Nuclear Containment Cooling via Turbine-Driven Pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containment cooling systems in nuclear facilities face reliability issues during accidents due to the operation of active drive devices like electric motors inside the containment, which can fail under high temperatures and radioactive conditions, increasing the risk of overheating and overpressure.
Innovation Solution
The cooling system arranges the first pumping device and turbine outside the cooling medium collection area, using the coolant flow to drive the turbine, which in turn drives the pumping device, eliminating the need for an active motor inside the containment and reducing the risk of cavitation and component failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electric motor-driven pumps are used to force coolant flow through the heat exchanger, then the heat flow rate and cooling effect are improved, but the reliability of the cooling system deteriorates due to motor failure risks under high temperature and radioactive conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The active drive device (electric motor) is extracted from inside the containment vessel and relocated to outside the containment. This removes the motor from the hazardous environment, eliminating the risk of failure due to high temperature and radioactive conditions, while still enabling the cooling function through the turbine-pump mechanism driven by coolant flow
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is designed to be self-driven by the coolant flow itself. The moving coolant naturally drives the turbine, which in turn drives the pump, creating a self-sustaining cooling circulation without requiring external active drive devices inside the containment vessel
2Device complexity
If the pumping device is arranged inside the cooling medium collection area, then the cooling system is compact, but the risk of cavitation increases reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine serves as an intermediary mechanism between the coolant flow and the pumping device. By positioning the pump outside the cooling medium collection area and using the turbine as a coupling device, the system achieves both compact arrangement and reduced cavitation risk, as the pump is no longer directly exposed to the conditions that cause cavitation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the reliability and safety of the containment cooling system by avoiding the risks associated with internal drive devices, ensuring efficient heat transfer and maintaining cooling functionality even during severe reactor accidents, with reduced cavitation risk and increased accessibility for maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger located within the containment vessel for heat transfer between the medium to be cooled and a coolant
Implementation Method 2
the second means comprise a turbine located inside the safety vessel which is driven by the flow of the coolant, the first pumping device being coupled to the turbine in such a way that it is driven by the turbine
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a containment vessel cooling system (10, 50) comprising the following components: a sealed containment vessel (12, 52) for a nuclear facility, a cooling medium collection area (18) located within the containment vessel (12, 52) for receiving a medium (16) to be cooled, a first heat exchanger (20, 54) located within the containment vessel (12, 52) for heat transfer between the medium (16) to be cooled and a coolant, first means for extracting the medium (16) to be cooled from the cooling medium collection area (18) in a first cooling circuit (78), supplying it to the first heat exchanger (20, 54) for cooling, and returning it to the cooling medium collection area (18) after it has passed through the heat exchanger, wherein the first means comprise a first pumping device (38, 66) located within the containment vessel (12, 52) to circulate the medium (16) to be cooled, and a second pumping device (38, 66) located within the containment vessel (12, 52). Medium,to supply the coolant from outside the safety vessel to the first heat exchanger (20, 54) and, after it has flowed through the first heat exchanger, return it to the outside of the safety vessel (12, 52), wherein the second means comprise a second pump device (34, 62) located outside the safety vessel (12, 52) to circulate the coolant, wherein the second means comprise a turbine (36, 64) located inside the safety vessel (12, 52) which is driven by the flow of the coolant, and wherein the first pump device (38, 66) is coupled to the turbine (36, 64) such that it is driven by the turbine. Furthermore, the first pump device (38, 66) and the turbine (36, 64) are arranged outside the coolant collection area (18). The first pump device (38, 66) and the turbine (36,64) are also arranged in a geodetic direction below the surface of the medium to be cooled (16) during operation and the first means comprise a first pipeline (19) having a first end with which the medium to be cooled can be extracted from the cooling medium collection area (18) and having a second end which is connected to a suction side of the first pump device (38, 66).