Passive nitrogen injecting device for nuclear reactor coolant pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10249394-B2
Application number	US-201415308260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	May 14, 2014
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passive nitrogen injecting device for a nuclear reactor coolant pump, the device comprising: a nitrogen supply unit for supplying nitrogen; a pressure control valve for controlling the supply of nitrogen from the nitrogen supply unit according to pressure; an accumulator for filling the nitrogen supplied through the pressure control valve at a set pressure, and supplying the filled nitrogen in the event that an accident involving coolant loss occurs; and an isolation valve for controlling the supply of the nitrogen from the accumulator into a seal housing of a nuclear reactor coolant pump. The present invention uses an accumulator so as to be able to supply nitrogen by using the pressure in the accumulator without the supply of external power in the event of an accident involving coolant loss, and therefore has the effect of being able to improve safety.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A passive nitrogen injection device for a nuclear reactor coolant pump, comprising:
a nitrogen supply unit configured to supply nitrogen;
a pressure control valve configured to control supply of the nitrogen of the nitrogen supply unit according to a pressure;
an electronic control valve configured to selectively supply the nitrogen supplied through the pressure control valve;
an accumulator filled with the nitrogen supplied through the pressure control valve at a preset pressure and configured to supply the filled nitrogen when a loss-of-coolant accident occurs;
an isolation valve configured to control supply of the nitrogen of the accumulator to inside of a seal housing of a nuclear reactor coolant pump; and
a pressure gauge configured to detect a pressure of the accumulator, wherein the pressure gauge automatically fills the accumulator with nitrogen supplied by the nitrogen supply unit in a nitrogen injection system by opening the pressure control valve and the electronic control valve such that the pressure of the accumulator filled with nitrogen is maintained at a set pressure when a pressure of the accumulator detected by the pressure gauge is equal to or lower than the set pressure,
wherein when a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) occurs and external power is not supplied, the nitrogen filled in the accumulator is supplied to the inside of the seal housing by the pressure of the accumulator itself, the isolation valve being opened and the electronic control valve being closed when an LOCA occurs and external power is not supplied.

2. The passive nitrogen injection device of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator is singly provided such that nitrogen is commonly supplied to the nuclear reactor coolant pump provided in plural number.

Assignees

• Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co

Inventors

• Moon Ho Rim
• Kang Sang Hee
• Park Young Sheop
• Kim Han Gon

Classifications

• G21C17/02

  Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator · CPC title

• G21C15/18 Primary

  Emergency cooling arrangements; Removing shut-down heat · CPC title

• G21C9/00 Primary

  Emergency protection arrangements structurally associated with the reactor {, e.g. safety valves provided with pressure equalisation devices}(emergency cooling arrangements G21C15/18) · CPC title

• F16K17/003

  reacting to pressure and temperature · CPC title

• G21C15/00

  Cooling arrangements within the pressure vessel containing the core; Selection of specific coolants · CPC title