Injectable sacrificial material systems and methods to contain molten corium in nuclear accidents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022157478-A1
Application number	US-202217665719-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	May 19, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for injecting a carbonate-based sacrificial material into a nuclear reactor containment for containment of molten corium in severe nuclear reactor accidents are disclosed. Molten corium can be quickly cooled and solidified by the endothermic decomposition of the sacrificial material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for delivering a carbonate-based material within a nuclear reactor containment, comprising:
a nuclear reactor contained within the nuclear containment; a storage tank containing a mass of the carbonate-based material; and a gravity fluid delivery system for transporting the carbonate-based material within the nuclear containment vessel.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbonate-based material is a carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of alkaline, alkali, transition metal carbonates and mixtures thereof.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbonate-based material is an alkaline carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3 ), dolomite [CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ] and mixtures thereof.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbonate-based material is an alkali carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ), potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) and mixtures thereof.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the carbonate-based material is a transition metal carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of iron carbonate (FeCO 3 ), manganese carbonate (MnCO 3 ) and mixtures thereof.

6 . A method for containing corium in a nuclear reactor accident within a reactor containment, comprising:
delivering and contacting a carbonate-based material with molten corium; wherein the carbonate-based material is delivered by a non-pressurized, passive delivery system using gravity to deliver the carbonate-based material to the molten corium.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbonate-based material is selected from a group consisting essentially of alkaline, alkali, transition metal carbonates and the mixtures thereof.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbonate-based material is an alkaline carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3 ), dolomite [CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ] and mixtures thereof.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbonate-based material is an alkali carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ), potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3 ) and mixtures thereof.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbonate-based material is a transition metal carbonate-based material selected from a group consisting essentially of iron carbonate (FeCO 3 ), manganese carbonate (MnCO 3 ) and mixtures thereof.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbonate-based material is prepared by a method selected from a group consisting essentially of crushing, grinding and palletization to form a grain size ranging from sub-millimeters to 100 centimeters.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the grain size is chosen to control carbonate decomposition rate and injectivity of the carbonate-based material.

13 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carbonate-based material comprises hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) to convert metallic zirconium to zirconium oxide by reaction during corium cooling and solidification, thus eliminating or minimizing hydrogen gas generation from metallic zirconium.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) percentage of the carbonate-based material is determined by the mass fraction of metallic zirconium initially contained in corium melt.

Assignees

• Nat Tech & Eng Solutions Sandia Llc

Inventors

• Wang Yifeng
• Louie David
• Rao Rekha R
• Templeton Jeremy A

Classifications

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• G21C19/48

  Non-aqueous processes · CPC title

• G21C15/18

  Emergency cooling arrangements; Removing shut-down heat · CPC title

• G21C9/016 Primary

  Core catchers · CPC title

• G21C9/00

  Emergency protection arrangements structurally associated with the reactor {, e.g. safety valves provided with pressure equalisation devices}(emergency cooling arrangements G21C15/18) · CPC title