Containment vessel cooling system

Abstract

The invention relates to a containment vessel cooling system (10) which has a closed containment vessel (12) of a nuclear plant, comprising a heat exchanger for heat transfer between a coolant to be cooled and a return coolant, and comprising first means for removing the coolant to be cooled from the containment vessel (12) and supplying it to the heat exchanger in a first cooling circuit. The first means have a first pump device (38) for pumping the coolant back into the containment vessel (12). Second means are provided for recooling the heat exchanger. The second means additionally have a turbine (40), which is driven by the flow of the return coolant. The first pump device (38) is coupled to the turbine (40) in such a way that the first pump device is driven by the turbine. The first pump device (38) and the turbine (40) are arranged outside the containment vessel (12). In addition, the heat exchanger is a condenser (30) arranged outside the containment vessel (12). The first means also have a removal device (24) in the containment vessel (12) for removing the coolant to be cooled from the containment vessel (12), said coolant having a steam portion and an air portion, and at least the steam portion is fed to the condenser (30). The steam portion is condensed into water by the condenser (30), and the water is pumped back into the containment vessel (12) as a cooled coolant by the first pump device (38).

Description

[0001] Westinghouse Electric Germany

[0002] Mannheim

[0003] Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 03 September 2025

[0004] Safety container cooling system

[0005] Description

[0006] The invention relates to a containment vessel cooling system comprising a sealed containment vessel of a nuclear facility, with a heat exchanger for heat transfer between a coolant to be cooled and a cooling medium, with first means for extracting the coolant to be cooled from the containment vessel in a first cooling circuit and supplying it to the heat exchanger, and returning it to the containment vessel after it has passed through the heat exchanger, wherein the first means comprise a first pumping device for pumping the coolant, now cooled by the heat exchanger, back into the containment vessel, with second means for supplying the cooling medium from a coolant reservoir to the heat exchanger and returning it to the coolant reservoir after it has passed through the heat exchanger, wherein the second means comprise a second pumping device located outside the containment vessel to circulate the cooling medium.wherein the second means comprise a turbine which is driven by the flow of the cooling medium, and wherein the first pumping device is coupled to the turbine in such a way that it is driven by it.

[0007] It is generally known that numerous precautions are taken in nuclear facilities to protect the environment from potential damage in the event of an accident. An accident can be accompanied by an increase in temperature within a nuclear reactor if the reactor's safety cooling systems fail. In such cases, the heat energy generated by the reactor, for example, the decay power, is not sufficiently dissipated, and this can lead to [Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 2 03 September 2025].

[0008] Overheating of the nuclear reactor will occur.

[0009] To ensure maximum safety even in the event of an accident, a nuclear reactor is surrounded by a hermetically sealed containment structure. This prevents any radioactive materials that might escape from the reactor core from reaching the environment in the event of an accident, instead keeping them contained within the containment structure. A coolant collection area, or reactor sump, is usually located within the containment structure. In the event of an accident, for example, radioactively contaminated coolant escaping from a leaking cooling system is collected in this area, cooled as needed, and then returned to the cooling system, the reactor core, or other systems.There are also protection concepts in which a nuclear reactor is located in a coolant collection area, which is flooded with cooling water in the event of an accident to achieve increased cooling, whereby the radioactively contaminated cooling water accumulating in the coolant collection area must also be cooled.

[0010] German patent application DE 19942199 A1 discloses a device and a method for pressure relief and passive replenishment of coolant in a pressure vessel, thus enabling the replenishment of coolant losses. Another containment protection system is disclosed in patent DE 102012213614 B3. A device for emergency cooling of a plant for external processes is disclosed in DE 102011107284 A1, as is a heat dissipation system for a nuclear power plant in DE 102012213489 A1. Furthermore, a system for pressure relief of a safety container is disclosed in JP 2014 106106 A.

[0011] In the event of an accident, the heat energy generated by the nuclear reactor or another heat source in the containment vessel or its coolant collection area, in the form of heated and subsequently cooled medium, must be released to the outside. If this does not occur, increased steam formation could lead to dangerous overpressure in the containment vessel. If this pressure exceeds a critical level, it would have to be released directly from the containment vessel into the environment (Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 3 03 September 2025) to prevent containment vessel failure.

[0012] To ensure adequate cooling, appropriate cooling systems are provided, typically including a heat exchanger. This ensures that radioactively contaminated materials remain within the containment vessel and are not released into the environment. On the primary side of such a heat exchanger, the heated medium to be cooled flows through a cooling circuit; in the event of an incident, this would typically be radioactively contaminated water. The secondary side of such a heat exchanger carries a coolant that absorbs thermal energy from the heated medium, thus cooling it, but without coming into direct contact with it, so it is not contaminated. The uncontaminated coolant then transfers the absorbed thermal energy to a heat sink outside the containment vessel.

[0013] Depending on the type of incident, such cooling systems must be highly efficient and capable of transporting large quantities of heat from the coolant collection area of ​​a containment vessel to the outside, even over extended periods. According to current technology, it is common practice to use electric motor-driven pumps to force a flow of the medium to be cooled through the cooling circuit. This results in an increased heat flow rate through the heat exchanger and thus an increased cooling effect. In this design, the electric motors for the pumps are located inside the containment vessel.

[0014] Patent document DE 102017008254 A1 discloses a containment vessel cooling system comprising a reactor sump in which, during operation, a turbine-driven pump is positioned below the surface of the medium to be cooled, i.e., completely enclosed by the medium within the reactor sump. This reduces the risk of pump cavitation and thus increases reliability. Patent document DE 102019004244 B3 discloses an arrangement of a pump with a drive turbine for the aforementioned containment vessel cooling system, and DE 102018009260 A1 discloses a suitable embodiment of a pump for such an arrangement. Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 4 03 September 2025

[0015] Patent document DE 102017008253 B3 shows another

[0016] Safety vessel cooling system in which cooling water from outside the safety vessel is supplied to a heat exchanger inside the safety vessel and after a

[0017] Heat absorbed from the safety container is then dissipated, thus cooling the entire safety container. Furthermore, another safety container cooling system is specified in JP 2013 096928 A.

[0018] Furthermore, a safety container cooling system disclosed in patent document DE 102021002515 B3 improves the cooling system by having a pump driven by a turbine located below the surface of the medium to be cooled, and receiving the cooling medium via a pipeline from a cooling medium collection area, so that the inlet height to the pump is increased and cavitation of the pump is accordingly avoided.

[0019] A common feature of all the aforementioned concepts for heat removal from the containment vessel is that they require a cooling water collection area or reactor sump that is accessible and functional in every operating condition and in the event of a malfunction.

[0020] Based on this state of the art, the object of the invention is to provide a safety container cooling system that operates independently of a cooling water collection area and is simultaneously suitable for long-term heat dissipation.

[0021] The problem is solved by a safety vessel cooling system of the type mentioned above. This system is characterized in that the first pumping device and the turbine are arranged outside the safety vessel, that the heat exchanger is a condenser arranged outside the safety vessel, that the first means have a suction device in the safety vessel for extracting the coolant to be cooled from the safety vessel, which contains a vapor component and an air component, and that the coolant to be cooled is supplied to the condenser, that the vapor component is condensed to water by the condenser, and that the first Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 5 03 September 2025

[0022] The pumping device pumps the water back into the safety container as a cooled coolant.

[0023] A fundamental aspect of the invention is that, instead of extracting coolant from a sump or reactor sump as previously used in the containment vessel, steam is extracted from the containment vessel above the sump. This steam is then condensed back into water in a condenser before being pumped back into the containment vessel. This allows the extraction point to be advantageously located almost anywhere in a wall or ceiling of the containment vessel, as long as it is above a coolant level. A further advantage arises from the arrangement of the components of the first cooling circuit, which can be located primarily outside the containment vessel, for example, within the reactor building. This ensures relatively easy access to the components and allows for greater flexibility in the arrangement of the system components.Furthermore, a turbine is provided to drive the first pumping device, which is driven by the recooling water from the recooling circuit, i.e., by the second cooling circuit. This ensures the long-term operation of the safety vessel cooling system, as the first pumping device is not powered by an electric motor that would be inoperable during a power outage.

[0024] A further development of the safety vessel cooling system is characterized by the fact that the first components include an inlet device within the safety vessel for the recirculated cooled coolant, which is connected to the fourth pipeline. This allows the cooled coolant to be directed to a specific location within the safety vessel and used there selectively. This might be necessary, for example, if a particular area within the safety vessel has a particularly high temperature due to its design. The inlet device could also be, for instance, a section of pipe that returns the water to the pump sump.

[0025] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the safety vessel cooling system provides that the water from the condenser is first routed to a condensate collection tank (Pp. No. 24 / 091 WO 6, September 3, 2025) and can be pumped from there by the first pumping device. Firstly, a condensate collection tank enables continuous operation of the first pumping device. Secondly, it ensures that only water without gas components is supplied to the first pumping device, which is advantageous for its operation, for example, to prevent a predetermined water supply level to the first pumping device from being undershot.

[0026] A particular advantage of the safety container cooling system according to the invention arises when the first means have a connection element to which an exhaust air filter system of the safety container is connected. The exhaust air filter system for the safety container is a separate system, specifically for the safety container cooling system. Alternatively, the connection element can also be connected to an existing exhaust air filter system of the safety container, since such a system is practically always present for safety reasons. The connection of the safety container cooling system to the exhaust air filter system according to the invention combines the two systems and creates an additional advantage, for example, by allowing the portion of air already extracted from the safety container to be routed through the filters of the exhaust air filter system, and thus purified air to be released into the environment while simultaneously reducing the pressure in the safety container.

[0027] In the safety container cooling system according to the invention, the condensate container is also integrated into the condenser. This allows for a particularly space-saving arrangement of the components of the first cooling circuit.

[0028] Another advantageous embodiment of the containment vessel cooling system is characterized by a bypass line connected to the third pipeline, and by the fact that, if necessary, coolant condensed by the bypass line is directed into the containment vessel solely by the force of gravity. This embodiment can also be considered a supplementary system to the containment vessel cooling system. In the event that the first pumping device is unavailable, the bypass line ensures that the first cooling circuit nevertheless remains functional. Operation via the bypass line requires no electrical or other auxiliary energy, thus ensuring an uninterrupted supply of cooling water to the reactor sump (P. No. 24 / 091 WO 7, September 3, 2025).In particular, the diameter of the bypass line is chosen to be so large that the pressure drop in the coolant as it flows through the line is as low as possible, in order to optimize the gravity-induced movement of the cooling water in the bypass line.

[0029] In one version of the safety tank cooling system, the bypass line has a valve that opens automatically if the first pump fails. This ensures that the first cooling circuit continues to operate without delay should the first pump fail.

[0030] In a further embodiment of the safety vessel cooling system, it features an additional possible supplementary system, characterized by a feed line connected to the fourth pipeline through which cooled coolant is conveyed into the reactor pressure vessel. This embodiment is particularly advantageous if, due to the nature of the incident, the interior of the reactor pressure vessel also needs to be supplied with coolant, for example, because the primary pumps of the reactor pressure vessel's primary cooling circuit are out of service or because coolant has been lost due to a pipe rupture.

[0031] The containment vessel cooling system also includes a filling line connected to the fourth pipeline, through which cooled coolant is conveyed to a spent fuel pool. Geodetically, the spent fuel pool is located higher than the reactor sump within the containment vessel. If necessary, it can be used as a coolant reservoir, and at least a portion of its contents can be fed back into the reactor sump as coolant. To compensate for this coolant outflow from the spent fuel pool, it is refilled or replenished with coolant via the aforementioned filling line. However, it is also possible that the spent fuel pool cooling system may fail due to an incident. In this case, evaporated water can be fed into the spent fuel pool via the filling line. This ensures that the stored fuel elements remain submerged in water. Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 8 03.September 2025.

[0032] Another variant of the containment vessel cooling system involves a refill line connected to the condensate tank. This line allows coolant to be fed from a coolant storage tank outside the containment vessel into the condensate tank. Cooling water can thus be added to the first cooling circuit via this refill line. This enables the first pump to be activated before or even during full operation of the containment vessel cooling system, but especially during the start-up phase, ensuring that the reactor sump is supplied with cooling water. This is particularly important during the start-up phase, as there may not yet be enough steam in the containment vessel for the first cooling circuit to operate in a steady state. Furthermore, this prevents insufficient coolant from reaching the suction side of the first pump, which could potentially damage it.

[0033] Another embodiment of the containment vessel cooling system is characterized by the fact that a concrete cooling device is connected to the fourth pipeline, which has a heat exchanger arranged below the reactor pressure vessel, and by which concrete cooling device the core molten material can be cooled. Such a concrete cooling device is disclosed in German patent application DE 10 2025 115 173.3. The advantage of a concrete cooling device lies particularly in the stabilization of the core molten material through its cooling.

[0034] Furthermore, the safety vessel cooling system can be designed such that a third pump, driven by an additional turbine, is functionally arranged in parallel to the first pump in the first cooling circuit, and that the third pump can be operated together with the first pump or instead of the first pump as needed. Firstly, the third pump is suitable as a redundant pump for the first pump. Secondly, when the first and third pumps are operated in parallel, either the pumped coolant volume can be increased, or, at a predetermined coolant volume, the pressure in the fourth pipeline and any auxiliary systems connected therein can be increased. Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 9 03 September 2025

[0035] Further advantageous design options can be found in the additional dependent claims.

[0036] The invention, further embodiments and further advantages will be described in more detail using the embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0037] The show

[0038] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary safety container cooling system, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety container cooling system with a first supplementary system.

[0039] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety container cooling system with a second supplementary system.

[0040] Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety container cooling system with a third supplementary system.

[0041] Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety container cooling system with a fourth supplementary system.

[0042] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a containment vessel cooling system 10 according to the invention, which, in the illustrated variant, is suitable for long-term heat dissipation from heat generated in the containment vessel. Long-term heat dissipation is defined as a period of two weeks or more up to six months or more. A containment vessel 12 is shown in which a reactor pressure vessel 14 of a nuclear reactor is arranged. The reactor pressure vessel 14 is shown to have a leakage point 16 through which the radioactively contaminated water and other radioactive substances escape. This is intended to symbolize a corresponding incident that necessitates long-term heat dissipation from the containment vessel 12. The containment vessel 12 is flooded with cooling water as a coolant 18, which collects in the lower region of the containment vessel 12 and is heated by radioactive substances.In this process, part of the coolant 18 transitions into a vapor state, which is symbolized by the clouds 20 in the safety container 12.

[0043] At a first point in the safety container 12 above a coolant level 22 there is a

[0044] Extraction device 24 arranged, which in a simple embodiment provides a free Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 10 03 September 2025

[0045] The figure represents the end of a pipe. Several arrows are drawn in the vicinity of the clouds 20 in the figure, indicating the path of the steamer from the cooling water collection area to the extraction point 24. The extraction device 24 can, however, also have a system of 2, 3, or more extraction points, which draw the coolant 18 to be cooled from the containment vessel 12 at several points and then combine it into a first pipeline 28. This pipeline is connected on one side to the extraction device 24, through which the coolant to be cooled is guided through a wall 26 of the containment vessel 12. The coolant to be cooled, in particular steam and gaseous components of the air from the containment vessel 12, is then guided by the overpressure prevailing in the containment vessel 12 to a condenser 30 located outside the containment vessel 12 in a reactor building 13 and introduced into it, which has a lower pressure compared to the overpressure.In the condenser 30, the vapor component of the coolant to be cooled is condensed into water and conveyed via a second pipe 32 to a condensate tank 34 in the reactor building 13, where it is collected. From the condensate tank 34, a third pipe 36 leads to an inlet of a first pump 38, which, in the example shown, is arranged on a common shaft with a turbine 40 that drives the first pump 38. The first pump 38 and the turbine 40 are also located in the reactor building 13. As needed, the first pump 38 extracts cooled coolant, i.e., water, from the condensate tank 34 and conveys it via a fourth pipe 42 through a second opening in the wall 26 back into the containment vessel 12. In a simple embodiment, the cooled coolant is conveyed as a free jet through the fourth pipe 42 into the containment vessel 12.Alternatively, an inlet device 43 can be connected to the free end of the fourth pipe 42, which sprays or injects the cooled coolant, for example with a spray device, specifically onto certain areas requiring special cooling. In the figure, the inlet device 43 is indicated as a pipe section that returns the cooled coolant directly to the reactor sump.

[0046] The extraction device 24, the pipelines 28, 32, 36, 42, the condenser 30, the condensate tank 34, and the first pump device 38 are part of a first cooling circuit. Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 11 03 September 2025

[0047] The condenser 30 is a heat exchanger. Accordingly, it has connections for linking it to a cooling circuit. The cooling circuit has a first cooling line 44 through which cooling water is pumped from a water reservoir outside the reactor building 13 to the turbine 40. The water reservoir can be, for example, a pond or a basin, from which the cooling water is pumped to the turbine 40 by means of a second pump, which is also located outside the reactor building 13, and drives the turbine. After flowing through the turbine 40, the cooling water is conveyed via a second cooling line 46 to an inlet of the condenser 30, through which it flows, extracting heat from the vapor component in the coolant to be cooled, causing it to condense into water.On one outlet side of the condenser 30, the recooling water exits and is returned to the water reservoir via a third recooling line 48. The direction of flow of the recooling water is indicated in the figure by corresponding arrows. Advantageously, the second pump is located outside the reactor building 13, so that the flow through the recooling circuit can be ensured by the second pump even from a location further away from the containment vessel 12 or the reactor building 13.

[0048] The first pipeline 28 has a connection element 50 located within the reactor building 13, to which a line 52 of a filter air system is connected. Further components of the filter air system, such as a molecular filter, are located outside the reactor building 13 and are not shown in the figure. The filter air system is thus fluidically connected to the containment vessel 12 via the line and the first pipeline 28, and its primary function is to prevent impermissibly high pressures within the containment vessel 12 by venting air through the filter air system. The filter air system, in turn, is responsible for filtering out all radioactive components in the air introduced into the filter air system before purified air is released into the environment.In the area around the connection element 50 and in the first pipeline 28 as well as the line 52, valves are shown which, depending on a requirement in the operation of the air filter system or / and the Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 12 03 September 2025.

[0049] The safety container cooling system can be opened or closed.

[0050] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety container cooling system 10 with a first supplementary system. Figure 2, as well as the subsequent figures, each show the safety container cooling system 10 according to Figure 1. Therefore, the reference numerals for the individual system components have been largely omitted to ensure improved clarity. Only the supplementary systems are discussed in detail below.

[0051] The first supplementary system has a bypass line 54, which is connected to and branches off from the third pipeline 36. The bypass line 54 conveys the condensed coolant 18 as condensate from the third pipeline 36 into the containment vessel 12 solely by the force of gravity. Accordingly, the bypass line 54 is dimensioned and routed such that the condensate is preferably conveyed to a predetermined location in the reactor sump or its immediate vicinity. The bypass line 54 is preferably used when needed, for example, if the first pump 38 has failed for any reason and is unavailable. However, the first supplementary system of the containment vessel cooling system 10 can also be used independently of a pump malfunction. Switching the flow of condensate into the containment vessel 12 via the bypass line 54 preferably occurs automatically.A valve can be arranged in the bypass line 54 that opens automatically if the first pump 38 fails. During normal operation of the first pump 38, the bypass line 54 is not used, and the condensate can be pumped from the first pump 38 via the fourth pipe 42 into the safety tank 12.

[0052] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety vessel cooling system 10 with a second supplementary system, in which a feed line 56 is connected at one end to the fourth pipe 42 in the safety vessel 12. The feed line 56 is connected at its other end to the reactor pressure vessel, so that, in the event of operation, the first pump 38 delivers coolant into the reactor pressure vessel via the fourth pipe 42 and the feed line 56. This can be advantageous in certain accident situations (Mp. No. 24 / 091 WO 13, September 3, 2025) in order to supply coolant directly to a reactor core in the reactor pressure vessel 14.

[0053] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary containment vessel cooling system 10 with a third supplementary system, in which a filling line 58 is connected to the fourth pipeline 42. The third supplementary system is designed to supply a spent fuel pool 60 in the containment vessel 12 with coolant. This is particularly relevant when spent fuel pool water is used as a coolant in the event of an accident. Typically, the spent fuel pool is located higher in the containment vessel 12 than the reactor sump. An advantage of this arrangement is that the coolant from the spent fuel pool 60 can be conveyed to the reactor sump solely by gravity, without the need for auxiliary energy.

[0054] Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the exemplary safety container cooling system 10 with a fourth supplementary system that has a refill line 62 which can direct coolant from a coolant reservoir not shown in the figure into the condensate container 34 if necessary.

[0055] Reference symbol list

[0056] 10 Safety container cooling system

[0057] 12 safety containers

[0058] 13 reactor buildings

[0059] 14 reactor pressure vessels

[0060] 16 Leakage points

[0061] 18 Coolants

[0062] 20 clouds

[0063] 22 Coolant level

[0064] 24 Extraction device

[0065] 26 Wall

[0066] 28 first pipeline

[0067] 30 Capacitor

[0068] 32 second pipeline

[0069] 34 Condensate container Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 14 03 September 2025

[0070] 36 third pipeline

[0071] 38 first pump device

[0072] 40 Turbine

[0073] 42 fourth pipeline

[0074] 43 Induction device

[0075] 44 first cooling line

[0076] 46 second cooling line

[0077] 48 third cooling line

[0078] 50 connection element

[0079] 52 Line

[0080] 54 Bypass line

[0081] 56 Feed line

[0082] 58 Filling line

[0083] 60 spent fuel pools

[0084] 62 Refill line

Claims

Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 15 03 September 2025 Patent claims 1. Safety container cooling system (10) comprising a sealed safety container (12) of a nuclear installation, - with a heat exchanger for heat transfer between a coolant to be cooled and a cooling medium, - with first means to extract the coolant (18) to be cooled from the safety container (12) in a first cooling circuit and supply it to the heat exchanger and return it to the safety container (12) after it has flowed through the heat exchanger, wherein the first means comprise a first pumping device (38) to pump the coolant, now cooled by the heat exchanger, back into the safety container (12), - with second means for supplying the recoolant from a coolant reservoir to the heat exchanger and returning it to the coolant reservoir after it has passed through the heat exchanger, wherein the second means comprise a second pumping device located outside the safety vessel (12) to set the recoolant in flow, wherein the second means comprise a turbine (40) which is driven by the flow of the recoolant, wherein the first pumping device (38) is coupled to the turbine (40) in such a way that it is driven by it, characterized in that the first pumping device (38) and the turbine (40) are arranged outside the safety vessel (12), that the heat exchanger is a condenser (30) arranged outside the safety vessel (12), that the first means comprise a withdrawal device (24) in the safety vessel (12) for withdrawing the coolant to be cooled from the safety vessel (12),which has a vapor component and an air component, and at least the vapor component is fed to the condenser (30), that the vapor component is condensed to water by the condenser (30), that the water is pumped back into the safety container (12) as a cooled coolant by the first pumping device (38).

2. Safety container cooling system (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first means comprise an inlet device (43) in the safety container (12) for the re-pumped Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 16 03 September 2025 have cooled coolants which are connected to a fourth pipeline 42.

3. Safety container cooling system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the water from the condenser (30) is first directed to a condensate collection container (34) and can be pumped from there by the first pumping device (38).

4. Safety container cooling system (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the condensate collection container (34) is integrated into the condenser (30).

5. Safety container cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first means have a connection element (50) to which an exhaust air filter system of the safety container (12) is connected.

6. Safety container cooling system (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that additional water is introduced into the fourth pipeline (42) and then into the safety container (12) via the separate inlet line.

7. Safety container cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized in that additional water is introduced directly into the safety container (12) via a separate inlet line.

8. Safety container cooling system (10) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that a predetermined quantity of make-up water is stored in a container outside the safety container (12) or is stored in a water reservoir, and that the supply of make-up water to the safety container (12) is carried out as required.

9. Safety container cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a bypass line (54) is connected to the third pipe (36), and that, if necessary, coolant condensed through the bypass line (54) is directed into the safety container (12) only due to the gravitational forces of the coolant.

10. Safety container cooling system (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the Mp.-No. 24 / 091 WO 17 03 September 2025 The bypass line (54) has a valve which can be opened automatically in the event of failure of the first pump device (38).

11. Safety vessel cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a feed line (56) is connected to the fourth pipeline (42), through which the coolant (18) cooled in the case of operation is conveyed into the reactor pressure vessel (14).

12. Safety container cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a filling line (58) is connected to the fourth pipeline (42), through which cooled coolant (18) is directed into a fuel element storage pool (60).

13. Safety container cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a refill line (62) is connected to the condensate container (34) through which coolant (18) can be fed into the condensate container (34) from a mobile coolant storage unit or a coolant reservoir outside the safety container (12).

14. Safety vessel cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a concrete cooling device is connected to the fourth pipeline (42), which has a heat exchange device arranged below the reactor pressure vessel, and by which heat exchange device the core melt can be cooled.

15. Safety container cooling system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a third pump device driven by a further turbine is arranged functionally parallel to the first pump device in the first cooling circuit, and that the third pump device can be operated as required together with the first pump device (38) or instead of the first pump device (38).

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