Heat removal system and method for use with a nuclear reactor
View Patent ↗A nuclear reactor includes a reactor vessel, a containment vessel that surrounds the reactor vessel, and a condenser that receives coolant from within the reactor vessel. The containment vessel and the condenser are at least partially submerged within a common reactor pool of liquid.
1. A nuclear reactor, comprising:
a reactor vessel;
a containment vessel that surrounds the reactor vessel;
a first condenser that receives coolant from within the reactor vessel, the containment vessel and the first condenser at least partially submerged within a common pool; and
a reactor bay separate from the containment vessel that surrounds the containment vessel, the reactor bay comprising a plurality of walls that at least partially define the common pool and enclose a coolant in the common pool between the containment vessel and the walls.
2. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , wherein the coolant enclosed in the common pool comprises a liquid coolant.
3. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , wherein the first condenser is structurally coupled to the containment vessel.
4. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , wherein a second condenser is structurally coupled adjacent the first condenser on a cylindrical portion of the containment vessel.
5. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device adjustable to permit coolant to flow from the first condenser to a first portion of a heat exchanger within the reactor vessel.
6. The nuclear reactor of claim 5 , further comprising:
a second control device adjustable to permit coolant to flow from a second portion of the heat exchanger within the reactor vessel to the first condenser.
7. The nuclear reactor of claim 5 , further comprising:
a degradation sensor responsive to degradation in a cooling system of the nuclear reactor,
the degradation sensor generating an output signal to an input port of the control device, and
the control device being adjustable to permit coolant to flow from the first condenser to the heat exchanger within the reactor vessel.
8. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , wherein the condenser is structurally coupled to an interior surface of a structure that defines, at least in part, the shape of the common pool.
9. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first conduit that fluidly couples the first condenser to the coolant within the reactor vessel near a reactor core that is arranged in a bottom half of the reactor vessel; and
a second conduit that fluidly couples the first condenser to the coolant within the reactor vessel near a fluidline of the coolant in a top half of the reactor vessel.
10. The nuclear reactor of claim 9 , wherein the first condenser is positioned within the containment vessel external to the reactor vessel.
11. The nuclear reactor of claim 9 , wherein the first conduit fluidly couples the first condenser to the coolant within the reactor vessel above the reactor core that is arranged in the bottom half of the reactor vessel.
12. The nuclear reactor of claim 11 , wherein the first condenser is positioned in the common pool external to the containment vessel.
13. The nuclear reactor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first conduit that fluidly couples the first condenser directly to an inlet of a heat exchanger that is positioned within the reactor vessel adjacent a riser channel; and
a second conduit that fluidly couples the first condenser directly to an outlet of the heat exchanger.
14. A method of removing heat from a nuclear reactor, comprising:
sensing, prior to actuating a control device, a degradation in cooling capability of a nuclear reactor;
actuating the control device; and
conveying, responsive to actuation of the control device, vaporized coolant through a condenser, wherein
the condenser and a containment vessel of the nuclear reactor are at least partially submerged in a common pool, and wherein
the condenser and the containment vessel are in direct contact with liquid of the common pool.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conveying comprises:
conveying the vaporized coolant to the condenser, wherein
the condenser is structurally coupled to the containment vessel.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conveying comprises fluidly coupling the vaporized coolant to a condenser structurally coupled to a surface of a structure that defines, at least in part, the shape of the common pool.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sensing results from, at least in part, one of the group consisting of: a loss of feedwater, a loss of off-site power, a failure within a coolant pump, a break in a conduit carrying feedwater, a loss of a feedwater heater, and any combination thereof.
18. A method of configuring a nuclear reactor and associated condenser for use, the method comprising:
coupling, structurally or fluidly, the condenser to the nuclear reactor that is housed in a containment vessel; and
at least partially submerging the condenser and the nuclear reactor into a common pool of liquid within a reactor bay, the common pool at least partially enclosed between a plurality of walls of the reactor bay and the containment vessel, wherein
the at least partially submerged condenser makes direct contact with liquid of the common pool.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the coupling comprises:
affixing the condenser to the containment vessel that houses the nuclear reactor.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the coupling further comprises:
fluidly coupling a coolant-carrying conduit to an input port of the condenser, wherein
the condenser is structurally coupled to a surface that defines, at least in part, the shape of the common pool of liquid.
21. A heat removal system, comprising:
a condenser operable to remove heat from a nuclear reactor, the condenser being at least partially submerged in a pool surrounding the nuclear reactor;
means for detecting a degradation in cooling capability of the nuclear reactor; and
means for controlling vaporized coolant flow to the condenser in response to an output signal from the means for detecting a degradation in cooling capability.
22. The heat removal system of claim 21 , wherein the condenser is structurally coupled to a surface of a structure that defines, at least in part, the shape of the pool surrounding the nuclear reactor.
23. The heat removal system of claim 21 , wherein the condenser is structurally coupled to a containment vessel housing the nuclear reactor.
24. The heat removal system of claim 23 , wherein the condenser is structurally coupled to an outer surface of the containment vessel.
25. A nuclear reactor, comprising:
a reactor vessel;
a containment vessel that surrounds the reactor vessel;
a first condenser that receives coolant from within the reactor vessel, the containment vessel and the first condenser at least partially submerged within a common pool;
a control device adjustable to permit coolant to flow from the first condenser to a first portion of a heat exchanger within the reactor vessel; and
a degradation sensor responsive to degradation in a cooling system of the nuclear reactor, the degradation sensor operable to generate an output signal to an input port of the control device, and the control device adjustable to permit coolant to flow from the first condenser to the heat exchanger within the reactor vessel.
26. The nuclear reactor of claim 25 , wherein the common pool comprises liquid coolant.
27. The nuclear reactor of claim 25 , wherein the first condenser is structurally coupled to the containment vessel.
28. The nuclear reactor of claim 25 , wherein a second condenser is structurally coupled adjacent the first condenser on a cylindrical portion of the containment vessel.
29. The nuclear reactor of claim 25 , further comprising:
a control device adjustable to permit coolant to flow from the first condenser to a first portion of a heat exchanger within the reactor vessel.
30. The nuclear reactor of claim 29 , further comprising:
a second control device adjustable to permit coolant to flow from a second portion of the heat exchanger within the reactor vessel to the first condenser.
31. The nuclear reactor of claim 25 , wherein the condenser is structurally coupled to an interior surface of a structure that defines, at least in part, the shape of the common pool.