Plural Separate Coolant Loops Through Reactor Core Patents (Class 376/396)
  • Patent number: 8638901
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor having a liquid metal or molten salt coolant in a riser space 130?, has a cylindrical containment vessel 134 with a reactor vessel 120?, at least two lobes 121, preferably three to nine lobes 121, each lobe 121 interconnected with the other lobe(s) and each containing a fast reactor core, 116?, 116?, 116? and 116??.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Edward J. Lahoda, Mario D. Carelli, Matthew J. Memmott
  • Publication number: 20120263270
    Abstract: A pressurized water reactor (PWR) includes a cylindrical pressure vessel defining a sealed volume, a nuclear reactor core disposed in a lower portion of the cylindrical pressure vessel, one or more control rod drive mechanisms (CRDMs) disposed in the cylindrical pressure vessel above the nuclear reactor core, and an annular steam generator surrounding the nuclear reactor core and the CRDM. In some such PWR, a cylindrical riser is disposed coaxially inside the pressure vessel and inside the annular steam generator and surrounds the nuclear reactor core and the CRDM, and the steam generator is disposed coaxially inside the cylindrical pressure vessel in an annular volume defined by the cylindrical pressure vessel and the cylindrical riser. In other such PWR, the steam generator is disposed coaxially outside of and secured with the cylindrical pressure vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: John D. Malloy, Michael J. Edwards
  • Publication number: 20120170705
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor having a liquid metal or molten salt coolant in a riser space 130?, has a cylindrical containment vessel 134 with a reactor vessel 120?, at least two lobes 121, preferably three to nine lobes 121, each lobe 121 interconnected with the other lobe(s) and each containing a fast reactor core, 116?, 116?, 116? and 116??.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC
    Inventors: Edward J. Lahoda, Mario D. Carelli, Matthew J. Memmott
  • Patent number: 7809099
    Abstract: A direct vessel injection (DVI) nozzle for minimum emergency core coolant (ECC) bypass is disclosed. The DVI nozzle is used in a pressurized light water reactor (PLWR) having a reactor vessel with a reactor coolant system in which a coolant flows into the reactor vessel through a cold leg and passes through a reactor core prior to being discharged to the outside of the reactor vessel through a hot leg. The DVI nozzle, provided to directly inject ECC into the reactor vessel to cool the reactor core during a break in the reactor coolant system, such as a cold leg break (CLB) that may occur in the PLWR, is placed on the reactor vessel at a position horizontally offset from the central axis of the hot leg at an angle of 10° to 30° and is involved within a region defined above the central axis of the hot leg by a distance of 1.5 times the sum of diameters of the hot leg and the DVI nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
    Inventors: Tae-Soon Kwon, Chul-Hwa Song