Cooling facility in a reactor vessel and electric power generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11238998-B2
Application number	US-201816615204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

An in-vessel cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may include a small scale reactor vessel, a heat exchange section provided inside the reactor vessel, and formed to supply supercritical fluid to receive heat from a reactor coolant system in the reactor vessel, an electric power production section comprising a supercritical turbine formed to produce electric energy using the energy of the supercritical fluid whose temperature has increased while receiving heat from the reactor coolant system, a cooling section configured to exchange heat with the supercritical fluid discharged after driving the supercritical turbine to shrink a volume of the supercritical fluid, wherein the supercritical fluid that has received heat from the reactor coolant system in the heat exchange section is formed to circulate through the electric power production section, and the cooling section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A reactor coolant system provided in a reactor vessel formed to accommodate the reactor coolant system comprising;
a main feedwater system, connected to the reactor vessel, for producing the normal power of a nuclear power plant;
a steam generator provided in the reactor vessel;
a main turbine formed to produce electric power by using the steam generated by the steam generator as power; and
provided with an in-vessel cooling and power generation system in the reactor vessel, which is formed to produce small-scale electric power smaller than electric power generated during normal operation of the nuclear power,
wherein the in-vessel cooling and power generation system comprises:
a first heat exchanger provided inside the reactor vessel and formed to receive a supercritical fluid that receives heat generated from a core in the reactor vessel;
an electric power production section including a supercritical turbine formed to receive heat from the core and produce electrical power using the energy of the supercritical fluid whose temperature is increased; and
a cooler that drives the supercritical turbine and heat-exchanges the discharged supercritical fluid to contract the volume of the supercritical fluid,
wherein,
the first heat exchanger is provided to be separated from the main feedwater system, the steam generator and the main turbine, and wherein
the first heat exchanger, the electric power production section, and the cooler are connected to each other by a pipe, so that the supercritical fluid is circulated through the first heat exchanger, the electric power production section, and the cooler.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a seismic design of seismic category I, II or III is applied thereto.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a safety grade of safety class 1, 2 or 3 is applied thereto.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the supercritical turbine uses the expansion energy of the supercritical fluid.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger further comprises a core catcher, and
the core catcher is formed to receive and cool a core melt when melting the core inside the reactor vessel.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second heat exchanger between the electric power production section and the cooler,
wherein the second heat exchanger is formed in which the supercritical fluid discharged from the electric power production section and the supercritical fluid that has passed through the cooler exchange heat with each other.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the first heat exchanger or the third heat exchanger comprises a printed circuit heat exchanger.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power generation system is operated not only during a normal operation but also during an accident of a nuclear power plant to produce electric power.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the electric power produced during the normal operation of the nuclear power plant is formed to be supplied to an internal and external electric power system and an emergency battery.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the electric energy charged in the emergency battery is formed to supply an emergency electric power as an emergency power source during an accident.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electric power produced during an accident of the nuclear power plant is formed to be supplied to an emergency power source of the nuclear power plant.

12. The system of claim 10 or 11 , wherein the emergency power source is formed to supply an electric power for the operation of a nuclear safety system or valve manipulating for the operation of the nuclear safety system or monitoring the nuclear safety system or operation of the in-vessel cooling and power generation system during an accident of the nuclear power plant.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first injection valve system comprising at least one valve connected to an in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST) to supply refueling water to the first heat exchanger.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a first discharge valve system comprising at least one valve is provided in a pipe connecting the first heat exchanger and the electric power production section, and
the second discharge section is formed to discharge the refueling water supplied from the in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST).

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooler comprises a fan or a pump, and
the fan or the pump is formed to supply a cooling fluid to the cooler to exchange heat with the supercritical fluid.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises air, pure water, seawater, or a mixture thereof.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an external reactor vessel cooler formed to surround at least a part of the reactor vessel and formed to include a third heat exchanger to cool heat discharged from the reactor vessel.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein at least a part of the shape of the external reactor vessel cooler comprises a cylindrical shape, a hemispherical shape, a double vessel shape, or a mixed shape thereof.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a second injection valve system comprising at least one valve connected to an in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST) to supply refueling water to the external reactor vessel cooling section.

20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:
a second discharge valve system comprising at least one valve in the external reactor vessel cooling section, and
the second discharge valve system is formed to discharge the refueling water supplied from the in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST).

21. A nuclear power plant, comprising:
a reactor vessel formed to accommodate a reactor coolant system comprising;
a main feedwater system, connected to the reactor vessel, for producing the normal power of the nuclear power plant;
a steam generator provided in the reactor vessel;
a main turbine formed to produce electric power by using the steam generated by the steam generator as power; and
provided with an in-vessel cooling and power generation system in the reactor vessel, which is formed to produce small-scale electric power smaller than electric power generated during normal operation of the nuclear power,
wherein the in-vessel cooling and power generation system comprises:
a first heat exchanger provided inside the reactor vessel and formed to receive a supercritical fluid to receive heat generated from a core in the reactor vessel;
an electric power production section including a supercritical turbine formed to receive heat from the core and produce electrical power using the energy of the supercritical fluid whose temperature has increased; and
a cooler that drives the supercritical turbine and heat-exchanges the discharged supercritical fluid to contract the volume of the supercritical fluid,
wherein,
the first heat exchanger is provided to be separated from the main feedwater system, the steam generator and the main turbine, and
the first heat exchanger, the electric power production section, and the cooler are connected to each other by a pipe, so that the supercritical fluid is circulated through the first heat exchanger, the electric power production section, and the cooler.

Assignees

• Korea Atomic Energy Res
• King Abdullah City For Atomic And Renewable Energy

Inventors

• Kim Youngin
• Ryu Seungyeob
• MOON Joohyung
• Shin Soojai
• Kim Seok
• Cho Hyunjun
• Yoon Juhyeon
• Kwon Kilsung

Classifications

• G21D1/00

  Details of nuclear power plant (control G21D3/00) · CPC title

• G21C9/016

  Core catchers · CPC title

• G21C15/182

  comprising powered means, e.g. pumps · CPC title

• G21D5/02 Primary

  Reactor and engine structurally combined, e.g. portable · CPC title

• G21C15/12

  from pressure vessel; from containment vessel · CPC title