Steam generator with inclined tube sheet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10685752-B2
Application number	US-201514618701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A steam generation system may include a plurality of heat transfer tubes configured to circulate a secondary coolant of the steam generation system. The steam generation system may be thermally coupled to a reactor vessel, and the reactor vessel may be configured to house a primary coolant. Heat generated from within the reactor vessel may be transferred from the primary coolant to the secondary coolant. The steam generation system may further include an inclined tube sheet fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat transfer tubes. The inclined tube sheet may be attached to a wall of the reactor vessel in a non-horizontal orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a nuclear reactor vessel that is configured to house a primary coolant; and
a steam generation system thermally coupled to the nuclear reactor vessel, the steam generation system including:
a plurality of heat transfer tubes configured to circulate a secondary coolant of the steam generation system, wherein heat generated from within the nuclear reactor vessel is transferred from the primary coolant to the secondary coolant; and
a tube sheet assembly attached to an outer surface of the nuclear reactor vessel, the tube sheet assembly comprising:
a tube sheet fluidly coupled to the plurality of heat transfer tubes, wherein tube sheet is integrated with a reactor vessel wall of the nuclear reactor vessel in a non-horizontal orientation; and
an access port wall defining a plenum that substantially surrounds an exterior face of the tube sheet, the access port wall having a first side defining an opening for a nozzle and a second different side defining an attachment for an access plate to provide access to the exterior face of the tube sheet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tube sheet comprises a plurality of through-holes that pass through the exterior face of the tube sheet, and wherein the tube sheet is integrated with the nuclear reactor vessel wall and the exterior face of the tube sheet forms an attachment angle with the reactor vessel wall that is less than 60 degrees.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the attachment angle between the exterior face of the tube sheet and the reactor vessel wall is between 15 and 45 degrees.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the attachment angle between the exterior face of the tube sheet and the reactor vessel wall is approximately 30 degrees.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein a first portion of the exterior face of the tube sheet is located outside of the reactor vessel wall and wherein a second portion of the face of the exterior tube sheet is located inside of the reactor vessel wall.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear reactor vessel is configured to prohibit the release of primary coolant out of the nuclear reactor vessel, and wherein the primary coolant and the secondary coolant are not allowed to mix.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tube sheet comprises a plurality of through-holes that pass through an interior face of the tube sheet and extend to the exterior face of the tube sheet, and wherein the plurality of heat transfer tubes are fluidly coupled to the tube sheet at the interior face.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of through-holes are arranged at the interior face of the tube sheet in a triangular pitch pattern.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of through-holes are arranged as a number of horizontal rows of through-holes, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of heat transfer tubes are arranged as a vertical column of tubes, and wherein the vertical column of tubes transitions to a horizontal row of through-holes in the tube sheet.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of through-holes are arranged as a number of concentric arcs of through-holes, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of heat transfer tubes are arranged as a vertical column of tubes, and wherein the vertical column of tubes transitions to an arc of through-holes in the tube sheet.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plenum is spaced apart from an adjacent containment structure to allow for thermal expansion of the nuclear reactor vessel housed within the containment structure.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plenum is spaced apart from the adjacent containment structure by at least one-half inch and less than two inches.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer tubes are arranged within the nuclear reactor vessel in a helix-shaped configuration, and wherein tube insertion ends of the heat transfer tubes are bent in at least two directions in transitioning from the helix-shaped configuration to the tube sheet.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flow distributor located in the plenum adjacent to the tube sheet, the flow distributor to regulate a flow of the secondary coolant from the inlet to a plurality of through-holes that pass through the tube sheet.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the flow distributor comprises a perforated structure.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the access port wall extends orthogonally from the outer surface of the nuclear reactor vessel or from the exterior face of the tube sheet.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tube sheet assembly comprises a flange, wherein the tube sheet assembly is attached to the outer surface using the flange.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the attachment for the access plate comprises one or more openings to receive one or more bolts, respectively.

19. A system comprising:
means for circulating a secondary coolant of the steam generation system, wherein the means for circulating is thermally coupled to a nuclear reactor vessel that is configured to house a primary coolant, and wherein heat generated from within the nuclear reactor vessel is transferred from the primary coolant to the secondary coolant; and
a tube sheet assembly attached to an outer surface of the nuclear reactor vessel, the tube sheet assembly comprising:
a tube sheet fluidly coupled to the means for circulating, wherein the tube sheet is integrated with a reactor vessel wall of the nuclear reactor vessel in a non-horizontal orientation; and
an access port wall defining a plenum that substantially surrounds an exterior face of the tube sheet, the access port wall having a first side defining an opening for a nozzle and a second different side defining an attachment for an access plate to provide access to the exterior face of the tube sheet.

20. The steam generation system of claim 19 , further comprising:
means for diffusing the secondary coolant, wherein the means for diffusing is located within the plenum, and wherein the means for diffusing is configured to evenly distribute the secondary coolant to a plurality of through-holes of the sheet tube.

21. The steam generation system of claim 19 , wherein the tube sheet comprises a plurality of through-holes that pass through the exterior face of the tube sheet, wherein the tube sheet is integrated with the reactor vessel wall with a first portion of the exterior face of the tube sheet located outside of the reactor vessel wall, and wherein a second portion of the face of the tubes sheet is located inside of the reactor vessel wall.

22. The steam generation system of claim 18 , wherein the access port wall extends orthogonally from the outer surface of the nuclear reactor vessel or from the exterior face of the tube sheet.

Assignees

• Nuscale Power Llc

Inventors

• Liszkai Tamas

Classifications

• G21D1/006

  primary side of steam generators (secondary side of steam generators F22B1/00, F22B35/00 or F22B37/00) · CPC title

• G21C15/257 Primary

  using heat-pipes {(in general F28D, F28F)} · CPC title

• G21C13/04

  Arrangements for expansion and contraction · CPC title

• G21C13/036

  the tube passing through the vessel wall, i.e. continuing on both sides of the wall · CPC title

• G21C1/322 Primary

  wherein the heat exchanger is disposed above the core · CPC title