Methods of storing nuclear reactor internals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10867713-B2
Application number	US-201816167461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

Chimneys include several combinable parts useable in nuclear reactors. The parts are modular and removably joinable without destruction for use in directing flow in an operating nuclear reactor and directly fit in storage area during non-operation. Chimney parts are joinable through flanges and connecting structures. Chimney parts may include partitions that divide or direct energetic coolant flow from a nuclear core as well as steam separating and drying structures. The parts each individually fit within storage areas of the nuclear plant, including equipment or buffer pools in the refueling floor of the plant. Methods move the chimney parts between the reactor and storage areas, and multiple parts may be stacked or nested in such moves. Methods are useable underwater and with storage pools to prevent exposure of chimney parts during an outage. During operation, chimneys are useable in place of existing single-piece chimneys.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of removing nuclear reactor internals including a steam dryer, a steam separator, an upper chimney section, and a lower chimney section, the method comprising:
moving the steam dryer to a first position;
moving the steam separator to a second position;
moving the upper chimney section and the steam dryer to a same position; and
moving the lower chimney section to a third position, wherein the first, second, and third positions differ from each other and are outside of the nuclear reactor and in a refueling floor of the nuclear reactor, and wherein the moving the steam dryer, the steam separator, the upper chimney section, and the lower chimney section are performed nondestructively.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving the upper chimney section and the steam dryer to the same position includes moving the upper chimney section to rest on loading lugs of the steam dryer in the first position.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving the upper chimney section and the steam dyer to the same position includes,
moving the upper chimney section to a fourth position that differs from the first, second, and third positions, and
moving the steam dryer from the first position to the fourth position to cover the upper chimney section.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first position is a space entirely inside of an equipment pool of the nuclear reactor, wherein the second position is a space entirely within a buffer pool of the nuclear reactor, and wherein the third position is a space entirely inside of the equipment pool and separate from the first position.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein all movings are performed underwater.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein,
the lower chimney section is shaped to surround fluid flow from a core of the nuclear reactor and includes a plurality of internal partitions integral with the lower chimney section,
the upper chimney section is removably joinable directly to the lower chimney section,
the steam separator includes a lower extension that is removably joinable directly to the upper chimney section, and
the lower extension is approximately 4.1 feet in vertical length, the upper chimney section is approximately 2.5 feet in vertical length, and the lower chimney section is approximately 21.6 feet in vertical length.

Assignees

• Ge Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas Llc

Inventors

• Sprague Robin D
• Deaver Gerald A
• Rickard David A
• Major David L

Classifications

• G21C19/19

  Reactor parts specifically adapted to facilitate handling, e.g. to facilitate charging or discharging of fuel elements · CPC title

• G21C19/07

  Storage racks; Storage pools · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• G21C13/02

  Details · CPC title

• G21C15/26 Primary

  by convection, e.g. using chimneys, using divergent channels · CPC title