the steam being vented into the containment vessel.
A power module assembly, comprising:
- means for circulating primary coolant through a reactor core, wherein the reactor core and the primary coolant are housed in a reactor vessel;
- means for controllably releasing the primary coolant as steam into a containment vessel substantially surrounding the reactor vessel in response to a high pressure condition within the reactor vessel, wherein an entire inner surface of the containment vessel is dry prior to releasing the primary coolant as steam into the containment vessel, wherein the steam condenses on the inner surface of the containment vessel, and wherein the condensed steam forms a pool of primary coolant extending between an outer wall of the reactor vessel and the inner surface of the containment vessel;
- and
- means for circulating the pool of primary coolant back into the reactor vessel and through the reactor core, wherein the pool of primary coolant is made up entirely of the condensed steam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.