Nuclear facility with a fuel pool and an associated cooling module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11257601-B2
Application number	US-201916571262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2019
Priority date	Mar 17, 2017
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A nuclear facility has a fuel pool containing a liquid and an associated cooling circuit for a circulating cooling agent. The cooling circuit contains a cooling module with a first heat exchanger which immerges into the liquid, a second heat exchanger which is located outside the fuel pool, and connecting lines between the first exchanger and the second heat exchanger. In order to provide for reliable cooling even if a filling level drops, the cooling module contains a lifting body and floats in the liquid such that its altitude varies with the filling level of the liquid in the fuel pool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nuclear facility, comprising:
a fuel pool containing a liquid; and
a cooling system, containing:
a cooling module with a heat exchanger which immerges into said liquid, said cooling module containing a lifting body floating in said liquid such that an altitude of said cooling module varies passively in accordance with a filling level of said liquid in said fuel pool;
a source and a drain for a cooling agent which during operation of said cooling system flows through said heat exchanger;
connecting lines connecting said heat exchanger to said source and to said drain; and
at least one guide element preventing lateral displacement of said cooling module relative to said pool in any horizontal direction.

2. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling module is configured such that in a floating state an uppermost part of said heat exchanger is situated below a surface of said liquid.

3. The nuclear facility according to claim 2 , wherein:
said heat exchanger has a heat transfer area; and
a distance between an uppermost part of said heat transfer area and said surface of said liquid is in a range up to 5 m.

4. A nuclear facility, comprising:
a fuel pool containing a liquid; and
a cooling system, containing:
a cooling module with a heat exchanger which immerges into said liquid, said cooling module containing a lifting body and floats in said liquid such that an altitude of said cooling module varies passively with a filling level of said liquid in said fuel pool;
a source and a drain for a cooling agent which during operation of said cooling system flows through said heat exchanger;
connecting lines connecting said heat exchanger to said source and to said drain; and

at least one guide element preventing lateral displacement of said cooling module.

5. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one guide element prevents tilting of said cooling module.

6. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one guide element contains a rope, a rod, or a bar.

7. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said lifting body is disposed above said heat exchanger.

8. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said lifting body is integrated with said heat exchanger.

9. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling system is a passive cooling system based on a principle of natural convection.

10. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling agent is water.

11. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said connecting lines each have a flexible line section for adapting to a varying altitude of said cooling module.

12. The nuclear facility according to claim 11 , wherein said flexible line section has a hose with a plurality of meandering segments on a support body.

13. The nuclear facility according to claim 12 , wherein said support body is a scissors arm.

14. The nuclear facility according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling module includes a protective shell, said heat exchanger contains a plurality of heat exchanger pipes which altogether are enclosed by said protective shell, and wherein there is a gap between said protective shell and said heat exchanger pipes into which said liquid can flow.

Assignees

• Framatome Gmbh

Inventors

• Fuchs Thomas
• Gauter Kerstin

Classifications

• F28D1/02

  with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid · CPC title

• G21C19/40 Primary

  Arrangements for preventing occurrence of critical conditions, e.g. during storage · CPC title

• G21C19/07

  Storage racks; Storage pools · CPC title

• F28D2020/0095

  movable or floating · CPC title

• G21C19/08 Primary

  Means for heating fuel elements before introduction into the core; Means for heating or cooling fuel elements after removal from the core · CPC title