Electricity Generation Facility Comprising a Device for Producing Steam of Reduced Height, Application to PWR and BWR Reactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016005498-A1
Application number	US-201414768124-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 14, 2014
Priority date	Feb 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical energy generation facility comprising:—a steam generation device ( 1 ) that is suitable for producing saturated steam (VI) from a heat source and is arranged in a chamber ( 10 );—a set of one or more separators ( 13 ) that is/are connected downstream to the steam generation device ( 1 ) and is/are suitable for removing most of the water from the steam (VI) generated by the device ( 1 ), said set being arranged in the chamber ( 10 );—a set of one or more dryers ( 14 ) which is connected upstream to the set of separators ( 13 ) and is suitable for collecting the water droplets suspended in the steam (V 2 ) that is discharged from the set of separators so as to generate dry steam (V 3 );—a steam turbine ( 2 ) comprising at least one body ( 20 ) for expanding dry steam (V 3 ), the steam turbine being suitable for producing electricity from the dry steam (V 3 );—a set of exchangers ( 23, suitable for operating as steam superheaters or for reheating supply water; the set of one or more dryers ( 14 ) is arranged outside the chamber ( 10 ) of the steam generation device ( 1 ), the inlet ( 14 a ) of the set of dryers is connected upstream to the set of separators ( 13 ), a first outlet ( 14 b ) is connected downstream to the inlet of the body ( 20 ) of the turbine, and a second outlet ( 14 c ) is connected downstream, as a heat source, to the set of exchangers ( 23, 7 ).

First claim

1 . An electrical energy generation facility comprising:
a steam production device suitable for producing saturated steam from a heat source and arranged in an enclosure; a set of one or more separators connected downstream to the steam production device and suitable for extracting the majority of the water from the steam produced by the device; the set of separators being arranged in the enclosure; a set of one or more dryers, connected upstream to the set of separators and suitable for collecting the water droplets in suspension in the steam coming from the set of separators, thus producing dry steam; a steam turbine comprising at least one expansion body for the dry steam, the steam turbine being suitable for generating electricity from the dry steam; a set of exchangers, suitable for functioning as steam superheaters or for reheating so-called feed water;
wherein the set of dryers is arranged outside the enclosure of the steam production device with its inlet connected upstream to the set of separators, a first outlet connected downstream to the inlet of said turbine body, and a second outlet connected downstream as a heat source to the set of exchangers.

2 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steam turbine is a double-body turbine comprising a body called a high-pressure body and a body called a low-pressure body, wherein the set of exchangers as a set of superheaters is connected to the outlet of the high-pressure body and to the inlet of the low-pressure body of the turbine and is suitable for reheating the steam leaving the high-pressure body before it enters the low-pressure body, and wherein the first outlet of the set of dryers is connected downstream to the inlet of the high-pressure body of the high-pressure turbine.

3 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the steam turbine is a single-body turbine comprising a single expansion body, wherein the set of exchangers as a set of reheaters is connected to the supply inlet for the feed water, produced downstream of the single-body turbine, of the steam production device and is suitable for reheating said feed water, and wherein the first outlet of the set of dryers is connected downstream to the inlet of the single body of the turbine.

4 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat source is a core of a PWR pressurized water nuclear reactor, and wherein the steam production device is a steam generator comprising a tube bundle for exchanging heat between the primary water and the secondary water in the saturated steam state V 2 at the outlet from the bundle.

5 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the enclosure of the steam generator constitutes the cover of the vessel of the reactor.

6 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat source is a core of a boiling water nuclear reactor (BWR), the steam production device being integrated in the vessel of the BWR nuclear reactor.

7 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the set of dryers is housed in a single enclosure with a funnel-shaped lower part connected upstream to the second outlet of the set of dryers and downstream to the set of exchangers.

8 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each separator consists of a cyclone separator.

9 . The electrical energy generation facility as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the PWR pressurized water nuclear reactor has a power equal to 150 MWe, and the total height of the vessel and the enclosure forming the cover is less than 15 m, typically equal to 13.5 m.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Gautier Guy-Marie
• Allegre Pierre

Classifications

• F01D15/10

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• G21C1/322

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

• F22B37/268

  specially adapted for steam generators of nuclear power plants · CPC title

• G21C15/253 Primary

  for gases, e.g. blowers · CPC title

• F22B1/025 Primary

  with vertical U shaped tubes carried on a horizontal tube sheet · CPC title