阅读说明：本技术 具有用于控制杆驱动机构的驱动马达的冷却腔室的核反应堆模块 (Nuclear reactor module with cooling chamber for drive motor of control rod drive mechanism ) 是由 T·利兹凯 于 2018-12-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：在一些实施例中,核反应堆模块包括：用于反应堆压力容器(RPV)的容纳容器；位于容纳容器中的控制杆驱动机构(CRDM),CRDM包括驱动马达,该驱动马达构造成将控制杆移入和移出位于RPV中的核反应堆堆芯；和延伸过容纳容器的一部分的隔离物,该隔离物构造成将驱动马达保持在容纳容器内的单独的不透流体的屏障区域中。可以公开和/或要求保护其它实施例。(In some embodiments, a nuclear reactor module comprises: a containment vessel for a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV); a Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) located in the containment vessel, the CRDM including a drive motor configured to move the control rod into and out of a nuclear reactor core located in the RPV; and a partition extending across a portion of the containment vessel, the partition configured to retain the drive motor in a separate fluid-tight barrier region within the containment vessel. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a containment vessel for a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV);

a Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) located in the containment vessel, the CRDM including a drive motor configured to move the control rod into and out of a nuclear reactor core located in the RPV; and

a partition extending across a portion of the containment vessel, the partition configured to retain the drive motor in a separate fluid-tight barrier region within the containment vessel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spacer comprises:

an attachment section having one side sealingly coupled to the CRDM; and

an expansion section coupled to another side of the attachment section, the expansion section expanding to allow the attachment section to move with the CRDM relative to the containment vessel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the expansion section comprises a bellows, a membrane, an expansion joint, or an omega seal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the attachment section comprises a plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the expansion section is sealingly coupled to the portion of the containment vessel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the separate fluid-tight barrier region within the containment vessel comprises a first region, and wherein the second region of the containment vessel comprises a vacuum environment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a partition isolates the portion of containment vessel from the vacuum environment, and wherein the portion of containment vessel includes one or more openings to exchange air outside of containment vessel with air within the separate fluid-tight barrier region.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an active device located outside the containment vessel to force air outside the containment vessel through an inlet opening of the one or more openings into the separate fluid-tight barrier region or to force air inside the separate fluid-tight barrier region through an outlet opening of the one or more openings to move heat generated by the drive motor out of the containment vessel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separate fluid-tight barrier region comprises air of a higher density than any air located in the vacuum region of the containment vessel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger on the portion of the containment vessel to remove heat generated by the drive motor from the containment vessel.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a containment vessel comprising a first section for containing a reactor pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor module and a second, different section located above the first section;

a Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) located in the second section, the CRDM for controlling movement of the CRDM relative to the containment vessel;

a fluid-tight barrier surrounding the CRDM, the fluid-tight barrier and the CRDM isolating the second section into a vacuum chamber and a fluid-filled chamber, wherein at least a portion of the CRDM is located in the vacuum chamber;

wherein one or more CRDM drive motors of the CRDM are thermally coupled to the fluid of the fluid-filled chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fluid-tight barrier comprises: an attachment section sealingly coupled to the CRDM; and an expansion section that expands to allow the attachment section to move with the CRDM relative to the containment vessel.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the attachment section comprises a plate having an opening for each CRDM housing of the CRDM.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the expansion section comprises a bellows, a membrane, an expansion joint, or an omega seal.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the attachment section is welded to the CRDM.

16. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least a portion of a CRDM comprises one or more CRDM electromagnetic coils.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least a portion of the CRDM comprises a first section of the CRDM and a second, different section of the CRDM is located in the fluid-filled chamber.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein one region of the fluid-tight barrier is sealingly coupled to the interior of the containment vessel and a different region of the fluid-tight barrier is sealingly coupled to the CRDM.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the fluid comprises air.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of fluid exchange openings in the containment vessel to form fluid paths into and out of the fluid-filled chamber.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to cooling in a containment vessel of a nuclear reactor module, and some embodiments relate to a nuclear reactor module having a cooling chamber for a drive motor of a CRDM (control rod drive mechanism).

Background

Convective heat transfer is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the motion of a fluid (liquid or gas). Convective heat transfer may include forced convection (a pump for moving liquid through a hose to remove heat from a source, a fan for driving air over fins or the like to remove heat from a source, etc.) and natural convection (where buoyancy caused by density changes drives the movement of a fluid).

Some nuclear reactor modules include a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) housed inside a containment vessel (CNV). These nuclear reactor modules may include a Reactor Component Cooling Water (RCCW) system to support components inside and outside the reactor module. The RCCW system may include pumps and cooling lines external to the CNV to dissipate heat from components external to the CNV. The RCCW system may also include cooling lines that penetrate the CNV to cool components in the CNV.

Drawings

The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve to provide examples of possible structures and operations of the disclosed inventive systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable storage media. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed implementations.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a containment vessel having a cooling chamber for a drive motor of a CRDM (control rod drive mechanism) in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 2 illustrates a bottom view of the fluid-tight barrier of fig. 1, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another containment vessel having a cooling chamber for a drive motor of a CRDM according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of yet another containment vessel having a cooling chamber for a drive motor of a CRDM according to various embodiments.

Detailed Description

It is desirable to reduce the cooling lines inside the CNV (e.g., the cooling lines of the RCCW system outside the CNV or any other cooling lines inside the CNV) for a variety of reasons. The environment inside the CNV may be at reduced pressure (e.g., at vacuum, meaning below atmospheric pressure) and at elevated temperatures (e.g., 600 degrees fahrenheit), and the seal between these openings and the cooling lines provides a leak path that allows atmospheric air to leak into the CNV, resulting in down time and loss of power generation. In addition, each cooling line consumes valuable space within the CNV, and reducing the cooling lines within the CNV may support reducing the overall size of the CNV. The cooling lines may also break, and diagnosing and/or repairing any cooling line, particularly within a CNV, may be expensive.

Some known nuclear reactor modules may include an RCCW system external to the CNV that includes cooling lines extending into the CNV to dissipate heat from the CRDM solenoids and/or CRDM drive motors. Some embodiments described herein eliminate some or all of such cooling lines by isolating sections (e.g., the upper section) within the CNV into a vacuum chamber for the CRDM coils and a fluid-filled chamber for the CRDM drive motor or other coils. Any fluid-tight barrier may be used to isolate the segments.

Any fluid-tight barrier described herein may allow differential motion between the CRDM and the CNV. In some embodiments, the attachment section of the fluid-tight barrier (to attach to the CRDM) may move relative to the CNV (e.g., with the CRDM casing). In some embodiments, the attachment section may be a rigid plate having an array of openings, each opening surrounding one of the CRDM housings. The attachment section may be sealingly coupled to the CRDM drive by welding, O-rings around the CRDM housing, or the like, or a combination thereof. The fluid-tight barrier may include an expansion section, such as a bellows (e.g., a metal bellows), a membrane, an expansion joint, an omega seal, or the like, or a combination thereof, to expand in response to movement of the CRDM housing toward the CNY and to contract in response to movement of the CRDM housing away from the CNV.

The fluid-filled chamber may contain a drive motor and/or air (or some other fluid) thermally coupled to the drive motor. Natural and/or forced convection heat transfer may be used to fill air or other fluid within the chamber with fluid to remove heat from the drive motor. When the CRDM housing is manipulated by a fine motion control drive using an electric motor on top of the CRDM, the heat generated by the energy provided to the motor can be removed by an atmospheric cooling environment.

In some embodiments, the fluid supply system may be an air supply system, which may be much less expensive and reliable than RCCW, and may eliminate the need for hoses and tubing within the containment vessel. In embodiments with forced convection, the fluid supply system may be placed on top of the nuclear reactor module or in a common area located away from the CNV.

In some embodiments, penetrations on the top of the CNV (or some other location corresponding to the fluid-filled chamber) may provide air and remove air or enable natural convection to cool the drive motor as needed in a forced flow system. These penetrations may be isolated from the vacuum chamber by a fluid-tight barrier and, therefore, may not require a seal (indeed, in a natural convection embodiment, these penetrations may be unrestricted vents).

By way of background, recent developments in high temperature coil technology with respect to the vacuum chamber may allow placement of the electromagnetic coils in a harsh environment similar to that experienced inside certain CNVs. These electromagnetic coils may be referred to as high temperature electromagnetic coils. The high temperature electromagnetic coil may be located in the vacuum chamber and not energized to a level that requires heat dissipation by water cooling. Water cooling or other forms of cooling of the coil may be eliminated. In other embodiments, any coil may be used in the vacuum chamber if the energy input to the coil is low and/or intermittent (e.g., if they are only energized intermittently for a period of time insufficient to raise their temperature beyond their operating range). In these embodiments, water cooling of the coils may also be eliminated.

Some embodiments described herein may include a nuclear reactor module having a cooling chamber for a drive motor of a control rod drive mechanism. The nuclear reactor module may include: a containment vessel for a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV); a Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) located in the containment vessel, the CRDM including a drive motor configured to move the control rod into and out of a nuclear reactor core located in the RPV; and a partition extending across a portion of the containment vessel, the partition configured to retain the drive motor in a separate fluid-tight barrier region within the containment vessel.

Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a containment vessel 2 having a cooling chamber 11 for a drive motor 17 of a CRDM (control rod drive mechanism) 15, in accordance with various embodiments. The cool-down chamber 11 may be separate from the chamber 10, and the chamber 10 may be a vacuum chamber (e.g., depressurized to less than atmospheric pressure). The CRDM 15 may include a high temperature solenoid coil 16 (or some other coil), which high temperature solenoid coil 16 may operate in the high temperature environment of the chamber 10 (e.g., 600F) without the need for water cooling.

The CRDM 15 and/or the respective shaft 3 within the housing of the CRDM 15 is movable relative to the containment vessel 2 and the RPV 1 to control movement of rods (not shown), each rod connected to a corresponding shaft 3, into and out of a nuclear reactor core (not shown) located in the RPV 1. This movement may be driven by a drive motor 17. During movement, the drive motor 17 may generate heat, and this heat may be removed by forcing a fluid (e.g. by a fan, pump or some other active component not shown), or drawn through the opening 19 (heated fluid may exit from another opening).

Unlike the openings for the cooling lines in some containment vessels, the openings 19 are not exposed to the vacuum environment inside the nuclear reactor module. The fluid-tight barrier 13 isolates a portion of the receiving container 2 from the vacuum environment, and an opening 19 is formed in the portion of the receiving container 2.

In this embodiment, the fluid-tight barrier 13 comprises an expansion section 14, which expansion section 14 is sealingly coupled (e.g. welded) to the interior of the containment vessel. In this embodiment, the expansion section 14 is shown as a bellows, but in other embodiments, the expansion section may comprise a membrane, an expansion joint, an omega seal, a bellows, or the like, or a combination thereof. Fig. 2 shows a bottom view of the fluid-tight barrier 13. Referring now to fig. 2, the fluid-tight barrier 13 may include an attachment section 251 connected to the other side of the inflation section 13. The attachment section 251 may comprise a rigid structure such as a plate. An array of openings 252 may be formed in the attachment section for each CRDM housing (fig. 1). The attachment section 251 and each CRDM housing may be sealingly coupled (e.g., welded and/or coupled using O-rings) where they contact in the opening 252.

Referring again to fig. 1, a portion of the fluid-tight barrier 13 (e.g., including the attachment section 251 in fig. 2) may move with the CRDM 15 relative to the containment vessel 2 and RPV 1. The expanding section 14 may expand when the CRDM 15 is moved toward the RPV 1, and the expanding section 14 may compress when the CRDM 15 is moved away from the RPV 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another containment vessel 302 having a cooling chamber 311 for a drive motor (not shown) of the CRDM 315, according to various embodiments. The CRDM 315 may be similar in any respect to any of the CRDMs described herein (e.g., the CRDM 15 of fig. 1). The fluid-impermeable barrier 314 may be similar in any respect to any of the fluid-impermeable barriers described herein, such as the fluid-impermeable barrier 14 of fig. 1. The attachment section 351 may be similar in any respect to any of the attachment sections described herein, such as the attachment section 251 of fig. 2.

A portion of the drive motor may be below the attachment section 351 as long as the drive motor is thermally coupled to the fluid of the cooling chamber 311. For example, the drive motor may be part of a drive motor assembly, and the attachment section 351 may be welded to the drive motor assembly. The drive motor assembly may include a fluid-tight housing that exposes the drive motor to the fluid of the cooling chamber 311 to thermally couple the drive motor to the fluid and isolate the fluid from the vacuum environment 310. In one example, it is feasible and practical to weld the attachment section 351 to the end of the CRDM at the drive motor assembly.

Fig. 3 also shows that an inlet hose 369 may be coupled to the inlet opening for the cooling chamber 311. An active component such as a fan may force air into the inlet hose 369. Due to the positive air pressure created by active components and/or natural convection, the heated air may exit through an outlet hose 370 coupled to an outlet opening of the cooling chamber 311 (the outlet opening may be located higher than the inlet opening to aid in heat transfer). In other embodiments, an active component may be installed at the outlet hose 370 to create a negative pressure in the cooling chamber 311, which may draw air into the inlet hose 369. The hoses 360 and 370 may be located entirely outside the CNV 302, as opposed to water cooling lines running inside the containment vessel.

In some examples, a hose may be used for only one of the inlet/outlet ports, while another opening may include a vent without a hose. In other examples, all openings may be vents without hoses. Likewise, there may be any number of outlet/inlet openings/hoses/fans/vents, etc.

Additionally, as noted above, active components may not be needed if natural convection is sufficient to remove the heat. Moreover, in some examples, the following is feasible and practical: insulation is installed along the fluid-tight barrier 314 (on one or both sides) to reduce heat transfer from the high temperature vacuum environment of the chamber 310 to the cooling chamber 311, thereby minimizing the amount of heat removed through the outlet opening.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of yet another containment vessel 402 having a cooling chamber 411 for a drive motor of a CRDM 415, in accordance with various embodiments. The CRDM 415 may be similar in any respect to any of the CRDMs described herein (e.g., the CRDM 15 of fig. 1). The fluid-impermeable barrier 414 can be similar in any respect to any of the fluid-impermeable barriers described herein, such as the fluid-impermeable barrier 14 of fig. 1. The attachment section 451 can be similar in any respect to any of the attachment sections described herein, such as the attachment section 251 of fig. 2.

In this example, a heat exchanger 499 (shown schematically) may be coupled to (or formed by) a portion of the containment vessel 402 associated with the cooling chamber to remove heat generated by the drive motor of the CRDM 415 by thermal conduction, convective heat transfer, thermal radiation, or the like, or combinations thereof. Containment vessel 402 may or may not include an opening (into which a heat exchanger component, such as a heat pipe, may be placed). Heat exchanger 499 may comprise any component of any known heat exchanger and/or a portion of the containment vessel itself (e.g., the containment vessel wall may provide conductive heat transfer).

Reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments. Although these disclosed embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, it is to be understood that these examples are not limiting, such that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from their spirit and scope.

Examples of the invention

Example 1 is an apparatus, comprising: a containment vessel for a Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV); a Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) located in the containment vessel, the CRDM including a drive motor configured to move the control rod into and out of a nuclear reactor core located in the RPV; and a partition extending across a portion of the containment vessel, the partition configured to retain the drive motor in a separate fluid-tight barrier region within the containment vessel.

Example 2 may include the subject matter of example 1 and/or any other example herein, wherein the spacer comprises: an attachment section having one side sealingly coupled with the CRDM; and an expansion section coupled to another side of the attachment section, the expansion section expanding to allow the attachment section to move with the CRDM relative to the containment vessel.

Example 3 may include the subject matter of any of example 1 and/or any other example herein, wherein the expansion section comprises a bellows, a membrane, an expansion joint, or an Ω seal.

Example 4 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-3 and/or any other example herein, wherein the attachment section comprises a plate.

Example 5 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-4 and/or any other example herein, wherein the expansion section is sealingly coupled to the portion of the containment vessel.

Example 6 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-5 and/or any other example herein, wherein the separate fluid-tight barrier region within the containment vessel comprises a first region, and wherein the second region of the containment vessel comprises a vacuum environment.

Example 7 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-6 and/or any other example herein, wherein the partition isolates the portion of the containment vessel from the vacuum environment, and wherein the portion of the containment vessel includes one or more openings to exchange air outside the containment vessel with air within the separate fluid-tight barrier region.

Example 8 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-6 and/or any other example herein, further comprising an active device located outside the containment vessel to force air outside the containment vessel into the separate fluid-tight barrier region through an inlet opening of the one or more openings or to force air inside the separate fluid-tight barrier region through an outlet opening of the one or more openings to move heat generated by the drive motor out of the containment vessel.

Example 9 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-8 and/or any other example herein, wherein the separate fluid-impermeable barrier region comprises a higher density of air than a density of any air located in the vacuum region of the containment vessel.

Example 10 may include the subject matter of any of examples 1-9 and/or any other example herein, further comprising a heat exchanger located on the portion of the containment vessel to remove heat generated by the drive motor from the containment vessel.

Example 11 is an apparatus, comprising: a containment vessel comprising a first section for containing a reactor pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor module and a second, different section located above the first section; a Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM) located in the second section, the CRDM for controlling movement of the CRDM relative to the containment vessel; a fluid-tight barrier surrounding the CRDM, the fluid-tight barrier and the CRDM isolating the second section into a vacuum chamber and a fluid-filled chamber, wherein at least a portion of the CRDM is located in the vacuum chamber; wherein one or more CRDM drive motors of the CRDM are thermally coupled to the fluid of the fluid-filled chamber.

Example 12 may include the subject matter of example 11 and/or any other example herein, wherein the fluid-tight barrier comprises: an attachment section sealingly coupled to the CRDM; and an expansion section that expands to allow the attachment section to move with the CRDM relative to the containment vessel.

Example 13 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-12 and/or any other example herein, wherein the attachment section comprises a plate having an opening for each CRDM housing of the CRDM.

Example 14 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-13 and/or any other example herein, wherein the expansion section comprises a bellows, a membrane, an expansion joint, or an omega seal.

Example 15 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-14 and/or any other example herein, wherein the attachment section is welded to the CRDM.

Example 16 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-15 and/or any other example herein, wherein the at least a portion of the CRDM comprises one or more CRDM electromagnetic coils.

Example 17 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-16 and/or any other example herein, wherein the at least a portion of the CRDM comprises a first section of the CRDM and a second, different section of the CRDM is located in the fluid-filled chamber.

Example 18 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-17 and/or any other example herein, wherein one region of the fluid-tight barrier is sealingly coupled to the interior of the containment vessel and a different region of the fluid-tight barrier is sealingly coupled to the CRDM.

Example 19 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-18 and/or any other example herein, wherein the fluid comprises air.

Example 20 may include the subject matter of any of examples 11-19 and/or any other example herein, further comprising a plurality of fluid exchange openings in the containment vessel to form a fluid path into and out of the fluid-filled chamber.

Having described and illustrated the principles of the preferred embodiments, it should be apparent that the embodiments may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. All modifications and variations coming within the spirit and scope of the following claims are claimed.