IP Library Granted Patent US 8,218,709
Granted Patent B2
US 8,218,709 · App. 11/318,999 · Granted Jul 10, 2012

Nuclear plant and method for the pressure relief in a nuclear plant

Assignee: Areva NP GmbH
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,218,709
App. No.
11/318,999
Granted
Jul 10, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A nuclear installation has a reactor containment which is connected to a pressure relief line. A Venturi scrubber, which is arranged in a vessel containing a washing liquid, and a throttle device are connected in series in the pressure relief line. The novel system restrains, with particularly high reliability, fine air-transported activities or aerosols during decompression such that release thereof into the environment is practically impossible. The Venturi scrubber and the throttle device are dimensioned in such a way that, in the case of a critical drop in pressure of an air-vapor mixture flowing in the decompression line, a flow speed of said air-vapor mixture of more than 150 m/s, preferably more than 200 m/s, can be adjusted with respect to the throttle device in the Venturi scrubber.

Claims (25)

1. A nuclear plant, comprising:

a containment;

a pressure relief line communicating with said containment;

a throttle device and a Venturi scrubber connected in series in said pressure relief line, said Venturi scrubber being disposed in a vessel with a washing liquid;

said Venturi scrubber and said throttle device being dimensioned to establish, in the event of a critical depressurization of an air/vapor mixture flowing in said pressure relief line and through said throttle device, a flow velocity of the air/vapor mixture of more than 150 m/s in the Venturi scrubber.

2. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber and said throttle device are dimensioned to establish a flow velocity through said Venturi scrubber of more than 200 m/s.

3. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber comprises a multiplicity of Venturi tubes having outlets, a comparatively large number of said Venturi tubes are disposed with the respective said outlets above an intended setpoint level of the scrubbing liquid, and a comparatively small number of said Venturi tubes are disposed with an outlet direction directed downward.

4. The nuclear plant according to claim 3 , wherein up to approximately 10% of said Venturi tubes are disposed with the outlet direction directed downward.

5. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber comprises a plurality of Venturi tubes having a throat cross-sectional area and an inlet cross-section area for the scrubbing liquid, and a ratio of said throat cross-sectional area to said inlet area is less than 10:1.

6. The nuclear plant according to claim 5 , wherein said ratio is approximately 3:1.

7. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber comprises a plurality of substantially round Venturi tubes with a throat width of less than about 80 mm.

8. The nuclear plant according to claim 7 , wherein said throat width of said Venturi tubes is less than about 40 mm.

9. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber comprises a plurality of substantially flat Venturi tubes with a throat width of less than about 100 mm.

10. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber comprises a plurality of Venturi tubes with a height to throat width ratio of more than 5.

11. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said Venturi scrubber comprises a plurality of Venturi tubes with a height to throat width ratio of more than 10.

12. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , which further comprises a washing liquid reservoir connected to said vessel on a scrubbing liquid side thereof.

13. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , which further comprises a feedback line connecting a scrubbing liquid side of said vessel to an interior of said containment.

14. The nuclear plant according to claim 13 , wherein said feedback line is connected via said pressure relief line to the interior of said containment.

15. The nuclear plant according to claim 14 , wherein said vessel is disposed geodetically lying at least approximately 5 m higher than an exit point of said pressure relief line from said containment.

16. The nuclear plant according to claim 15 , wherein said vessel is disposed at least 10 m above said exit point.

17. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein the washing liquid in said vessel has a pH of at least 9.

18. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , which further comprises, following said Venturi scrubber in a flow direction, a molecular sieve coated with silver compounds.

19. The nuclear plant according to claim 1 , wherein said throttle device is integrated into said vessel.

20. A method for depressurizing a nuclear plant according to claim 1 , which comprises subjecting the Venturi scrubber to a flow velocity of the medium carried in the pressure relief line of more than 150 m/s.

21. The nuclear plant according to claim 20 , which comprises setting the flow velocity to more than 200 m/s.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2018
From: AREVA GMBH (FORMERLY KNOWN AS AREVA NP GMBH)
To: FRAMATOME GMBH
Reel/Frame 047658/0244 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2011
From: ECKARDT, BERND
To: AREVA NP GMBH
Reel/Frame 027329/0872 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2010
From: ECKHARDT, BERND
To: AREVA NP GMBH
Reel/Frame 024441/0504 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 103 28 773 · Jun 25, 2003 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2004006837 · Jun 24, 2004
Related Publication 20060188055A1 · Aug 24, 2006