Back to results
US 9,805,833 B2Granted
Passively initiated depressurization valve for light water reactor
AssigneeBWXT mPower, Inc.
InventorsRonald C Watson, John D Malloy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nuclear reactor is surrounded by a reactor radiological containment structure. Depressurization lines running from the reactor automatically vent the reactor to the containment structure or to a compartment in the containment structure when a low pressure condition exists in the reactor. The depressurization lines include biased-open passive valves and actively actuated isolation valves arranged in series.
Claims11
An apparatus comprising:
- a nuclear reactor including a pressure vessel containing primary coolant water and a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile material;
- a radiological containment structure surrounding the nuclear reactor;
- a plurality of passive pressure vessel depressurization systems, each including a depressurization pipe having an inlet end connected to the pressure vessel and an outlet end, and further including an actively actuated isolation valve and a biased-open passive valve arranged in series along the depressurization pipe between the inlet end and the outlet end, each biased-open passive valve closing responsive to a positive pressure difference between the inlet end and the outlet end exceeding a setpoint value, and each biased-open passive valve having different setpoint value;
- and;
- a digital controller configured to (i) close the actively actuated isolation valves of the passive pressure vessel depressurization systems during scheduled depressurization and re-pressurization of the pressure vessel and (ii) open the actively actuated isolation valves of the passive pressure vessel depressurization systems when the positive pressure difference between the inlet end and the outlet end exceeds the largest setpoint value of the passive pressure vessel depressurization systems.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a nuclear reactor including a pressure vessel containing primary coolant water and a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile material;
- a radiological containment structure surrounding the nuclear reactor;
- a plurality of passive pressure vessel depressurization systems, each including a depressurization pipe having an inlet end connected to the pressure vessel and an outlet end, and further including an actively actuated isolation valve and a biased-open passive valve arranged in series along the depressurization pipe between the inlet end and the outlet end, each biased-open passive valve closing responsive to a positive pressure difference between the inlet end and the outlet end exceeding a setpoint value, and each biased-open passive valve having different setpoint value;
- and;
- a digital controller configured to (i) close the actively actuated isolation valves of the passive pressure vessel depressurization systems during scheduled depressurization and re-pressurization of the pressure vessel and (ii) open the actively actuated isolation valve of each passive pressure vessel depressurization system when the positive pressure difference between the inlet end and the outlet end exceeds the setpoint value of that passive pressure vessel depressurization system.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.