Pressurizer surge-line separator for integral pressurized water reactors
View Patent ↗An integral pressurized light water reactor having most of the components of a primary side of a pressurized water reactor nuclear steam supply system housed in a single pressure vessel with a pressurizer separated from the remaining reactor system by a surge separator having multiple layers of separated steel plates with a number of concentric baffles extending therebetween. A circuitous flow path is provided through and between the plates and concentric baffles and a relatively stagnant pool of coolant is maintained within an innermost zone between the plates to provide thermal isolation.
1. An integral nuclear reactor having a reactor pressure vessel housing a primary coolant flow path, a pressurizer and a surge line separator separating the pressurizer from the primary coolant flow path, the surge line separator comprising:
two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates each having a curved periphery that is supported in an upper portion of the reactor pressure vessel with each plate substantially spanning an inside diameter and extending around an inner circumference of the reactor pressure vessel and enclosed around a periphery of the two spaced, generally horizontal plates by an outer wall;
a plurality of radially spaced, curved, concentric baffles extending over an arc of 360 degrees or less, are situated between the spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates and are respectively affixed to one or the other of the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates, with substantially all of the baffles in contact with both spaced, generally horizontal plates;
a first coolant passage through the lower one of the two spaced, generally horizontal plates in a first area generally proximate one of either a center or the periphery of the lower one of the two spaced, generally horizontal plates;
a second coolant passage through the upper one of the two spaced, generally horizontal plates in a second area generally proximate the other of either a center or the periphery of the upper one of the two spaced, generally horizontal plates; and
at least some of the plurality of baffles, radially spaced from the outer wall and radially adjacent each other, respectively have a plurality of circumferentially spaced, substantially radially directed coolant passages configured so that the radially directed coolant passages in the adjacent baffles are circumferentially offset from one another, to define a circuitous coolant flow path between the first coolant passage and the second coolant passage.
2. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 wherein the second coolant passage through the upper one of the two spaced, generally horizontal plates comprises a plurality of second coolant passages that are circumferentially offset from an adjacent radially directed coolant passage.
3. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 wherein an inner one of the plurality of baffles substantially surrounds a generally stagnant pool of coolant, relative to the flow between the first area and the second area.
4. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 3 including one or more radially directed coolant passages through a wall of the inner one of the plurality of baffles.
5. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 wherein the surge line separator comprises a plurality of pairs of the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates with a set of the plurality of radially spaced, curved concentric baffles extending between the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates of each pair, with the pairs of spaced, generally horizontal plates arranged in tandem.
6. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 5 wherein the lower one of the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates of one pair forms the upper one of the two spaced, horizontal, substantially flat plates of a second pair.
7. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 wherein substantially all of the baffles are attached to only one of the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates.
8. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 including a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending heater assemblies which are supported from an upper side of the upper one of the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates.
9. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 8 including a circumferential separation flange at or below the upper one of the two, spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates, wherein the flange is sealed by a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced fasteners and the heater assemblies respectively extend between pairs of the fasteners.
10. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 including a sealed manway substantially in the center of the upper one of the two spaced, generally horizontal, substantially flat plates.
11. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 1 wherein the reactor pressure vessel includes a lower reactor pressure vessel and an upper reactor pressure vessel head, wherein the upper reactor pressure vessel head includes an upper section and a lower section that are connected by a reactor pressure vessel head upper flange and wherein the reactor pressure vessel upper flange supports the surge line separator.
12. The integral nuclear reactor of claim 11 wherein a portion of the surge line separator is captured between a lower and upper lip of the upper reactor pressure vessel flange.