Looking for breakthrough ideas for innovation challenges? Try Patsnap Eureka!

Apparatus for degassing a nuclear reactor coolant system

a technology for coolant systems and nuclear reactors, applied in nuclear elements, separation processes, greenhouse gas reduction, etc., can solve the problems of significant energy and significant building space and support systems, and achieve the effect of minimizing the required number of contactors and improving the efficiency of membranes

Inactive Publication Date: 2016-08-04
WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP
View PDF2 Cites 6 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a system for removing gases from a liquid using membranes. A sweep gas system, which includes nitrogen, is connected to the system to improve its efficiency. The system may have multiple contactor housings connected in parallel or in series. The contactors may also be operated without a sweep gas, but may require additional contactors to achieve the desired gas removal. The technical effects of this system include minimizing the number of contactors required for efficient gas removal.

Problems solved by technology

This traditional approach requires significant energy to operate large vacuum pumps, multiple components, e.g., degasifier columns, transfer pumps, separator vessels, interconnecting piping, valves, and instrumentation, and requires significant building space and support systems, e.g., cooling / chilled water.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Apparatus for degassing a nuclear reactor coolant system
  • Apparatus for degassing a nuclear reactor coolant system
  • Apparatus for degassing a nuclear reactor coolant system

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0017]This invention utilizes a known and established technology of gas membranes to remove dissolved gases from the reactor coolant. While this is a known and proven technology for some applications, it has not been previously employed to handle mildly acidic and radioactive solutions as exists in interfacing with the primary coolant of a nuclear reactor system, as evidenced by the alternative reactor degasing systems proposed in the past and described in the evaluation of prior art set forth in the Background of U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,425.

[0018]In accordance with this invention, one or more alternate “contactors” which respectively house a gas membrane are aligned in series and / or parallel, as required to handle the desired flow and the degree of gas removal. Liquid containing primarily dissolved hydrogen and the radioactive gases, i.e., xenon and krypton, enters the contactors at a relatively low pressure and exits the membranes degassed to the desired level. A vacuum is applied to ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

No PUM Login to View More

Abstract

An in-line dissolved gas removal membrane-based apparatus for removing dissolved hydrogen and fission gases from the letdown stream from a reactor coolant system.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1. Field[0002]The present invention relates generally to a process for removing dissolved gasses from reactor coolant in a nuclear power plant and more particularly to apparatus for removing dissolved hydrogen and fission gases from the reactor coolant by passing the coolant over a membrane and extracting the gasses by applying a vacuum.[0003]2. Related Art[0004]During pressurized water reactor plant shutdowns, it is a common practice to drain the reactor coolant system to a level below the reactor vessel flange to the mid-plane of the reactor vessel coolant outlet nozzles. That mid-plane coincides with the mid-plane of the connecting “hot leg” piping leading to the steam generators. This drain-down permits inspection, testing and maintenance, during shutdown, of pumps, steam generators, support structures and other primary system components.[0005]During reactor operation, some fission gases, e.g., xenon and krypton, created by the fission reactions occurring in the ...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G21C19/303
CPCG21C19/303B01D19/0036G21C19/307G21F9/02G21C19/207Y02E30/30Y02E30/00B01D53/22G21D3/00G21F9/00B01D19/0031G21C15/00G21F9/06
Inventor CORPORA, GARY J.
Owner WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Patsnap Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Patsnap Eureka Blog
Learn More
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic, Popular Technical Reports.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap|About US| Contact US: help@patsnap.com