Emergency Core Coolant Systems (e.g., Injecting Coolant Into Reactor Or Pipe Systems) Patents (Class 376/282)
  • Patent number: 11848111
    Abstract: A nuclear power reactor which includes passive cooling and radiation scrubbing. The reactor includes a first containment member which is buried in the ground. A second containment member is positioned in the first containment member and has a reactor vessel therein. The discharge side of the reactor vessel is connected to a heat exchanger which drives a turbine which drives a device such as a generator. A source of water is provided which gravity feeds cooling water to the interior of the first containment member in the event of reactor overheating or over-pressurization. A radiation scrubber is provided for scrubbing radiation which may be in the first containment member or the second containment member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventor: Palvannanathan Ganesan
  • Patent number: 11798697
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor is configured with an intermediate coolant loop for transferring thermal energy from the reactor core for a useful purpose. The intermediate coolant loop includes a bypass flowpath with an air heat exchanger for dumping reactor heat during startup and/or shutdown. A fluidic diode along the bypass flowpath asymmetrically restricts flow across the bypass flowpath, inhibiting flow in a first flow direction during a full power operating condition and allowing a relatively uninhibited flow in a second direction during a startup and/or shut down low power operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TERRAPOWER, LLC
    Inventors: Pavel Hejzlar, Peter McNabb
  • Patent number: 11712683
    Abstract: Provided is a new heat source device that utilizes the catalytic reaction heat as a heat source for industries. The heat source device 100 utilizing the catalytic reaction heat of silver zeolite 1 includes an accommodation container 10 for accommodating the silver zeolite 1 while ensuring air permeability, wherein the accommodation container 10 is configured to be ventilated with a mixed gas G containing hydrogen, steam, and air. The mixed gas has a hydrogen concentration of 1 to 20% by volume, a steam concentration of 1 to 95% by volume, an air concentration of 1 to 95% by volume, and a temperature of 100° C. or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Rasa Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiki Kobayashi, Koji Endo
  • Patent number: 11594342
    Abstract: A system includes a containment vessel configured to prohibit a release of a coolant, and a reactor vessel mounted inside the containment vessel. An outer surface of the reactor vessel is exposed to below atmospheric pressure, wherein substantially all gases are evacuated from within the containment vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: NuScale Power, LLC
    Inventors: Jose N. Reyes, Jr., John T. Groome
  • Patent number: 11348699
    Abstract: A safety injection device includes, a cooling water storage section accommodating cooling water injected into the reactor coolant system, a power producing section producing power with steam discharged from the reactor coolant system in case of an accident, a steam supply pipe transmitting steam discharged from the reactor coolant system to the power producing section, a steam discharge pipe discharging steam used to drive the power producing section and a safety injection line supplying cooling water accommodated in the cooling water storage section to the inside of the reactor coolant system. In addition, cooling water accommodated in the cooling water storage section is supplied to the inside of the reactor coolant system, based on the power produced by the power producing section, through a cooling water inlet pipe connecting the cooling water storage section and the power producing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, KING ABDULLAH CITY FOR ATOMIC AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
    Inventors: Youngin Kim, Hyungi Yoon, Seungyeob Ryu, Youngmin Bae, Joohyung Moon, Hunsik Han, Soojai Shin, Cheongbong Chang, Seok Kim, Junewoo Kee, Hyunjun Cho, Minkyu Lee, Bonghyun Cho
  • Patent number: 11289223
    Abstract: Chemical control system for a power plant including at least one coolant electrochemical indication sensor of a flow type electrically connected to the measurement data processing and transmission unit with its outlet connected to a central computer (CPC) controlling the actuator for injection of hydrogen and chemical reagents. The hydraulic inlet of the electrochemical sensor in use of the system is connected by a sampling tube to the power plant process circuit and its hydraulic outlet is hydraulically connected to the first heat exchanger and the first throttling device with a coolant supply circuit in series. The sampling tube is configured to pass a coolant sample to the coolant electromechanical sensor and the coolant supply circuit contains tubes and valves configured to reverse the flow of the coolant sample through the first throttling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignees: JOINT STOCK COMPANY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DESIGN INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES ATOMPROEKT, JOINT STOCK COMPANY “SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS”
    Inventors: Vladimir Georgievich Kritskiy, Nikolay Aleksandrovich Prokhorov, Fedor Vladimirovich Nikolaev, Pavel Semenovich Styazhkin
  • Patent number: 11238996
    Abstract: A method and a system for performing real-time, continuous, measurements of the boron concentration in the water entering a nuclear reactor coolant system. The invention utilizes knowledge of the impact that boron contained in liquid water has on the attenuation of acoustic or ultrasonic waves. This information, coupled with radiation damage resistant and high temperature operability capable transmitter and receiver equipment, provides the means to place the measurement system sensors and signal processing electronics on the reactor coolant system charging flow piping or the hot leg or cold leg of the reactor coolant loop. This will allow the reactor operator to directly monitor both the reactor coolant system boron concentration value and detect changes in the reactor coolant system boron concentration relative to a reference value as they occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Heibel, Jorge V. Carvajal, Nicola G. Arlia, Melissa M. Walter, Robert W. Flammang, Michael A. James, David M. Sumego
  • Patent number: 11062812
    Abstract: A floating nuclear power reactor including one or two nuclear power reactors positioned in a floating vessel such as a barge or the like. Means is disclosed for flooding the containment structure of the nuclear reactor and for flooding the reactor vessels to cool the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Inventor: Palvannanathan Ganesan
  • Patent number: 11011279
    Abstract: The present invention provides an alternative circulation cooling method for an emergency core cooling system that, even if the emergency core cooling system does not operate normally, can prevent the implementation of containment vessel venting by suppressing a rise in pressure and temperature in the containment vessel, and can suppress the implementation of dry-well venting even if containment vessel venting needs to be performed, as well as a nuclear power plant that is capable of the same. An alternative circulation cooling method for an emergency reactor core cooling system is performed at a nuclear power plant that includes an RHR system and a MUWC system. The method includes: connecting the downstream side of an RHR heat exchanger to the upstream side of a MUWC pump, and cooling water from a suppression chamber using the RHR heat exchanger and performing nuclear reactor injecting or containment vessel spraying using the MUWC pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Akinobu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10907668
    Abstract: A flow damper including a cylindrical vortex chamber, a small flow-rate pipe connected to a peripheral plate of the vortex chamber along a tangential direction, a large flow-rate pipe connected to the peripheral plate with a predetermined angle with respect to the small flow-rate pipe, an outlet pipe connected to an outlet formed in a central part of the vortex chamber, and a pressure equalization pipe with respective ends being connected to the peripheral plate on opposite sides of the outlet and at positions closer to a connection portion between the small flow-rate pipe and the large flow-rate pipe than positions facing each other, putting the outlet therebetween. The pressure equalization pipe is arranged with at least a part thereof is located at a higher position than a top plate of the vortex chamber, and an outgassing hole is provided at an uppermost part of the pressure equalization pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masamichi Iino, Shigeto Hirai, Taiki Asahara, Takafumi Ogino, Akira Kirita, Akihiro Toda, Hideyuki Sakata, Yutaka Tanaka, Setsuo Tokunaga, Takashi Nakahara, Takanori Okazaki
  • Patent number: 10900508
    Abstract: To include a cylindrical vortex chamber 35, a small flow-rate pipe 37 connected to a peripheral plate 35C of the vortex chamber 35 along a tangential direction thereof, a large flow-rate pipe 36 connected to the peripheral plate 35C with a predetermined angle with respect to the small flow-rate pipe 37, an outlet pipe connected to an outlet 39 formed in a central part of the vortex chamber 35, and a straightening plate 50 that is arranged in a part between the outlet 39 and the peripheral plate 35C of the vortex chamber 35, and when jets flow into the vortex chamber 35 from the small flow-rate pipe 37 and the large flow-rate pipe 36, straightens impinging jets from the small flow-rate pipe 37 and from the large flow-rate pipe 36 having flowed into the vortex chamber 35 toward the outlet 39.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Sakata, Shigeto Hirai, Taiki Asahara, Takafumi Ogino, Akira Kirita, Akihiro Toda, Masamichi Iino, Toshihiro Sato, Yutaka Tanaka, Takanori Okazaki, Takashi Nakahara
  • Patent number: 10784003
    Abstract: A containment cooling apparatus includes a cooling water tank disposed above a containment; a spray header connected to the cooling water tank via a first communicating pipe, wherein the spray header is disposed on an outside of the containment for spraying cooling water to an outer wall of the containment; a bell shaped shield covering the containment, wherein the cooling water tank is disposed on a top portion of the shield; a space formed between an inner wall of the shield and the outer wall of the containment, wherein the spray header is disposed in the space; an exhaust hole disposed on the top portion of the shield; and a water separator disposed in the exhaust hole and/or the space. The containment cooling apparatus has higher utilization of coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Sichuan Xingzhi Zhihui Intellectual Property Operation Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Liping Deng
  • Patent number: 10784002
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor cooling system includes a cooling water tank disposed above a containment; a spray header connected to the cooling water tank through a first communicating pipe; and an air tank disposed inside the containment; wherein the spray header is disposed outside the containment and used for spraying cooling water to the outer wall of the containment; the cooling water tank is a closed container, and the air tank is connected to the top portion of the cooling water tank through a second communicating pipe. The nuclear reactor cooling system has higher reliability in cooling containment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Sichuan Xingzhi Zhihui Intellectual Property Operation Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Liping Deng
  • Patent number: 10784004
    Abstract: A containment cooling system capable of improving coolant utilization rate comprises a cooling water tank disposed above the containment, a spray header connected to the cooling water tank by a first communicating pipe, a bell-shaped shield, and a clearance, wherein the cooling water tank is disposed on top of the shield, and the spray header is located in the clearance; cooling fins are disposed in the clearance, wherein a flow passage is disposed between the cooling fins and the outer wall of the containment. The containment cooling system has a higher coolant utilization rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Sichuan Xingzhi Zhihui Intellectual Property Operation Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Liping Deng
  • Patent number: 10726960
    Abstract: A coolant injection system for a nuclear power generation system includes the coolant injection system, and method of operation of the coolant injection system. The nuclear power generation system includes a reactor pressure vessel having a reactor core, a pressuriser in fluid communication with the reactor pressure vessel, and the injection system, which comprises a make-up tank having a tank inlet and a tank outlet. The injection system has an operating condition, and a fault response condition, and is configured to switch between these conditions when coolant level in the pressuriser drops below a threshold level. In the operating condition, the tank outlet is isolated from the reactor pressure vessel such that coolant is retained in the make-up tank, and the tank inlet is in fluid communication with the reactor pressure vessel and the pressuriser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Power Engineering plc
    Inventor: Benjamin J. Ireland
  • Patent number: 10726961
    Abstract: In conjunction with a pressurized water reactor (PWR) and a pressurizer configured to control pressure in the reactor pressure vessel, a decay heat removal system comprises a pressurized passive condenser, a turbine-driven pump connected to suction water from at least one water source into the reactor pressure vessel; and steam piping configured to deliver steam from the pressurizer to the turbine to operate the pump and to discharge the delivered steam into the pressurized passive condenser. The pump and turbine may be mounted on a common shaft via which the turbine drives the pump. The at least one water source may include a refueling water storage tank (RWST) and/or the pressurized passive condenser. A pressurizer power operated relief valve may control discharge of a portion of the delivered steam bypassing the turbine into the pressurized passive condenser to control pressure in the pressurizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: BWXT mPower, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas G. Graham
  • Patent number: 10720249
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor cooling system with passive cooling capabilities operable during a reactor shutdown event without available electric power. In one embodiment, the system includes a reactor vessel with nuclear fuel core and a steam generator fluidly coupled thereto. Primary coolant circulates in a flow loop between the reactor vessel and steam generator to heat secondary coolant in the steam generator producing steam. The steam flows to a heat exchanger containing an inventory of cooling water in which a submerged tube bundle is immersed. The steam is condensed in the heat exchanger and returned to the steam generator forming a closed flow loop in which the secondary coolant flow is driven by natural gravity via changes in density from the heating and cooling cycles. In other embodiments, the cooling system is configured to extract and cool the primary coolant directly using the submerged tube bundle heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: SMR INVENTEC, LLC
    Inventors: Krishna P. Singh, Joseph Rajkumar
  • Patent number: 10706975
    Abstract: An operating floor confinement has an operating floor, a sidewall that surrounds the operating floor, a ceiling that is provided on an upper portion of the sidewall, a reactor well, a fuel pool, a dryer and separator pit, an equipment hatch that is provided on the sidewall, an air lock that is provided on the sidewall, and an isolation valve that is provided in a penetration line. The operating floor confinement forms a pressure boundary having pressure resistance and a leakage protection function. The operating floor confinement is separated from an equipment area of the reactor building and has no blowout panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Sato, Keiji Matsumoto, Keisuke Taguchi
  • Patent number: 10699816
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nuclear reactor (1), in particular a liquid-metal-cooled reactor, provided with a separation structure (5) between hot header (6) and cold header (7), narrower in the upper portion (16) for containment of the headers of the fuel assemblies and wider in the lower element (14) at the active part (4) of the core, with a variously shaped connecting element (15) between the lower element (14) and the upper element (16), and with heat exchangers (11) positioned between the upper portion (16) of said separation structure (5) and the reactor vessel (2), which engage on the connecting element (15) via vertical ducts (20) for being fed with hot primary fluid leaving the core (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: HYDROMINE NUCLEAR ENERGY S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Luciano Cinotti
  • Patent number: 10607740
    Abstract: In one implementation, a passive core decay heat transport system comprising of a device in the reactor core and an assembly of heat dissipating fins is disclosed. The device comprises at least one coolant channel 2 containing the fuel assembly 3; at least one collect joint 4 connecting the fuel in the assembly to shield plug 6; at least one liquid metal thermo-siphon 5 for transporting of decay heat from fuel; at least one other liquid metal thermo-siphon 7 for transport of heat from thermo-siphon 5; and at least an assembly of heat dissipating fins 10 for transport of heat from thermo-siphon 7 to ultimate sink. The thermal expansion of the liquid metal by melting establishes the conductive and convective heat transfer paths and transfers the heat from the fuel assembly 3 to the thermo-siphon 5, which transports the heat to other thermo-siphon 7 and then to the assembly of fin 10, which dissipates the heat by natural circulation of air to atmospheric air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
    Inventors: Aparna Janardhanan, Vijayan Krishnan Pallipattu
  • Patent number: 10539348
    Abstract: A combined power and refrigeration cascade system that includes an electric power system (PS) that produces both electric power and medium-to-high-grade waste heat. To reduce energy consumption by a load having a computer chip, the load is powered by a power source and thermally coupled to a refrigeration system, which is also powered by the power source. The refrigeration system is thermally coupled to an absorption system, which is configured to remove heat rejected by the refrigeration system. The refrigeration system and the absorption system are in a cascaded arrangement such that the refrigeration system condensing temperature is less than twenty degrees Celsius. In particular, absorption chillers of the absorption system and vapor-compressors of the refrigeration system are in a cascading arrangement that produces subzero cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: H. Ezzat Khalifa
  • Patent number: 10529459
    Abstract: A passive containment heat removal system and a control method thereof are provided. The system includes an outer containment an inner containment disposed in the outer containment, an air duct formed between the inner containment and the outer containment having an air inlet and an air outlet; a spraying assembly disposed outside the inner containment and configured to passively spray cooling water to an outer wall of the inner containment to cool the inner containment; a built-in heat exchanger disposed in the inner containment; an air cooling channel having an air inlet of the air cooling channel and an air outlet of the air cooling channel; an external air cooler disposed in the air cooling channel with an inlet connected with an outlet of the built-in heat exchanger via a first communicating pipe and an outlet connected with an inlet of the built-in heat exchanger via a second communicating pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignees: STATE NUCLEAR POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, STATE NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION LTD.
    Inventors: Chengge Lin, Meng Wang, Feng Shen, Shengjun Zhang, Zusheng Yu, Yaodong Chen
  • Patent number: 10438706
    Abstract: A pressure-relief system for a containment of a nuclear plant has a pressure-relief line which is led through the containment and is closed by a shutoff device, and a wet scrubber being switched into the pressure-relief line lying outside the containment, for the pressure-relief gas flow developing in the pressure-relief operating mode with the shutoff device being open. An effective, reliable operation of the wet scrubber with a compact structural configuration is made possible. This is achieved by a reservoir, arranged in the containment or fluidically connected therewith such that an overpressure, as compared with the outer environment, present in the containment, is transferred to the reservoir, and a feeding line which is led from the reservoir to the wet scrubber and can be closed by a shutoff device, for feeding a liquid active as a scrubbing liquid from the reservoir to the wet scrubber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Framatome GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Eckardt, Norbert Losch, Frank Zehe
  • Patent number: 10395784
    Abstract: A method and system for external alternate suppression pool cooling for a Boiling Water Nuclear Reactor (BWR) that does not breach the Mark I primary containment. The external cooling system may include a heat sink fluidly coupled to cooling coils surrounding the suppression pool. Cool water may be pumped through the cooling coils without the need for normal plant electrical power, which is ideal during a plant emergency. The cooling system may also be operated and controlled from a remote location to protect the safety of plant personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Ginsberg, Edward C. Andersen
  • Patent number: 10170209
    Abstract: A floating nuclear power reactor including one or two nuclear power reactors positioned in a floating vessel such as a barge or the like. Means is disclosed for flooding the containment structure of the nuclear reactor and for flooding the reactor vessels to cool the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventor: Palvannanathan Ganesan
  • Patent number: 10096389
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor cooling system with passive cooling capabilities operable during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) without available electric power. The system includes a reactor vessel with nuclear fuel core located in a reactor well. An in-containment water storage tank is fluidly coupled to the reactor well and holds an inventory of cooling water. During a LOCA event, the tank floods the reactor well with water. Eventually, the water heated by decay heat from the reactor vaporizes producing steam. The steam flows to an in-containment heat exchanger and condenses. The condensate is returned to the reactor well in a closed flow loop system in which flow may circulate solely via gravity from changes in phase and density of the water. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger may be an array of heat dissipater ducts mounted on the wall of the inner containment vessel surrounded by a heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Inventors: Krishna P. Singh, Joseph Rajkumar
  • Patent number: 9870838
    Abstract: A system includes a containment vessel configured to prohibit a release of a coolant, and a reactor vessel mounted inside the containment vessel. An outer surface of the reactor vessel is exposed to below atmospheric pressure, wherein substantially all gases are evacuated from within the containment vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: NuScale Power, LLC
    Inventors: Jose N. Reyes, Jr., John T. Groome
  • Patent number: 9859027
    Abstract: The present disclosure may disclose a multi stage safety injection device, including a safety injection tank formed to contain coolant to be injected into a reactor vessel by a gravitational head of water when an accident occurs in which the pressure or water level of the reactor vessel is decreased, a pressure balance line connected to the reactor vessel and safety injection tank to form a pressure balance between the reactor vessel and the safety injection tank, and a set of safety injection lines connected to the safety injection tank and the reactor vessel to inject coolant to the reactor vessel in a pressure balance state between the reactor vessel and the safety injection tank, and connected to the safety injection tank with different heights to reduce a flow rate of coolant injected into the reactor vessel step by step according to the water level reduction of the safety injection tank in order to inject coolant to the reactor vessel at multi stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Young In Kim, Won Jae Lee, Cheon Tae Park, Keung Koo Kim, Soo Jai Shin, Seung Yeop Yoo, Young Min Bae, Joo Hyung Moon, Ju Hyeon Yoon
  • Patent number: 9805833
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: BWXT mPower, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald C Watson, John D Malloy
  • Patent number: 9761334
    Abstract: The present disclosure may disclose a multi stage safety injection device and a passive safety injection system having the same, including a safety injection tank formed to contain coolant to be injected into a reactor vessel by a gravitational head of water when an accident occurs in which the pressure or water level of the reactor vessel is decreased, a pressure balance line connected to the reactor vessel and safety injection tank to form a pressure balance state between the reactor vessel and the safety injection tank, a safety injection line connected to a lower end portion of the safety injection tank and the reactor vessel to inject coolant to the reactor vessel in a pressure balance state between the reactor vessel and the safety injection tank, and a flow control line extended from the safety injection line to an inner portion of the safety injection tank, and provided with safety injection ports into which coolant is injected at predetermined heights, respectively, to reduce the flow rate of coolant
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Young In Kim, Keung Koo Kim, Cheon Tae Park, Seung Yeop Yoo, Young Min Bae, Joo Hyung Moon, Soo Jai Shin, Han Ok Kang, Jun Lee, Won Jae Lee, Tae Wan Kim, Keun Bae Park, Ju Hyeon Yoon
  • Patent number: 9748004
    Abstract: A combined makeup tank and passive residual heat removal system that places a tube and shell heat exchanger within the core makeup tank. An intake to the tube side of the heat exchanger is connected to the hot leg of the reactor core and the outlet of the tube side is connected to the cold leg of the reactor core. The shell side of the heat exchanger is connected to a separate heat sink through a second heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Matthew J. Memmott, Alexander W. Harkness, William Edward Cummins
  • Patent number: 9741458
    Abstract: In a debris trap that may be used in an Emergency Core Cooling System of a nuclear power plant, the filter media is arranged to define both filtration and bypass flowpaths that are in fluid communication with one another. At least initially, each of the filtration and bypass flowpaths are open, and the filtration and bypass flowpaths have relatively low and relatively high head loss, respectively. The debris trap is operative so that flow through the debris trap may passively, and typically gradually, transition from the filtration flowpaths to the bypass flowpath in response to the filter media collecting increasing amounts of debris. More specifically, initially substantially all of the flow may be through the filtration flowpaths, and thereafter the filtration flowpaths may become substantially obstructed so that substantially all of the flow is through the bypass flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Performance Contracting, Inc.
    Inventor: James M. Bleigh
  • Patent number: 9728281
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor includes an internal steam generator and a nuclear core disposed in a containment structure. A condenser is disposed outside the containment structure, and includes a condenser inlet line tapping off a steam line connected to the steam generator outside the containment structure, and a condensate injection line conveying condensate from the condenser to the integral steam generator. Isolation valves are located outside the containment structure on a feedwater line, the steam line, and the condensate injection line. The valves have an operating configuration in which the isolation valves on the feedwater and steam lines are open and the isolation valve on the condensate injection line is closed, and a heat removal configuration in which the isolation valves on the feedwater and steam lines are closed and the isolation valve on the condensate injection line is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: BWXT MPOWER, INC.
    Inventor: John J Koestner
  • Patent number: 9715947
    Abstract: Filtering systems and methods remove debris from coolant in a nuclear reactor setting. One or more filters are installed outside coolant reservoirs specifically where coolant will flow toward the reservoir, such as during a transient or other coolant leak event. Useable filters permit coolant through-flow while catching, straining, diverting, or otherwise removing debris from the coolant without significant interference with the coolant flow. Filters can be installed at any location in a flow path for coolant flowing toward the reservoir, including pipes draining into a suppression pool, floor or personnel platform gratings, areas around main steam legs or steam generators, in a reactor drywell, etc. One or more filters are installed by securing the filter in a coolant flow path into a coolant source. Installation and maintenance can be performed during any maintenance period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
    Inventors: Curt J. Robert, Jose L. Casillas, Feibiu D. Shum
  • Patent number: 9711246
    Abstract: Provided is a passive containment air cooling device with an isolated pressure boundary, including a heat exchanger positioned inside and outside a containment, penetrating through an outer wall of the containment to be connected to the containment through a pipe and thus form a closed loop, and including a coolant, an air induction duct circulating air outside the heat exchanger, and a cooled air exhaust unit formed in the air induction duct to increase cooling efficiency of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Tae-Soon Kwon, Kihwan Kim, Hyun Sik Park, Yusun Park, Sung Won Bae
  • Patent number: 9583224
    Abstract: A passive safety system includes a containment, a reactor in the containment, a plurality of safety injection tanks connected with the reactor and having water and nitrogen gas to supply water thereof into the reactor through a safety injection line communicating to the first safety injection line upon a loss of coolant accident, a plurality of core makeup tanks connected with the reactor to supply water thereof into the reactor through a second safety injection line communicating to a safety injection line upon the loss of coolant accident, and a plurality of passive residual heat removal systems to remove residual heat from the reactor upon the loss of coolant accident or a non-loss of coolant accident. The water in each of the safety injection tank is stably supplied to the reactor for many hours by a differential head resulting from gravity or gas pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Joo Hyung Moon, Won Jae Lee, Keung Koo Kim, Cheon Tae Park, Young In Kim, Sung Kyun Zee, Keun Bae Park
  • Patent number: 9502143
    Abstract: A floating nuclear power reactor including one or two nuclear power reactors positioned in a floating vessel such as a barge or the like. Means is disclosed for flooding the containment structure of the nuclear reactor and for flooding the reactor vessels to cool the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Inventor: Palvannanathan Ganesan
  • Patent number: 9406408
    Abstract: A system for passively cooling nuclear fuel in a pressurized water reactor during refueling that employs gravity and alignment of valves using battery reserves or fail in a safe position configurations to maintain the water above the reactor core during reactor disassembly and refueling. A large reserve of water is maintained above the elevation of and in fluid communication with the spent fuel pool and is used to remove decay heat from the reactor core after the reaction within the core has been successfully stopped. Decay heat is removed by boiling this large reserve of water, which will enable the plant to maintain a safe shutdown condition without outside support for many days.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventor: Alexander W. Harkness
  • Patent number: 9396823
    Abstract: A floating nuclear power reactor includes a self-cooling containment structure and an emergency heat exchange system. The containment structure of the reactor may be flooded upon the temperature or pressure in the containment structure reaching a certain level. The reactor vessel may also be flooded upon the temperature or pressure in the reactor vessel reaching a predetermined level. The reactor includes a heat exchange system and a filtered containment venting system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Inventor: Palvannanathan Ganesan
  • Patent number: 9378855
    Abstract: A floating nuclear power reactor includes a self-cooling containment structure and an emergency heat exchange system. The containment structure of the reactor may be flooded upon the temperature or pressure in the containment structure reaching a certain level. The reactor vessel may also be flooded upon the temperature or pressure in the reactor vessel reaching a predetermined level. The reactor includes a heat exchange system and a filtered containment venting system. The reactor also includes a multi-compartment containment structure. Multiple steam by-pass pipes extend to the filtered containment vent chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Inventor: Palvannanathan Ganesan
  • Patent number: 9312034
    Abstract: The invention includes a heat exchanger provided at a position higher than a primary containment vessel; a condensate storage tank disposed below the heat exchanger and above an upper end of a reactor core placed in a reactor pressure vessel; a non-condensate gas discharge line connected to an upper section of the condensate storage tank and to a suppression pool; a second condensate discharge line connected to a position below that section of the condensate storage tank to which a first end of the non-condensate gas discharge line is connected, and to the suppression pool; and a condensate return line connected to a position below that section of the condensate storage tank to which a first end of the second condensate discharge line is connected, and to a side portion of the reactor pressure vessel, the side portion being above the upper end of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Ikegawa, Kazuaki Kito
  • Patent number: 9275761
    Abstract: An integral pressurized water reactor that combines all of the components typically associated with a nuclear steam supply system, such as the steam generator, reactor coolant pumps, pressurizer and the reactor, into a single reactor pressure vessel. The reactor pressure vessel is itself enclosed in a containment pressure vessel that also houses a number of safety systems, such as the core make-up tanks, the primary side of residual heat removal heat exchangers, an automatic depressurization system and a recirculation system that enables continuous core cooling through natural circulation over an extended period of time. Actuation of the passive systems is done by single actuation of valves, powered from redundant batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Johan M. Cronje, Alexander W. Harkness, William Edward Cummins, Matthew J. Memmott, Matthew C. Smith
  • Patent number: 9129713
    Abstract: A high pressure safety injection tank (HPSIT) system includes one safety injection tank (HIT) which replaces a core makeup tank (CMT) and a low pressure (approximately 4.3 Mpa or below) safety injection tank (SIT) and which can shift to and operate on a high pressure (approximately 17 Mpa) operation mode, to enable injection of emergency core coolant into a reactor system both under low pressure (approximately 4.3 Mpa or below) and high pressure (approximately 17 Mpa).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
    Inventors: Tae-Soon Kwon, Dong-Jin Euh, Chul-Hwa Song, Won-Pil Baek
  • Patent number: 9058906
    Abstract: A fuel element storage and cooling configuration includes a fuel element storage pool and a cooling system having at least one first heat exchanger disposed in the fuel element storage pool and at least one second heat exchanger disposed in a heat sink and located at a distance therefrom, above a highest point of the first heat exchanger. The two heat exchangers are connected, using a pipe system, to form a closed circuit, which is at least partially filled with a flowable coolant. If the temperature of the first heat exchanger is increased with respect to the second heat exchanger, natural circulation of the coolant, and thus heat transport from the fuel element storage pool to the heat sink, is ensured without a pump apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Marcel Schmidt, Daniel Freis, Norbert Haspel
  • Patent number: 9053823
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an alternative cooling system for the suppression pool of a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear reactor. The cooling system is operated to cool the suppression pool in the event of a plant accident when normal plant electricity is not available for the conventional residual heat removal system and pumps. The cooling system may also be used to supplement the cooling of the suppression pool via the residual heat removal system. The cooling system is operated and controlled from a remote location, which is ideal during a plant emergency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Robert Joseph Ginsberg, John R. Bass, Richard M. Rogers, Mark W. Siewert
  • Publication number: 20150131770
    Abstract: An emergency core cooling system and method for a fail-safe water-cooled reactor is disclosed, which completely remove decay heat generated from a core in safety without the use of an active component (i.e., pump). The exemplary embodiments include a reactor vessel using water as a coolant and a moderator, and receiving therein a reactor core on which nuclear fission occurs; a containment surrounding the entire reactor system including the reactor vessel and condensing a vapor discharged from the reactor vessel when emergency core cooling is performed; a reactor cavity which surrounds the reactor vessel and in which water condensed in the containment is collected due to gravity; a first cavity pipe provided to pass through the reactor vessel; and a cavity valve provided on the cavity pipe to open the first cavity pipe when emergency core cooling is performed and discharge the vapor generated from the reactor vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Hee Cheon NO, Ho Sik KIM
  • Publication number: 20150131769
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nuclear power plant and safety system with fuse element and gravity elevator, the buildings of the power plant subjected to contamination being buried below sea level and under borated water basins, and having a safety system free of electrical and electronic components to act in the event of possible accidents comprising, among others, means for flooding the buildings of the power plant with thermal fuses and gravity elevators for operator evacuation in the event of an emergency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: SERBEX TECNOLOGIA Y VALORES, S.L.
    Inventor: Javier Larrion
  • Patent number: 9031183
    Abstract: An emergency core cooling system is provided with a hybrid safety system composed of an active safety system and a static safety system for ensuring the safety against a severe natural phenomenon such as a giant earthquake and a mega hurricane. An emergency core cooling system for a boiling water reactor includes four safety divisions in total: three safety divisions for an active safety system having a high pressure reactor core cooling system, a low pressure reactor core cooling system, a residual heat removal system, and an emergency diesel generator; and one safety division for a static safety system having an isolation condenser, a gravity drop reactor core cooling system, and a static containment vessel cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 9014324
    Abstract: Disclosed is a coolant with dispersed neutron poison micro-particles, used in a supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) emergency core cooling system. Since the neutron poison micro-particles are uniformly dispersed in the coolant of the emergency core cooling system for a long period time, their fluidity is not lowered even though the polarity of water is changed in a supercritical state. Therefore, the neutron poison micro-particles absorb neutrons produced from nuclear fission in a nuclear reactor core. Accordingly, the neutron poison micro-particles can be appropriately used as a means for controlling neutrons and stopping a nuclear reactor in the SCWR emergency core cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
    Inventors: Jei-Won Yeon, Kyuseok Song, Yoon-Yeong Bae, Jong-Yun Kim, Jinsung Jang
  • Patent number: 8976920
    Abstract: A nuclear power plant with an improved cooling system using nanoparticles in solid or fluid form is provided. The nanoparticles are delivered in locations such as the cold leg accumulator and high and low pressure pumps of an emergency core cooling system. Motor driven valves and pressurization can aid in the delivery. Methods for providing the nanoparticles are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Areva NP
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Brian Glenn Lockamon