Internal Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Vent Piping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nuclear reactor head vents require significant external piping for gas removal, leading to increased downtime and resource consumption during maintenance, as the external piping must be disassembled and reassembled during plant shutdowns.
Innovation Solution
Internal head vents with piping that extends from the reactor pressure vessel's upper head, allowing gas to escape internally through existing penetrations, reducing the need for external piping and facilitating easier maintenance by integrating with the reactor's internal structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional external piping is used for head vents, then gas can be vented from the reactor pressure vessel, but the piping requires disassembly and reassembly during maintenance causing increased downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the head vent piping with the reactor pressure vessel structure by integrating the vent passage directly into the upper head. This eliminates the need for separate external piping that would require disassembly, as the venting function is combined with the existing vessel structure. The integrated design allows gas to be vented through a passage formed within the upper head itself, eliminating maintenance downtime associated with external piping assembly and disassembly.
2Reliability
If conventional external piping is used for head vents, then gas can be vented from the reactor pressure vessel, but significant external piping and resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the head venting function from the complex external piping system and relocates it directly into the reactor pressure vessel upper head. By taking out the venting capability and integrating it into the vessel structure, the design eliminates the need for separate external piping systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective gas venting capability.
3Loss of time
If internal piping is integrated into the upper head, then maintenance downtime is reduced, but the piping must be precisely positioned and secured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates positioning features and securing mechanisms directly into the upper head structure during manufacturing. The internal piping is pre-positioned with alignment features, support structures, and attachment points that are formed as part of the upper head fabrication process. This preliminary action ensures precise positioning is achieved during initial manufacturing rather than requiring complex alignment procedures during installation or maintenance, thereby reducing maintenance downtime while ensuring accurate positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
Internal head vents are usable in nuclear reactors and include piping inside of the reactor pressure vessel with a vent in the reactor upper head. Piping extends downward from the upper head and passes outside of the reactor to permit the gas to escape or be forcibly vented outside of the reactor without external piping on the upper head. The piping may include upper and lowers section that removably mate where the upper head joins to the reactor pressure vessel. The removable mating may include a compressible bellows and corresponding funnel. The piping is fabricated of nuclear-reactor-safe materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, and/or a Ni—Cr—Fe alloy. Methods install an internal head vent in a nuclear reactor by securing piping to an internal surface of an upper head of the nuclear reactor and/or securing piping to an internal surface of a reactor pressure vessel.