Patent Application
20130287161
1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments relate generally to nuclear reactors, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for an alternative cooling system for the suppression pool of a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear reactor. The cooling system may be particularly beneficial in the event a plant emergency that causes plant electrical power to be disrupted, or normal cooling of the suppression pool to otherwise become impaired. The cooling system may also be used to supplement a conventional residual heat removal system.
2. Related Art
The pool 15 is conventionally cleaned and cooled by the residual heat removal (RHR) system of the BWR plant. During normal (non-accident) plant conditions, the RHR system can remove water from the suppression pool 15 (using conventional RHR pumps) and send the water through a demineralizer (not shown) to remove impurities and some radioactive isotopes that may be contained in the water. During a plant accident, the RHR system is also designed to remove some of the suppression pool water from the suppression pool 15 and send the water to a heat exchanger (within the RHR system) for cooling.
During a serious plant accident, normal plant electrical power may be disrupted. In particular, the plant may be without normal electrical power to run the conventional RHR system and pumps. If electrical power is disrupted for a lengthy period of time, water in the suppression pool 15 may eventually boil and impair the ability of the suppression pool 15 to condense plant steam and reduce containment pressure.
In a plant emergency, use of the RHR system may cause highly radioactive water (above acceptable design limits) to be transferred between the suppression pool 15 and RHR systems (located outside of primary containment). The transfer of the highly radioactive water between the suppression pool 15 and RHR system may, in and of itself, cause a potential escalation in leakage of harmful radioactive isotopes that may escape the suppression pool 15. Additionally, radiation dosage rates in areas of the RHR system could be excessively high during an accident, making it difficult for plant personnel to access and control the system.
At least one embodiment is directed to a heat removal system for a nuclear reactor.
In one embodiment, the heat removal system includes a storage tank configured to store a heat transfer medium, a transfer system configured to selectively transfer the heat transfer medium from the storage tank to the nuclear reactor, and a delivery system operationally connected to the transfer system. The delivery system is configured to deliver the heat transfer medium to a suppression pool room of the nuclear reactor. The suppression pool room houses a suppression pool.
In one embodiment, the transfer system includes at least one valve configured to control a flow of the heat transfer medium.
In one embodiment, the delivery system defines at least one opening into the suppression pool room. For example, the opening may be disposed above a mid-point of the suppression pool room.
In one embodiment, the delivery system is configured to deliver the heat transfer medium onto a housing of the suppression pool to remove heat.
In one embodiment, the heat removal system further includes a vent configured to vent gas from the suppression pool room.
At least one embodiment is directed to a method of removing heat from a nuclear reactor.
In one embodiment, the method includes activating at least one flow control valve of a transfer system to permit flow of a heat transfer medium from a storage tank to a delivery system via the heat transfer system. The delivery system is configured to supply the heat transfer medium to a suppression pool room of the nuclear reactor, and the suppression pool room houses a suppression pool.
At least one embodiment is directed to a method of providing a heat removal system for a nuclear reactor.
In one embodiment, the method includes installing a delivery system in the nuclear reactor. The delivery system is configured to deliver a heat transfer medium to a suppression pool room, and the suppression pool room includes a suppression pool. The method further includes installing at least one vent in the suppression pool room. The vent is configured to vent gas from the suppression pool room.
The method may further include connecting a transfer system between the delivery system and a storage tank. The storage tank stores the heat transfer medium, and the transfer system is configured to selectively transfer the heat transfer medium from the storage tank to the delivery system.
The above and other features and advantages of example embodiments will become more apparent by describing in detail, example embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The accompanying drawings are intended to depict example embodiments and should not be interpreted to limit the intended scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
Detailed example embodiments are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments. Example embodiments may, however, be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein.
Accordingly, while example embodiments are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but to the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of example embodiments. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the figures.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between”, “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent”, etc.).
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,”, “includes” and/or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
The pool 15 may be cleaned and cooled by the residual heat removal (RHR) system of the BWR plant. During normal (non-accident) plant conditions, the RHR system can remove water from the suppression pool 15 (using conventional RHR pumps) and send the water through a demineralizer (not shown) to remove impurities and some radioactive isotopes that may be contained in the water. During a plant accident, the RHR system is also designed to remove heat from the suppression pool water with a heat exchanger (within the RHR system) for cooling.
According to an embodiment, a heat removal system is further provided. The heat removal system includes a storage tank 105, transfer system 110, and a delivery system 120. The storage tank 105 stores a heat transfer medium 107. The heat transfer medium 107 may be water, sea water, etc. In one embodiment, the storage tank 105 is disposed at a height greater than a mid-point M of the suppression pool 15.
The transfer system 110 is configured to provide one or more fluid communication paths from the storage tank 105 to the BWR building 5. For example, the transfer system 110 may include a first pipe 113, a flow control valve 115 and a second pipe 117. The first pipe 113 receives the heat transfer medium 107 from the storage tank 105. The flow control valve 115 controls the flow of the heat transfer medium 107 from the first pipe 113 to the second pipe 117. The second pipe 117 supplies the heat transfer medium 107 to a delivery system 120 at the BWR building 5. It will be appreciated that transfer system 110 may include one or more pipes receiving the heat transfer medium 107 from the storage tank 105. It will be further appreciated that the transfer system 110 may include one or more pipes supplying the heat transfer medium 107 to the delivery system 120. Still further, it will be appreciated that the transfer system 110 may include one or more flow control valves controlling the flow of the heat transfer medium 107 from the storage tank 105 to the delivery system 120.
For example,
Returning to
It will be appreciated that the delivery system 120 may include one or more pipes 123 connected to the transfer system 110 and defining one or more openings 125 into the suppression pool room 10. Furthermore, if a plurality of pipes 123 are provided, the plurality of pipes 123 may be disposed at different positions around the suppression pool room 10. In one embodiment, one or more of the plurality of pipes 123 is disposed at least above a mid-point M of the suppression pool 15. Furthermore, in one embodiment, at least one of the openings 125 of the plurality of pipes 123 may be disposed over the suppression pool 15 such that the heat transfer medium 107 flowing into the suppression pool room 10 flows over the housing of the suppression pool 15.
In the embodiment of
It will further be understood that the example embodiments are not limited to a delivery system having a singled inlet pipe connected to the manifold 145. It will further be understood that the example embodiments are not limited to a delivery system having a singled manifold.
In another embodiment, instead of a manifold, a sprinkler system may be provided to spray the heat transfer medium 107 onto the suppression pool 15.
Additionally, the embodiments are not limited to a single storage tank and/or a single transfer system and/or a single delivery system.
As further shown in
Next, installation and operation of the heat removal system will be described with respect to
It will also be appreciated, that the transfer system 110 and/or storage tank 105 may include a pump to pump the heat transfer medium 107 through the transfer system 110.
In one embodiment, the storage tank 105, the flow control valve 115 and controls associated therewith may be positioned in a remote location that is remote from the suppression pool 15, for the safety of plant personnel. That is to say, locations of these elements may be at a distance from the suppression pool 15 that permits human operation with a decreased risk of radiation exposure.
The heat removal system according to the example embodiments may be installed prior to BWR plant operation, or may be installed as a retro-fitted system.
It should be understood that the heat removal system may be used during periods of time other than plant accident conditions. For instance, the heat removal system may be used simply to supplement the normal cooling of the suppression pool via the RHR system, to provide the suppression pool system with extra temperature design margins.
Example embodiments having thus been described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the intended spirit and scope of example embodiments, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
