Passive Heat Removal Monitoring for PWR Piping Blockages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passive heat removal systems for pressurized water reactor containments in nuclear power plants lack effective methods for determining operability, leading to potential emergencies due to undetected damages, corrosion, and blockages, which compromise safety.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for monitoring the passive heat removal system that involves dividing the system into accessible and inaccessible sections for visual inspection, using special-purpose tools to assess damages, determining additional flow resistance, and employing 3D modeling to evaluate the system's state, including the use of thermal cameras and flow meters to identify blocked tubes and corrosion effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive heat removal systems are installed in pressurized water reactor containments, then safety is improved, but the ability to monitor system operability deteriorates due to inaccessible locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces specialized inspection tools and 3D modeling as intermediaries to bridge the gap between inaccessible system components and operators. Endoscopes, thermal cameras, and flow meters serve as mediators that transmit information from hard-to-reach areas to accessible monitoring points, enabling remote inspection without compromising safety or accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical inspection methods with advanced sensing technologies. Instead of physically accessing components for visual inspection, the system uses optical sensors (thermal cameras), acoustic sensors (flow meters), and computational modeling to detect system state, substituting mechanical presence with electronic measurement and analysis.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive inspection methods are implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional inspection equipment that can perform multiple detection tasks. For example, thermal cameras can detect both blockages and insulation issues, while flow meters can identify both flow rate changes and pressure anomalies. This universal approach allows comprehensive monitoring with a limited set of devices, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of the physical system through 3D modeling and digital twins. By generating accurate digital representations of the heat removal system, operators can analyze system behavior, predict failures, and plan maintenance without physically manipulating complex hardware, thereby reducing inspection complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
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
Ensures accurate determination of system operability, preventing emergencies by identifying and addressing mechanical and corrosive issues, thereby enhancing safety and reliability of nuclear power plant operations.
Implementation Method 1
Many designs of heat removal systems for the reactor containment with the use of natural heat circulation are known from the prior art
Implementation Method 2
A heat exchanger is installed under the containment dome and arranged in the form of circular pipes located in two tiers and connected to each other by C-shaped finned tubes
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for the passive removal of heat from inside the containment of a pressurized water reactor. The claimed method includes examining the interior of individual sections of piping using visual inspection equipment; assessing additional fluid resistance in piping in an inaccessible section by analysing a forced circulation mode in a circulation loop; determining the proportion of blocked tubes from among the total number of tubes in a heat exchanger; and processing the data obtained in order to determine the state of the passive heat removal system. The claimed device comprises at least one cooling water circulation loop, and further comprises a heating tank partially filled with water and having electrical heating elements; a drain line including a tank for receiving water drained from the system; and measuring means. The technical result is an increase in the operating safety of a nuclear power station.