Variable speed pump for use in nuclear reactor

Abstract

A nuclear reactor coolant system includes a primary coolant circuit connected to a secondary coolant circuit. A desired amount of coolant is bled from the primary circuit to the secondary circuit for purification and controlling chemical composition of the coolant. Variable speed charging pumps are provided in the secondary circuit to pump coolant back into the primary circuit at variable pressures and flow rates. A pressurizer level control system is also disclosed for controlling pump speeds.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a coolant system for a nuclear reactor and, more particularly, to a volume control system having a variable speed pump to regulate the flow of an injection stream into a primary coolant loop. Background technique [0002] Nuclear reactors have coolant circulated at very high pressure through a coolant loop, which flows through a reaction vessel which heats the coolant to produce steam which drives a steam generator to generate electricity. Corrosion and wear in the cooling system create unclean components in the coolant. These undesired unclean components must be removed to maintain efficient energy generation processes and efficient heat transfer. It is known to continuously remove or export coolant from the primary coolant circuit to a primary circuit, which removes those unwanted contaminants. This output is called the effluent. Typically, the coolant in the secondary loop is passed to a discharge cooler before pa...

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Problems solved by technology

However, energy losses are associated with changes in compensating flow and discharge flow

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