Filter for a nuclear reactor containment ventilation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502144-B2
Application number	US-201313792401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2013
Priority date	Jul 6, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A wet filter for a nuclear reactor primary containment vent that employs an inclined manifold having a plurality of outlets that communicate through a first set of metal fiber filters submerged in a pool of water enclosed within a pressure vessel. A demister suspended above the pool of water to remove any entrained moisture in the filtered effluent before being passed through a second stage of higher density, dry, metal fiber filters connected to a second manifold that communicates with an outlet on the pressure vessel that is connected to an exhaust passage to the atmosphere.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nuclear power generating facility having a containment for housing a nuclear reactor for confining radiation leaked from the nuclear reactor, the containment having a ventilation outlet for providing a controlled release for an atmospheric pressure buildup within the containment in event the pressure of an atmospheric effluent within the containment is built up to a level that exceeded a preselected value, including a filter comprising:
a filter vessel having an input nozzle connected to the ventilation outlet;
a liquid occupying a portion of a lower interior of the filter vessel and configured to function as a scrubber for the atmospheric effluent;
an inlet conduit in fluid communication with the inlet nozzle and extending into the lower interior of the filter vessel;
a manifold connected to the inlet conduit and extending into the lower portion of the filter vessel, the manifold including a plurality of outlets and designed to operate with the outlets respectively releasing a portion of the containment atmospheric effluent under a pool of the liquid contained within the filter vessel;
a first set of a plurality of fiber filters, each fiber filter being submerged in the liquid and having substantially a first density of fibers for filtering the atmospheric effluent exhausted through the corresponding outlet in the manifold with each of the fiber filters in the first set connected to and in fluid communication with one of the manifold outlets and configured, in a steady state operation of the filter, so that the containment atmospheric effluent passes through at least a portion of the fibers before the containment atmospheric effluent contacts the liquid; and
a filter vessel outlet in fluid communication with the interior of the filter vessel and operable to exhaust the filtered containment atmospheric effluent to an outside atmosphere exterior of the containment.

2. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 wherein the filter vessel is inerted with nitrogen.

3. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 wherein said liquid comprises water.

4. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 including sodiumthiosulphate dissolved within the liquid.

5. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 including a demister supported above the pool of liquid for separating out any moisture from an exhaust fraction of the filtered containment atmospheric effluent.

6. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 including a second set of a plurality of fiber filters extending from a second manifold which is connected to the filter vessel outlet.

7. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 6 wherein the second set of the plurality of fiber filters has a greater density of fibers than the first set of fiber filters.

8. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 7 wherein the second set of fiber filters comprise metal fibers.

9. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 wherein the first set of fiber filters comprise metal fibers.

10. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 wherein the filter vessel is a pressure vessel including apparatus for maintaining the filter vessel interior at a pressure above atmospheric pressure.

11. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 1 wherein the manifold extends into the lower portion of the filter vessel at an acute angle to a central axis of the filter vessel.

12. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 11 wherein the manifold extends into the lower interior of the filter vessel, configured as an inverted “V” having a downward leg extending from each side of an apex with the outlets extending from at least one of the legs.

13. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 12 wherein the inlet conduit is coupled to the manifold at the apex.

14. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 2 wherein each of the downward extending legs has the outlets extending therefrom.

15. The nuclear power generating facility of claim 12 wherein the outlets extend upwardly from the extending legs.

16. A filter for filtering an effluent, comprising:
a vessel having an input nozzle;
a liquid occupying a portion of a lower interior of the vessel and configured to function as a scrubber for the effluent;
an inlet conduit in fluid communication with the inlet nozzle and extending into the lower interior of the vessel;
a manifold connected to the inlet conduit and extending into the lower portion of the vessel; the manifold including a plurality of outlets and designed to operate with the outlets respectively releasing a portion of an effluent to be filtered, under a pool of the liquid contained within the vessel;
a first set of a plurality of fiber filters, each fiber filter being submerged in the liquid and having substantially a first density of fibers for filtering the effluent exhausted through the corresponding outlet in the manifold with each of the fiber filters in the first set connected to and in fluid communication with one of the manifold outlets and configured, in a steady state operation of the filter, so that the effluent passes through at least a portion of the fibers before the effluent contacts the liquid; and
a vessel outlet in fluid communication with the interior of the vessel and operable to exhaust the filtered effluent to an outside atmosphere.

17. The filter of claim 16 including a demister supported above the pool of liquid for separating out any moisture from an exhaust fraction of the filtered effluent.

18. The filter of claim 16 wherein the manifold extends into the lower interior of the vessel at an acute angle to a central axis of the vessel and the manifold is configured as an inverted “V” having a downward leg extending from each side of an apex with the outlets extending from at least one of the legs.

19. The filter of claim 16 including a second set of a plurality of fiber filters extending from a second manifold which is connected to the vessel outlet wherein the second set of the plurality of fiber filters has a greater density of fibers than the first set of fiber filters.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Electric Co Llc

Inventors

• Nilsson Per-Olof

Classifications

• G21C19/303

  specially adapted for gases (decontamination of gases G21F9/02) · CPC title

• G21F9/02

  Treating gases · CPC title

• G21C13/10

  Means for preventing contamination in the event of leakage, {e.g. double wall} · CPC title

• G21C13/022 Primary

  Ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• G21C9/004 Primary

  Pressure suppression · CPC title